"There's no small pleasure in seeing a well-worn tale told with class and style." Michael Dequina MR BROWN'S MOVIES "With the possible exception of Tommy Lee Jones, no one is better suited to dish out stone-faced, 'my way or the highway' discipline than Jackson." Larry Ratliff SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS "For all Coach Carter's moralizing, it is an eminently palatable drama, and Samuel L Jackson, who has certainly been known to take nobility to the nth degree is first-rate as Carter." John Anderson NEWSDAY "An inspirational film about a high school coach who has the gall to suggest that athletes must make their mark in the classroom as well as on the basketball court." Frederic and Mary Ann SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH "Inspirational, entertaining and gripping." Larry Carroll IGN FILMFORCE

"It qualifies its thrill of victory with a very sober message: few high school athletes become NBA millionaires, many are cheated out of an education." William Arnold, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "It's not only a sports movie with the usual big games and important shots, but also a coach movie, with inspiring locker room speeches and difficult moral decisions." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "There's no small pleasure in seeing a well-worn tale told with class and style." Michael Dequina MR BROWN'S MOVIES "Samuel L. Jackson's intense, dynamic presence lifts this film above the usual sports movie and makes it one to remember." Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS "A strong performance by Samuel L. Jackson enables the film to transcend the mold exploited by other teen sports dramas." Craig Roush KINNOPIO'S MOVIE REVIEWS

The Inside Story

" Put this movie on your must see list and enjoy a truly uplifting sports story." Vince Koehler ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM

