The Great Debaters

The Great Debaters wants to be an Oscar contender. It has all the qualities that should place it squarely on the Academy’s radar: Oprah "Do No Wrong" Winfrey produced it, Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker have lead roles, and the film adopts a palatable feel good aesthetic, examining the true story of a coach who assembled an all-black championship debate team that rivaled Harvard during the 1930s, an era when "separate but equal" still ruled in Texas. Despite possessing these Academy-approved elements, the film couples moments of triumph with a few turns of hollowness.

Washington plays debate coach Melvin B. Tolson, who teaches his students that in the war of debating, well-reasoned arguments can be a vehicle to enact social change, as words are effective and powerful weapons. Washington, still as handsome as he was when he first broke into film over two decades ago, acts with his mouth, enunciating and shaping his syllables with dramatic movement. It make sense, since he's teaching his young charges to be clear and be precise with their words. His standout pupils are Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), who makes valid, intelligent points backed with emotional heft, though Parker never lets on what passion is driving his character to debating, and James Parker, Jr. (a scene-stealing Denzel Whitaker), a chubby young debater wise beyond his years, thanks to his tempestuous relationship with his scholarly yet heavy-handed father, James Sr., played by the elder Whitaker. The film's most engaging scenes come when Tolson is working his students through an unorthodox boot camp of sorts. Even when he's a hard-ass, Tolson is utterly charming. The team's successes and outwittings of their opponents are advanced through black and white montage clips, lending authenticity to the era-specific film.

The underlying racism that the debaters face despite their intellect and their strength is most effectively illustrated when the team's first and only female debater, the lovely Journee Smollett as Samantha Brooke, stands up to launch an argument and disapproving white audience members start walking out. The more people retreat, the stronger her oratory skills get, showing her strength in the face of adversity. The scene is subtle, but powerful.

It's simple to rally behind the debaters and their coach and root for them to win each and every time; the film is formulaic in that regard. Washington carries the movie, while Parker could have dug a little deeper into his character’s psyche to unearth his motivations, though Washington and Whitaker more than make up their co-stars’ occasional lack of depth. Wonder why Oscar didn't look this way?

— Amy Sciarretto
05.30.08