Themes: Inner City Blues, Coaches and Players, Underdogs
Main Cast: Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise, Tom Arnold, Brandon Fobbs
Release Year: 2007
Country: US/DE
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
A college-educated African-American schoolteacher frustrated by his inability to find a job repairs an abandoned recreational pool hall in hopes of starting Philadelphia's first African-American swim team in this inspirational drama that takes its cue from the true-life story of charismatic 1970s-era schoolteacher Jim Ellis. The year is 1973 and the job market is tight. Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) may have a college diploma, but despite his education he still can't seem to find a job. An aspiring teacher with a lifelong love of competitive swimming, Ellis determines to take his future into his own hands when he discovers a deserted recreational pool hall in the slums of the city. Though he and kindly local janitor Elston (Bernie Mac) do their best to get the crumbling pool hall in working order, the pair find their benevolent efforts thwarted when the building is targeted for demolition. Little do the forces that be know that Jim isn't a man to quietly lie down and admit defeat; despite the racism, violence, and threats made by an unsympathetic city official that all threaten to destroy his vivid new dream, the man who was once without purpose boldly resolves to recruit troubled street teens and transform them into capable swimmers in time for the upcoming state championships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Alphonso McAuley - Walt; Regine Nehy - Willie; Nate Parker - Hakim; Kevin L. Phillips - Andre; Scott Reeves - Jake; Evan Ross - Reggie; Gary Sturgis - Franklin
Credit
Monroe Kelly - Art Director, Amy McIntyre-Britt - Casting, Anya Colloff - Casting, Marc Schaberg - Co-producer, Randy Winograd - Co-producer, Paul A. Simmons - Costume Designer, Bruce Franklin - First Assistant Director, Max D. Day - First Assistant Director, Sunu Gonera - Director, Billy Fox - Editor, Terrence Howard - Executive Producer, Michael Paseornek - Executive Producer, Eberhard Kayser - Executive Producer, Sam Nazarian - Executive Producer, Malcolm Petal - Executive Producer, John Sacchi - Executive Producer, Kimberly C. Anderson - Executive Producer, Victoria Frederick - Executive Producer, Aaron Zigman - Composer (Music Score), Jay Faires - Musical Direction/Supervision, Steve Saklad - Production Designer, Matthew Leonetti - Cinematographer, Paul Hall - Producer, Adam Rosenfelt - Producer, Michael Ohoven - Producer, Brett Forbes - Producer, Patrick Rizzotti - Producer, Paul Ledford - Sound/Sound Designer, Mike Gozzard - Screen Story, Kevin Michael Smith - Screen Story, J. Mills Goodloe - Screenwriter, Norman Vance, Jr. - Screenwriter, Mike Gozzard - Screenwriter, Kevin Michael Smith - Screenwriter, Pete Romano - Underwater Photography, Leonard Spears - Set Decorator
Pride is a film that depicts African-Americans succeeding in a sport — swimming — that is still largely dominated by whites. This differed from most other African-American films with sport themes as they usually feature sports where African-Americans have progressed into the mainstream, such as basketball (such as Coach Carter) and football (such as Gridiron Gang, Remember the Titans). Pride differed from this theme by bringing attention to the often overlooked world of African-American swimmers.
The film centers around Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) and grouchy but caring janitor Elston (Bernie Mac). The two have a short-lived rivalry before becoming good loyal friends.
It is 1974 and life is not easy for a black male, even a college-educated one like Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard), to find employment. Struggling to find anything better, Jim, a former competitive swimmer, accepts the job of dismantling the decrepit Marcus Foster Recreation Center operated by the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. The center includes a dilapidated swimming pool, which Ellis rehabilitates. Ellis' presence and activities causes friction with a wetter, overprotective janitor named Elston (Bernie Mac). One day, Jim invites a group of black teens who have just been thrown off the basketball court in the Center's yard in for a swim. Andre (Kevin Phillips), Hakim (Nate Parker), Reggie (Evan Ross), Puddin’ Head (Brandon Fobbs), and Walt (Alphonso McAuley) prove to be fairly capable swimmers and with a few pointers, could become great swimmers. With some help from Elston, Jim decides to try and save the public swimming pool by starting the city’s first all African-American swim team. When the team also acquires Willie (Regine Nehy), a female swimmer more gifted than any of the guys, the prospects of competing against much more experienced rival Caucasian teams begin to seem more positive. Jim also develops a romantic interest in a beautiful city councilor (Kimberly Elise), Hakim's sister and guardian. Throughout their struggles, in or out of the swimming pool, Jim and Elston embrace and mentor the kids, helping them become successful at swimming and struggle against prejudice, crime, and poverty.
Pride was met with mixed reviews, with a 46% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Some critics criticized the use of the word nigger in the film's opening scene where Jim is confronted by a racist predominantly white college that object to his presence in the water of their pool and refuses to swim with him because they say he is "dirty."[1] The film also has a visibly upsetting scene where Jim is pinned to the floor under the boot of a white policeman. Although these words and images may be difficult for some viewers (explaining the film's PG rather than G rating), they were included with the intent to illustrate the severity of the racism faced by young black swimmers growing up in the segregated 1960s. The film was not successful at the box office.
Trivia
The film is notable for its inclusion of many up and coming actors who are the children of established celebrities from the previous generation. Evan Ross, who plays one of the athletes, is the son of the famous musical pioneer Diana Ross. Scott Reeves is the son of actor Clint Eastwood.
The real Jim Ellis makes a cameo appearance in the film as the city worker who takes the basketball rim down.
Writer Kevin Michael Smith, a Seton Hall Preparatory School graduate, named Coach Richard Binkowski after his English teacher of the same name (and of the same nickname).
