If Hoosiers and Glory had a baby it would be The Great Debaters. Straight ahead, classic filmaking, debate as sport, underdogs, and racial tension. Oh, and Denzel Washington. There’s nothing cute or cutting edge or revolutionary about the movie, it’s just plain good. That’s a lot harder to do than it sounds. My sense is that the title and the perception of the subject matter is going to drive off some business, which is a shame. Legions of folks will be lining up to signal the need for another National Treasure movie while the future of quality material like this will probably continue to depend on the interest of stars like Denzel (and producer Oprah) and a few nods from the academy. Do yourself a favor, skip the lines and see a good movie instead.
