Disney’s McFarland, USA {Movie Review} Opens Feb. 20th, 2015

I was invited to prescreen McFarland, USA, in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are honest and my own.

Have you seen the Trailer for McFarland, USA?  Before I go into my review.  Here is a brief summary along with the trailer.

Based on the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream. (WALT DISNEY PICTURES) This film is rated PG.

 Trailer-Extended Clip

Are you curious yet? Ha!  Disney did a fantastic job of portraying the lives of {real life} athletic heroes.  Underdog heroes to be exact, true heroes.   This is going to be a light and unusual review as I just don’t want to go into how fantastic it is to spoil it for you.  It’s one of those you just have to go see.

I will say that McFarland, USA, teaches great life lessons about endurance, perseverance,  contentment, and loyalty.  It made me stop and think about a lot of things in my own life and how I can improve.  Interesting, right?

McFarland, USA, is a 2 hour film, so obviously for younger viewers only you know how long their attention span is. Some of the thematic scenes may be frightening for some children.  There is very mild profanity and slang and brief portrayals of the after-effects of violence, with little blood and not a lot of detail.  These scenes prove just how rough life is in McFarland.  They pull you through those scenes fairly quickly to give you an idea of what took place.  There is also one brief moment you see a teammate vomit.  Yes, it’s a little gross, but very brief as it shows what nerves can do.  Real life, nothing sugar coated!

Overall, it’s just an excellent family film that will leave you laughing, crying, and cheering until the very end.  I can’t wait to see it again, but with my family this time.

Kevin Costner did an excellent job along with some new faces in the film.  Best movie with Kevin Costner in a very long time.

McFarland, USA opens in theatres Friday, February 20th.  Rated PG

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