MovieChat Forums > The Great Debaters (2007) Discussion > These are the kind of black movies...

These are the kind of black movies...


We should support! It's so refreshing to see a black movie that isn't a dumbass romantic comedy or lame action/hip-hop flick with a no-acting and in some cases no-rapping rapper or a plotless hip-hop dance flick inside of a college. I will definitely spend my ten dollars on this. Hopefully, others will follow suit and support this movie. Let Hollywood know that there is diversity in the black community as far as taste in movies. Not all of us want to see "Stomp the Yard", "Stomp the Yard 2", and "Stomp the Yard 3". It would be fantastic if "The Great Debaters" debut at least in the top 3 opening weekend.

http://www.myspace.com/obiwanbrown

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Definitely agree, although I am glad Denzel will be seen in both "American Gangster" and this one during the same time of the year. It provides a good contrast, and ahows that with such talent you can tell stories of black people all across the spectrum.
(I was wondering why Oprah had him on the show; I thought it was b/c of the former movie but now know of course it's the latter!)

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I looks so good. I really want to see it. Love the girl in it, from what I saw in on Oprah. Love that it also builds women up too.

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Looks like a fantastic movie.

However, I usually only go to theaters to see movies that I think that you "need" to see in theaters. Thusly, I will probably see it when my college plays it a couple months after it is released.

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I Agree As Well. Im A Black Guy Who Is Hoping To Get Into The Business And These Chessy Black Movies Are Pretty Annoying. But Stomp The Yard Was Actually A Good Movie To Me. But Anyway Im Looking Forward To The Great Debaters. I Love Jurnee Smollett!!!

You Got A Pretty Mouth Boy

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http://shareddarkness.com/2007/12/08/great-debaters-tidbit.aspx

^^^ Couldn't agree more with OP... sounds great!!

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America needs all the movies it can get which dramatize the value of debating in school. An indie film called Rocket Science came out in 2006, this one will come out at the end of this year, and Come What May opens in 2008.

I hope these will help inspire American kids to take a break from TV and video games long enough to exercise their brains.

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Right on!

http://www.myspace.com/obiwanbrown

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People will pay to see it. Probably not as many as those who'll run out to see "Stomp the Yard" and its clones, but people will go see this movie. There are more people out there than you think who want to see a quality movie about the black experience. But we as the black audience need to broaden our taste, and stop settling for crappy b/s movies, so the studios will give us more movies like "The Great Debaters". Just my opinion.

http://www.myspace.com/obiwanbrown

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My people, the American people, need movies that celebrate the value of critical thinking. I hope this movie, along with others like it, encourages people to give debating teams the funding they so urgently require.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/289420_dyingdebate20.html

Incidentally, this interesting article notes that, among other celebrities, Oprah Winfrey and James Earl Jones were both avid debaters in their teens.

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Thanks for your fine and pithy post,merival 1 Alot of us Americans will
see this film.Let's hope there will be more movies like this and less
like Soul Plane,Little Man and Who's Your Caddy!

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Thanks for sharing that article/link

I find, in being black, a thing of beauty: a joy; a strength; a secret cup of gladness.

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"My people" I doubt may people will consider themselves part of that group. This movie is hardly a "small film". It's a serious film with substance that I think alot of people will want to see and will see. Not just blacks either. I'm not black and I will see it because I want to.

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Why would a grown adult feel the need to create sockpuppets (Uggs, Willowwear) on a message board to bash a film he hasn't even seen?

Why is it important for you to troll?

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You realize that the desire to "push buttons" of other posters on a message board fits the classic definition of a troll, don't you?

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[deleted]

Do you realize that you are a troll?

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[deleted]

And why are you interested in a movie aimed at blacks?

Why are you so racist?

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What's with the term "feel good black movie" anyways? ALL movies have an ending that gives you some sort of conclusion. Some may leave it open for another movie to follow it but there's still an ending. Are you looking for a movie that makes people feel bad at the end? Or have no ending at all? Perhaps a movie like Armagedon they should go to the asteroid and try to deflect it or blow it up but fail and have it hit the Earth and destroy it. Perhaps in Independance Day or War of the Worlds they should fight the Aliens but in the end the humans lose and the Aliens take over. Afterall, since that didn't happen it must have a feel good ending right? You may see the Great Debaters as a "black" movie but I don't. I see it as a period movie with real life ties. It's based on true events. There is segregation involved because of the period of time it takes place. Is that a "feel good" thing? Movies involve conflict and with conflict there is some sort of outcome. Do you really expect the outcome to be a negative one? Even World Trade Center had an ending with some good coming out of it.

When the time comes where we do have a black President, I'm sure there will be a movie at some point based on their story. I'm also sure it will be a story worth hearing about. Look at the story more than simply the color of the people in it. Sure color is connected to the story because it's involved in how the people are viewed and judged. It's what contributes to the conflict in the story. But in general it's about people overcoming obstacles and things and people who are against them. It's more than color.

I'll point out again though that I'm also white.

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lol @"stomp the yard" & it's clones

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popeye has ate his spinach

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Yea i agree, movie looked really and you can tell its gonna be boring!

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Something is wrong with black kids if they don't go see this movie...period. I am sure they would pay to see a ghetto tyler perry movie, ugh.

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The movie could have been a good one. But they overhyped it. They defeated Harvard U in the movie.

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Frankly, anything which encourages blacks to adopt into black culture intelligence, learning, and appreciation for what I can only term "social responsibility", in place of Gangstas, Drugs, and Basketball, can only be A Real Good Thing.

Bill Cosby has it right.

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what's wrong with basketball?...

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Hey, everybody, let's chill with the potshots! I didn't create this thread so folks can insult each other and criticize their politics. Everybody has an opinion (no matter how misguided) and I welcome the feedback. I just wanted to express the satisfaction I feel knowing that Hollywood (on occasion) will make a movie that portrays African Americans in a dignified light. I'm glad that there are some folks on here who share my sentiment.


http://www.myspace.com/obiwanbrown

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[deleted]

and romantic comedies don't portray us in a dignified light? There's a genre for everyone to enjoy. The only thing I'm tired of is seeing rappers as actors when there are plenty of black actors not working. You want to make a movie about a rap star then use a rap star- fine, but we don't need to see big name rap stars getting roles that could be a breakout role for a theater graduate waiting tables and standing in long audition lines. And in no way am I talking about Will Smith or even LLCool J. They are the few exceptions.

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Hi Everyone, just to let you know I am a caucasian 42 year old female, and this is not necessarily a black issue, it is a human interest story! In this day and time we need to look beyond color. All of us! I'm not writing this because I'm white I am writing this because I think this story is interesting and I want to see this movie and will pay to do it, just like I paid to see Pride or Freedom Writers because they are movies that touch my spirit and make me proud to call myself a human being.

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Thats correct.

Its interesting to see how mankind treats fellow mankind. How savage mankind is.

saying this is a "black" movie, is like saying "Too end all wars" (about POWs of the Japanese in WWII) is a "White" movie as the POWs are white Scottish, English, Australian etc. Now nobody would say "White movie"

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Coming from a white guy, I think this movie will be good for America. A movie like this needs to be viewed by, particularly, my fellow white cohorts. How many "stump the yards" and "you got served" and "he got game" movies will we be subjected to. If film makers want to do their part and help calm race tensions, they must make more movies like "The Great Debaters".

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I'm Russian, you see, but want to see this movie because I like both Denzel and Forest and I agree that it's cool to have serious movies with black actors.

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Oh, Thank you!. I will see this movie.

"SG"

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