Don't be fooled by into thinking that Samuel L Jackson's latest film "Coach Carter" is just another 'sports' film, for nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, it's a film about a real life Basketball Coach named Ken Carter but it's not just a shallow sports story. This is a dramatic story about "Coach Carter" and his vision for the young men who made the cut and played on the team at Richmond High School, California. A vision that stretched way beyond the young mens basketball playing days. Carter coached the Richmond High School team from 1997 to 2002. Taking over the troubled team, Carter instigated academic achievement contracts after consulting with the young men and reaching an agreement that they would attend classes and that they would strive to achieve the grade standards or they were off the team. Carter knew that without an education these young men would have no future, that very few of them would ever make it in the real world without real academic achievement. He knew that very few would make it in to the world of 'big-time' basketball and that if they were offered sports scholarships they would have little chance of 'making it' in the real world once they left the College Basketball League. In 1999 Carter was confronted with assessments of the team members which revealed that some had high non-attendance records and many had unacceptable grade levels. In a radical move, Carter locked the gymnasium and banned all basketball related activities. It attracted national media attention and put Carter's position as coach, on the line. What made it worse was the fact that the team was undefeated at the time. It brought down the wrath of parents, the school board and the Richmond community on Coach Carter. Carter weathered the storm and won the day. Ken Carter continues to work with Richmond's youth and plays an active role in the community. He is the owner/operator of Prime Time Publications, Prime Time Sports and is the author of several books including 101 Ways to Earn a Higher G.P.A. And just in case you're one of those who think what Coach Carter did was highly unreasonable just take this into consideration. Carter had such a love for the High School and the needs of his student that "in October, 2000 he announced his plans to travel from Richmond High School to the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Using only a kick scooter, Carter travelled for 3 days to Sacramento hoping to draw awareness to the deteriorating state of our schools and the need for students, parents, teachers, and school board officials to commit to making a difference. His efforts proved successful, and subsequently Richmond High received building enhancements and computers from the Office of the Secretary of Education." And there is an Australian connection to the story of the visionary Coach Carter story. "Under the direction and guidance of Coach Carter, in December of 2000, 11 students from Australia arrived in the U.S. to promote peace and to learn first hand what it takes to be an American high school basketball player. Coach Carter found a way to bring something positive to the lives of Richmond High students, where heroes and positive role models are few and far between. Using basketball as the common bond, the intention of the visit was to offer these students an opportunity to meet each other, gain awareness about each others' culture and communities, and to learn hands-on about what it takes to be a top-notch American athletic. Carter feels that exchanges such as these are needed to promote a more just and peaceful place for us all to live in." From all this, it would be pretty obvious that if a film was going to made about the former George Fox University graduates story, it would need an outstanding actor in the lead. And actor who has real presence and the credibility to carry the role. Two actors immediately spring to mind. Unfortunately Tommy Lee Jones isn't black, but Samuel L Jackson is. For Ken Carter, who describes himself as "a little guy from Macomb, Mississippi", Samuel L Jackson was his one and only choice. "I had a very short list of actors who I’d like to see portray me," Carter says with a laugh. "Samuel L Jackson was the only name on it." It is an ideal role for Jackson. The hardest working actor in Hollywood playing the hard working, community minded coach. The significance of the role wasn't missed by Jackson. "This is definitely not your typical story and Ken Carter is not your typical guy," Jackson says. "Both the story and Ken are about teaching young people to expect more from themselves and to see beyond their present." Credit for bringing this wonderful story of Ken Carter to the screen goes to producers Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin who read about the January 4th 1999 lockout in the Los Angeles Times. The producers immediately contacted Ken Carter. "We knew that this was a particularly refreshing story because it wasn’t only about basketball, but also about human relationships," says Mike Tollin. "Coach Carter’s fervent passion for bettering the lives of the young men on his team is nothing short of amazing." Fellow producer Brian Robbins agrees adding; "What’s also extraordinary is how this one act affected the entire Richmond community. Not only did it pull the community apart; but it also pulled it together." Director Thomas Carter revealed "one of his main goals in directing "Coach Carter" was to stay away from stereotyping. I wanted to deal with the good and bad of high school sports, how playing ball can focus a kid toward a dream, but how that dream can also be unrealistic and narrow. Equally important to telling the story of the lockout are all the individual stories of the players and the particular obstacles each faces." It is these individual stories that add to the enjoyment of watching "Coach Carter" and take the film out of the 'sports' genre and into the realm of human drama, all of which revolves around the imposing figure and personality of Samuel L Jackson as Coach Carter. Three-time EMMY winning director Thomas Carter agrees "that Jackson was the perfect choice to bring the no-nonsense Ken Carter [no relation] to life. It’s rare to find such a compelling story with such a driven, yet truly likeable lead character. Ken’s unwavering dedication and his enthusiasm for what he believes in is extraordinary. We needed someone who could translate his passion for both the kids and basketball to the screen, and Sam Jackson fits the role beautifully." Beautifully indeed, for Jackson comes across with a huge dose of credibility as do the basketball scenes used in the film. Here too, authenticity, that feeling that it's all 'for real' was a high priority too. "It was really grueling," Mark Ellis of Reel Sports remembers. "We selected 85 players from 500 applicants over a four day period, having to eliminate up to 10 players each hour. Then, once a player was chosen, he began an intensive training program. I’m telling you these kids worked non-stop for months to ensure the believability of the game sequences and I believe all their hard work and practice really paid off. Those on-court sequences are really full-throttle." And from the feedback I received after the Adelaide Premiere screening in early April, I can assure you that the vast majority of those who saw "Coach Carter" were very impressed. Crew Bytes "COACH CARTER" was .......
directed by Thomas Carter ["Swing Kids", "Metro" and "Save the Last Dance"]; screenplay by John Gatins ["Summer Catch" and "Hardball"] and Mark Schwahn ["35 Miles from Normal", "Whatever It Takes" and "The Perfect Score"]; costume design by Debrae Little ["Smoothtalker", "The Brothers", "Deliver Us From Eva" and "Malibu's Most Wanted"]; production design by Carlos Barbosa ["Ultraviolet", "Me, Myself and I", "Meet the Mosaics" and "Presence of Mind"]; edited by Peter Berger ["Coach Carter"]; director of photography Sharone Meir ["Goodbye America", "Endgame", "2 on U" and "Mean Creek"]; set decoration by Nancy Nye ["Less Than Zero", "Meet The Applegates", "Gattaca" and "Matchstick Men"] produced by David Gale ["Varsity Blues", "200 Cigarettes", "Orange County" and "The Fighting Temptations"], Brian Robbins ["Varsity Blues", "Hard Ball", "Big Fat Liar" and "The Perfect Score"]. and Michael Tollin ["Summer Catch", "Big Fat Liar", "Radio" and "The Perfect Score"]. Casting About "COACH CARTER" stars .......
Samuel L Jackson ["Changing Lanes", "Coaching the Minors", "S.W.A.T.", "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" and "Star Wars: Episode III "]; Rob Brown ["Finding Forrester" and "The Orphan King"]; Robert Ri'chard ["Light It Up", "Who's Your Daddy?" and "House Of Wax"]; Rick Gonzalez ["Mambo Café", "The Rookie", "Laurel Canyon" and "Subway Cafe"]; Nana Gbewonyo ["Coach Carter"]; Antwon Tanner ["Sunset Park", "The Sunchaser", "Inferno" and "Never Die Alone"]; Channing Tatum ["War Of The Worlds", "Supercross" and "Havoc"]; Denise Dowse ["Out for Blood", "Pleasantville", "Requiem for a Dream", "Eulogy" and "Ray"]; Mel Winkler ["Doc Hollywood", "Mona Must Die", "Devil In A Blue Dress" and "A Life Less Ordinary"]; Sonya Eddy ["High School High", "Nutty Professor II", "Barbershop" and "Surviving Christmas"] and Ashanti ["Bride and Prejudice"] as Kyra. What It's All About

