McFarland, USA

Plot

Jim White, a football coach, loses his job and moves with his family to take a new job at McFarland High School in McFarland, California, which is predominantly Latino. Discovering that some of his students are strong runners, he organizes a boys' cross country team with seven members who have little hope for their future. They become a close-knit, mutually supportive unit. Under White's guidance the team becomes outstandingly successful, winning 11 state titles over the years, with many members escaping poverty and being first in their families to go to college or into military careers. Some members continue to attend practice even after graduation from college.

Cast

Production

William Broyles Jr. was hired to write the screenplay for the film, which was in development since 2004. Negotiations for Kevin Costner to star were finalized in July 2013. Principal photography took place in Camarillo, California, and many of McFarland's residents were extras in the movie.

Historical accuracy

In an interview, Jim White noted that while the movie was based on a true story, it was not a documentary. He acknowledged that not everything in the movie was factual, but that "it's still an enjoyable movie... it turned out fine." Some of the more notable differences included:

Release

The film was previously slated for a November 21, 2014 release, under the title McFarland, but was pushed back to February 20, 2015 and given a new title. The film was released in Canada under its original title, McFarland.

Home media

McFarland, USA was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 2, 2015 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Box office

McFarland, USA grossed $44.5 million in North America and $1.2 million in other territories for a total gross of $45.7 million.

The film opened in North America on February 20, 2015 and earned $11 million in its opening weekend, finishing 4th at the box office.

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes has reported an 80% approval rating, based on 120 reviews, with a rating average of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Disney's inspirational sports drama formula might be old hat, but McFarland, USA proves it still works — especially with a talented director and eminently likable star in the mix." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review, writing that "While the beats of the story are often stock, the picture benefits from sensitive direction by New Zealander Niki Caro and from a most appealing performance by Kevin Costner." James Rocchi of The Wrap wrote "A feel-good movie that earns all those good feelings, McFarland USA might be running on a predetermined track, but the heart it shows along the journey is what makes it a winner." A.O. Scott of The New York Times described the film favorably as "a slick and safe Disney version of a fascinating and complicated reality", and that "Mr. Costner, with his knack for grumpy understatement, manages both to dominate the film and to deflect attention from himself."