I recently rewatched the movie “McFarland, USA” with my dad. Since I saw this movie when it came out in 2015, I had forgotten what a great movie it is.
If you’ve never seen it or heard about it, here is the gist.
A football coach loses his job and moves to a new town, McFarland, to teach at an underfunded, predominantly Hispanic high school. He brings with him his wife and two daughters. Missing his former coaching role, he gets permission from the principal to start a cross-country team despite never coaching that sport before. He enlists a student to gather a group of boys to start the team. They practice and compete and battle hardships along the way.
I won’t spoil the whole movie for you, but it is a great story. And it’s based off of a true story.
This movie deals with some heavy topics like suicide, child abuse, racism, teen pregnancy, and poverty.
It is a real and authentic depiction of the kids’ struggles to balance school, friends, and working in the fields with their families.
While at the meets, runners from other schools often tell the McFarland boys they don’t belong there. Some of the boys’ family members don’t support their choice to run, initially. The boys deal with gang violence and endure difficult work in the field.
A stereotype expressed in the film is that kids, especially the boys, who attend this high school never complete high school and end up in prison. These kids defied those odds and ignored the stereotypes perpetuated against them.
The real-life story of these kids is truly inspiring. Each member of that 1987 cross-country team from McFarland ended up being the first in their families to go to college. Many of them went on to find jobs, join the army, and many of them returned to McFarland to teach at their former high school.
One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Coach White, played by Kevin Costner, considers accepting another job in a safer neighborhood at a predominantly white high school. Again, I don’t want to completely spoil the movie but his decision results in a great representation of finding a community where you least expect it.
White went on to coach runners that won nine more state titles over 14 years. He retired in 2003 and continued to live in McFarland.
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Hispanic culture. This story shows how they are able to look past harmful stereotypes and be successful despite what some may expect from them.
I highly recommend watching the movie.