McFarland, USA Movie Review #McFarlandUSAEvent

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As part of the #McFarlandUSAEvent blog team, I got to do some pretty cool things thanks to Disney. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own!

Today is the day! McFarland, USA is in theaters! I am excited for this one, not just because I got to meet the great actors and director and the real life inspirations behind the film, but because this movie has so much heart and is such a great sports film.

I have always been a huge lover of sports films because I love sports. I played softball and basketball until I got injured and ended up getting Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). I’m also loving how this great movie is directed by a female – Niki Caro. We asked her how directing McFarland, USA was different from movies she’s directed before:

I figured out the way I work best, which is real stories and real people. Go to the real community, ask for their collaboration. Keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. And just see how life is lived; be really observant.

L to R: Jamie White (Elsie Fisher), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), Julie White (Morgan Saylor), and Cheryl White (Maria Bello)
Photo Credit: Ron Phillips – Disney 2015

We first meet Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) in 1987 when he gets fired from his job on the east side of the country. He then movies to McFarland, California with his family (Elsie Fisher, Morgan Saylor, Maria Bello) to take a teaching job at the high school. McFarland is an economically challenged but farm rich city in the Central Valley. While making his class run laps around the track he notices that some of his students are fast… really fast. So he looks into it and decides to make a cross country team. Of course, there’s not a lot of faith from others on the success of it.

Photo Credit: Ron Phillips
Disney 2015

In the movie, Coach White has some troubles getting used to the culture. I mean, who wouldn’t be a little confused when your neighbor gives you a chicken as a welcome gift? Also, Coach White has to deal with some unhappy parents because with practice the kids are missing their shifts in the fields where they have to pick.

L to R: Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts), Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), Johnny Sameniego (Hector Duran), Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Damacio Diaz (Jamie Michael Aguero), and David Diaz (Rafael Martinez)
Photo Credit: Ron Phillips Disney 2015

I love how the characters come together as a real team – not just while running races but away as well. There is so much heart in this movie. Watching a small town go from just being an agricultural town to also being a town with a championship team is just amazing. They shot the film in McFarland, California as well. Of course, the town was very excited:

The doors were flying open to McFarland. And, it starts with Jim. He’s kind of the like the unofficial mayor. But when we went out there to shoot, the town couldn’t do enough for us. There’s so much love and pride there. So much. And they were so happy that we were there. Every time we shot, everybody would come. We’d put a bit of tape along the road so they didn’t get in the shot. All of those scenes that we shot there, the scenes around the market and stuff, believe me – just out of frame, there are 300 people. I love it. I just love to feel that embrace of the community. There’s nothing better.Make sure to head to the theaters this weekend to see McFarland, USA! It is sure to be a favorite of yours this year and for years to come! It sure tugged on my heart strings – it made me laugh and cry.

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Courtney P.

I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!

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