McFarland, USA

Synopsis: A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. There he discovers buried potential in several high school boys and slowly turns them into championship runners and brings them closer than even he could ever imagine.
Director(s): Niki Caro
Production: Walt Disney Pictures
  4 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
60
Rotten Tomatoes:
80%
PG
Year:
2015
129 min
Website
8,256 Views


1

He's just sitting there, man.

You can run around the edge!

- I know, right.

- That's what...

All right, guys.

- It wasn't my fault.

- Yeah.

Hey!

We just set a record.

It's not a good one.

The most points ever scored

against this school, and it's halftime.

You think that's funny, Mitchell?

No, sir.

Well, then why are you laughing?

You're our captain,

elected by these guys.

Our only senior.

The time for you to make an impression

was in practice this week.

On the field tonight. Not now.

And certainly not on the sidelines,

planning a party at your parents' house

because you know

they're gone this weekend.

Pick it up.

Brandon, come here.

Come here. Yeah, you.

I said pick it up.

Now hand it to him.

Now, we have about five minutes

before we have to go out there,

in front of everybody

who's come here to support us tonight.

The question is,

what's gonna happen to you now,

when you have to go out there,

and everybody thinks

that you're gonna lay down.

Bull...!

Get out.

Me? I didn't say anything.

I said get out.

Are you kidding me?

Come here, let me take a look at that.

Dad, please tell me

that you took the wrong exit.

Are we in Mexico?

No.

Shall we go take a look, folks?

Come on.

Is this really the place?

Wow.

Who's she?

Paint store.

First thing tomorrow.

Assuming there is one.

Julie.

What?

Let's go find your room, girls.

Come on.

This place is a dump.

Like you care.

You'll be at college soon.

I'm the one who's gotta live here.

I think we're all tired, guys.

Why don't we go find

something to eat, okay?

Sounds great.

They gotta have a restaurant, right?

Hi.

Hello. How are you?

Good.

We got tacos, tortas, burritos,

tostadas and quesadillas.

You got burgers?

No, we got tacos, tortas, tostadas,

burritos, and quesadillas.

Tacos. We'll take the tacos, thank you.

Okay. What kind of meat do you want?

Asada, al pastor,

chorizo, cabeza, lengua, jamon?

I'll bring you a selection.

You can sit wherever you want.

Here?

I want to watch The Brady Bunch.

Yeah. How about it?

All right, everybody, just stay with me.

- Dad?

- Just...

Come on, man. Don't be scared, mija.

Hey, that's enough.

Hold on.

Dad!

You know what, we're not staying.

First thing Monday morning,

we're out of here.

- Jim.

- No, we're not staying here, all right?

I'm not having you

and the girls stay here.

I'll find something else.

How?

I don't remember there being

a whole lot more options.

We'll move to Bakersfield.

All right? I'll commute.

We cannot afford Bakersfield.

Okay. Look at us.

We're living on a teacher's salary.

If you'd just...

If we had just stayed

somewhere longer, I don't know,

built up some tenure,

then it would be different.

I'm sorry.

Babe, you said it yourself.

This is the only job you could get.

- Yeah.

- Right?

And our girls, they start

that school on Monday.

We just gotta make it work.

We don't have a choice.

Right?

I'm so sorry.

Jamie, hon, you're gonna do it.

Come on, hon.

Please don't make me!

I know. I know it's hard.

Please don't make me!

I know it's hard,

but you gotta do it, okay?

Please, Julie, help me.

Hi.

I'm here to meet with

Principal Camillo. I'm Jim.

Jim, the new life science guy.

And PE coach, and football.

That's right.

Maria Marsol. How was the drive in?

You like living in Bakersfield?

Bakersfield? No. We're...

We're here in McFarland.

Well, look at you.

A little help, please?

Certainly don't want a fire

in this place.

It could cost tens of dollars'

worth of damage, right?

This is your last chance, son.

Make the most of it.

Jim White?

Principal Camillo. How are you?

Decaffeinated. Come on.

I'm supposed to bleed a rock

with the budget,

handle the kids and their petty

vendettas, and quit smoking.

Who am I, Superman?

What happened?

Some kid called his little sister a...

I'm not gonna repeat what he said,

but it explains why she's pregnant.

Sit down. Welcome to McFarland.

You know, I was surprised that a man

like you would want to come here.

But then I read your file.

Up in Saint Paul, you were fired

for verbally abusing your players.

I don't use profanity.

I was just trying to motivate some boys

who didn't know the value of hard work.

And a fight with

the chairman of the school board?

Difference of opinion.

And this latest incident.

You wanna tell me about that?

I lost my temper.

It should never have happened.

What are the chances

of it happening again?

It's not gonna happen again.

Pleased to hear it.

Because you're running

out of options, Mr. White.

Come in, Coach.

Coach White, Coach Jenks.

This is your new

overqualified assistant.

That right?

The name's "White"?

Yep.

Wow.

Berdejo.

Cardenas. Denas?

It's "Cardenas."

Diaz.

Diaz.

Diaz.

It's a popular name

where you guys come from?

We gotta go.

Hold on, class isn't dismissed.

We gotta go, really. It's our mom.

Tell your mother she can wait.

You tell her.

Hey, White.

Is that a popular name

where you come from?

- Mr...

- Puentes.

Victor.

Mr. Puentes, regular PE class.

What do you normally do?

- Nothing.

- Nothing?

Come on, homes.

You really wanna mess this up?

You wanna get this all sweaty?

Real peacock, huh?

All right, I'll tell you

what we're gonna do.

We're gonna...

Let's take a lap, we'll call it a day.

What about you?

I'm not running, jefe.

I'm on the football team.

That's a linebacker's number.

It's not the size of the dog

in the fight, coach.

It's the size of the fight in the dog.

Depends on how big the dog is.

Big dog.

Huddle up! Huddle up!

They aren't really good, are they?

Let's give them a chance, hon.

Maybe Dad will lose it again

and then we'll get

to move somewhere else.

Stop it.

I don't wanna hear another word.

Go, Johnny!

Hut!

Wow.

Nothin'!

Did you see that hit?

All right. Return.

Good job, guys!

Good hit! Good hit!

Nice clean hit.

Johnny. Johnny.

How many fingers am I holding up?

September.

What?

Look, it's Friday, man, okay?

Okay, special teams!

No, no, no, no.

Sit down. No. You're done.

Hey, coach, we only got 10!

We need one more! We need one more!

Sameniego, get in here!

No.

I mean it. Sit down.

Cortez, let's go.

Seriously!

What time is it?

I'm guessing dawn.

- Dad.

- What?

Wring its neck.

Please.

I will.

Welcome to McFarland.

For me?

Thank you.

Well, I see you kept it.

Kept what?

Well, knowing where you live,

and knowing la Seora Soto as I do,

I'm thinking she offered you a chicken.

And since you're in here buying feed

instead of barbeque sauce,

I'm thinking you kept it.

Smart move, hombre.

It shows you got manners.

Thanks, Mr...

Sammy Rosaldo.

Open every day on

Sherwood Avenue since '62.

Jim White.

Cliff Avenue for about a week,

but it sounds

like you already know that.

I know a lot of things about McFarland.

Do you know anything about a plant

that can make my garden look better?

You don't need a plant. You need a tree.

A tree?

Sonia!

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