"An entertaining mix of "Stand and Deliver" and "Remember the Titans" with a charismatic performance by Samuel L Jackson." Steve Rhodes STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS

Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter knows there's more to life for most young men than basketball. His vision for his charges goes way beyond the playing court and is firmly based on the learning process and the opportunities a good education provides. His players have signed a contract that says they agree to not skip classes and to reach the agreed a 2.3 SAT score. The team is on an undefeated winning streak and the finals are looming when coach Carter finds out that many of the young men have not lived up to their obligations in the classroom. He has one rule. If one player fails, the whole team pays. He decides that they will not play until the desired mark is achieved. To ensure that everyone, including the young men's parents understand the gravity of the situation, he locks up the gymnasium. It doesn't take long for news to reach the national press who descend on Richmond sensing a huge story. Then the high school Board steps requesting Carter appears before them to explain his radical move. Carter is now becoming the centre of attention at Richmond and making a lot of enemies. The Verdict "Samuel L Jackson makes an imposing figure as real life Richmond High Schools basketball coach Ken Carter. While everything in the film revolves around the tough stance Carter makes on education standards for the team players, there is much, much more to the film than basketball. This is a story of struggle, understanding and overcoming the odds and director Thomas Carter and the production team have done a fine job conveying Carter's vision for the team and its players future. More than just a sports film, "Coach Carter" provides cinemagoers with an opportunity to see a highly entertaining film. Samuel L Jackson 'is' coach Carter. "Coach Carter 'is' very recommended viewing. The Cast

Samuel L Jackson Rob Brown Robert Ri'chard Rick Gonzalez Nana Gbewonyo Antwon Tanner Channing Tatum Ashanti Texas Battle Denise Dowse Debbi Morgan Mel Winkler Vincent Laresca Sidney Faison Octavia Spencer Sonya Eddy Gwen McGee Ausanta Adam Clark Paul Rae Eugene Lee Adrienne Eliza Bailon Dana Davis Bob Costas Ray Baker

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Coach Ken Carter Kenyon Stone Damien Carter Timo Cruz Junior Battle Worm Jason Lyle Kyra Maddux Principal Garrison Tonya Coach White Renny Ty Crane Mrs Battle Worm's Mother Kenyon's Mother Maddux's Mother Gruff Uncle Guardian Team Parent Dominique Peyton Himself St Francis Coach

The Crew Directed by Thomas Carter Written by Mark Schwahn and John Gatins Produced by David Gale/Brian Robbins/Michael Tollin Original Music by Trevor Rabin Cinematography by Sharon Meir Film Editing by Peter Berger & Peter E Berger Casting by Sarah Halley Finn & Randi Hiller Production Design by Carlos Barbosa Art Direction by Tim Beach Set Decoration by Nancy Nye Costume Design by Debrae Little Run Time 136 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved