Wes's Grade: CUplifting underdog story "MacFarland USA" falters with Costner, Disney
"MacFarland USA" is an uplifting true-story sports underdog film that Disney seems to enjoy making, though the crucial miscasting of Kevin Costner (note: he's much too old for the part) and Disney's own confusing, heavy-handed branding throw off what an otherwise affecting story. The movie follows coach Jim White (Costner) and his wife (Maria Bello), whose job-hopping leads him to a predominantly Latino high school in 1987 where he struggles to find common ground until he notices his students' exceptional running ability and forms a fledgling team of unlikely runners who bond to build a championship cross-country team and an enduring legacy. Directed by Niki Caro ("Whale Rider") and co-written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson, "MacFarland USA" is a predictable, enjoyable trifle of a sports movie whose path tends to go exactly as you might expect. Disney's marketing and branding departments should be faulted for adding "USA" to the title, when it really has no bearing on the story not one bit and is really used to falsely promote the film as a slice of sports Americana, when it's really the exact opposite, and is occasionally an insightful look at the plight of Mexican-American families struggling to make their way in the U.S, with solid turns from all the unknown Hispanic actors playing the runners. As for Costner, he's good too, but he's much too-old for the part and looking even older than the now-retired coach shown over the credits with some of the real runners depicted in the movie (this coach would've been much younger in 1987). The heartfelt "MacFarland USA's" story is a worthy one, even if Disney probably has many more like this one in their back pocket at any time, just don't chant "USA, USA" as they want you to do here.
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