The Geat Debaters

Rating: 8
Genre: Drama

This movie was set in 1935 and based loosely on a true story about the Wiley College debate team. Wiley College was a small all-black college in Texas during a time when segregation was not just prevalent, but standard. This story shows how this group of college students and professors used their words to debate inequality and justice and opened eyes to the plight of the African American who lived in America without those rights.

Denzel Washington plays the professor who is captain of the debate team, and Forest Whitaker plays the part of Dr. James Farmer, Sr., a Wiley College professor who's 14 year old son is one of the 4 members of the team. Denzel Whitaker (who was named after Denzel Washington and no relation to Forest) plays his son, James Farmer, Jr. The role of Samantha Booke is played by Jurnee Smollett; she plays a great part on the debate team and her emotion shows on-screen as genuine passion. Henry Lowe, played by Nate Parker, is the most experienced and crafty debater on the team. He is torn between the life of debauchery he grew up in and the genius and power in his mind. Often reacting on habitual instinct instead of doing what he knows is right, he throws a few interesting twists into the story.

The story comes to peak when the debate team from Wiley College eventually finally gets a chance to challenge the debate team at Harvard University. This story made me angry when I saw the lynchings and ignorance that went on, but it also showed the piece of history that helped pave the way for human rights activists like Martin Luther King, Jr.

Overall, this was a very inspiring movie with quite good acting.