Plot: What’s it about?
McFarland, USA is an old fashioned sports film centering on a cross country team starring none other than Kevin Costner. However old fashioned and heartfelt it may be, it’s also not a film that will surprise many viewers. That isn’t to say anything on the quality itself, but it’s a relatively straight forward film that is still somewhat refreshing to see. Hollywood can only remake and reboot so many films that it’s at least nice to see an original idea, however clichéd it may be. Costner continues to get work despite not being a box office commodity. He’s never been one of my favorite actors, but he does admirable work here as the coach, Jim White. He’s actually a football coach, but after a halftime incident, he finds himself in a tough situation, one leaving him looking for a new job. This forces him and his family to relocate to McFarland, California. It’s a poverty stricken rural town, and at first, Jim finds it a bit of a struggle to fit in. It doesn’t take long for White to see some of the athletes and start his recruitment process.
As mentioned, McFarland, USA does nothing to distinguish itself from other films in the genre, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of it. I’ve never really been a big sports fan myself, but the film kept me reasonably involved. I found it much more satisfying than Costner’s recent Draft Day which failed to click with me. It’s also his second recent film featuring a bit of a culture clash. The other one being Black or White. The film is a bit on the long side and does tend to drag at times, but overall, it does move along nicely and the cast of characters kept me with it. While the clichés are piled heavy, the film earns points for having its heart in the right place. It doesn’t hurt that it’s well timed for a film of this sort. We don’t see a lot of films like this anymore. McFarland, USA earns a mild recommendation.
Video: How’s it look?
Though it may seem that ever scene is soaked in sun, that’s really not the case. The palette is very warm and earthy and the wide 2.39:1 AVC HD image does a fine job of representing the look and feel. Costner’s aging, no doubt about that, but there’s something about this transfer that really felt warm. I know that’s probably a poor choice of words, but I’m at a loss for much more at the moment. Detail is excellent, black levels and contrast are on the mark and save for a few imperfections along the way, this is a bang up job.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This is a pretty straight-forward DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack. The majority of the action is localized to the front channels, though the rears do come into play and make their presence known on several occasions. Vocals are rich and crisp – Costner’s dialogue is faithfully reproduced. There are a few times when all the channels shine and this being a Disney movie, I’m sure you can guess when those are. It’s an above average effort here, but nothing that truly resonate.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- McFarland Reflections – Costner leads a roundtable discussion with the real-life inspiration for his character, Jim White, as well as a few members from the team. It’s a tad bit disjointed, but it’s pretty interesting to see some members of the team in the flesh (so to speak).
- Music Video – “Juntos” by Juanes.
- Inspiring McFarland – Essentially a promo for the movie in non-trailer form.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes – Six total, though none are really mind-blowing as to their content. Plus the film was already 129 minutes long and adding much more would have really made it drag on.
The Bottom Line
It might not be the most original film, but McFarland has its heart in the right place and offers just enough entertainment to keep us with it. It may not be something one needs to watch repeatedly, but it entertains more often than not. It’s also nice to see a film center around cross country, a sport that’s often ignored in the movies. Rent it.
