Disney's 'McFarland, USA' Celebrates the Underdog and the Road Less Traveled
Based on a true story, Disney's "McFarland, USA" is about an extraordinary coach who turns a team of inexperienced and uninspired cross country runners into champions in the truest sense of the word.
In theaters Friday, "McFarland, USA" stars Kevin Costner as Jim White, a football-turned-cross country coach. In need of a fresh start and a good job, White gathers a small group of predominantly Latino McFarland High School students who reluctantly begin cross country training all over the Californian farming town.
Despite the team's natural agility, as well as a special runner who "anchors" the team, McFarland's first cross country meet leaves the runners disheartened in last place ... much to the delight of the opposing teams.
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Fortunately, White encourages the team to persevere, and in doing so, the runners learn more about their own personal strength and potential than ever before.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog," one of White's runners counsels, quoting Mark Twain in the film.
Along the emotional journey that puts moviegoers right into the team's running shoes, "McFarland. USA" exposes the audience to a widely underreported issue going on in the country even today. With so many of the runners' families relying on their work in the fields as "pickers," White's team nearly disintegrates under the pressure to provide income. Taking it upon himself to work a day in the field, White quickly realizes the challenges of growing up in McFarland where countless students have traded educations for field work or worse, jail.
Consequently, White devises a plan that fits with the runners' schedules, allowing for both cross country practice and time in the fields. Finally, their hard work pays off, and McFarland qualifies to compete in the first California Cross Country State Championship of 1987.
Just when things are looking up for McFarland's cross country team, gang voilence threatens to crush them for good. With more lucrative job offers in nicer towns around the state, White is left to decide the future for his family as well as the cross country team in McFarland.
Ultimately, White must weigh security against sacrifice, courage over fear, and the meaning of lasting friendships. The difficult decision leads White down a road often left untraveled that requires hard work and good faith, but the journey rewards not only the cross country coach, but an entire community.
In an even more striking accomplishment than reaching the State Championship, White introduces his cross country runners to a wider world of possibilities including college scholarships, better jobs, and the opportunity to give back to McFarland.
"McFarland, USA" opens in theaters across the U.S. today. Watch the trailer below.
