WEB LINKS » Critics.com - ★★˝ » Official Site » IMDb Listing

Samuel L. Jackson stars as Ken Carter, the controversial high school basketball coach whose actions made the news in 1999: Asking for more from his players than wins on the court, he was both praised and condemned for benching his undefeated basketball team because of poor academic performance. Also with Robert Ri'chard, Rick Gonzalez, Ashanti and Adrienne Bailon. Directed by Thomas Carter. [2:14]

SEX/NUDITY 4 - Two young women take off their clothes (to their bras and panties) and climb into a pool, young men follow wearing boxers and we see the young men and women kissing while in the pool. A young man and a young woman kiss, they lie back on a bed, they snuggle and kiss again. A young man and a young woman hug and kiss. Young men and young women dance together with suggestive movements (young men touch young women's buttocks and hips, young women thrust their hips toward the young men and they caress each other). A young man wearing a towel wrapped around his waist comes out of a room and a young woman follows (it is implied that they have had sex and the young man makes a comment about the position). A young woman shows her boyfriend a pair of thong underwear and asks if he'd like to see her in them. Young women wear short tops that reveal cleavage and bare abdomens, and they also wear short skirts that reveal bare legs. Young women wear very short cheerleading skirts and are shown dancing with suggestive moves in several scenes. Young men are shown bare-chested in locker room showers; a few bare backs and bare abdomens are also visible. A young woman invites a young man to a party at her house and writes her address in his hand. A young man flirts with a young woman. A young woman touches a young man's face tenderly. Young men admire young women and make suggestive noises and remarks. A young woman tells a young man that she is pregnant and they discuss abortion. Young men talk about a young woman being "hot," and a man makes a comment about young men "humpin' the honeys."

VIOLENCE/GORE 4 - A man is shot in the chest repeatedly, he falls to the ground, and we see him lying on the ground with a blood-soaked shirt. A store window is shattered and the man inside the store is frightened. A man spits on the window of another man's car, and the man gets out of his car and tries to confront the man who spat. Several young men argue, one pushes another into a wall, and one pulls a gun. Two young men are mugged at gunpoint (it turns out to be a hoax). A young man tries to hit a man who twists his arm behind him and shoves him against a wall. Young men argue on the basketball court in several scenes; in one scene they shove and punch each other, the teams' respective benches empty and the skirmish continues. Young men yell at and threaten each other in a few scenes, and a coach yells at team members in many scenes. A man and a woman argue. Several people yell abusively at a man. A woman talks about her son's death. All the students are inspected as they enter the school with metal detectors and security guards at the entrance. A young man delivers money and picks up drugs to sell. Young men are knocked down during basketball games.

PROFANITY 5 - 1 F-word, 1 obscene hand gesture, 3 sexual references, 26 scatological terms, 13 anatomical terms, 42 mild obscenities, 9 derogatory terms for African-Americans, 2 religious profanities, 2 religious exclamations. [profanity glossary]

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Education vs. sports, grief, teamwork, winning and losing, pregnancy out of wedlock, teenage pregnancy, death of a child, racism, working to accomplish something, breaking rules, classism, family, love, abortion, drug dealing, hope, success, goals, dreams, consequences.

MESSAGE - Victory by doing the right things means more than winning any game.

(Note: People are shown smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol.)

Special Keywords: S4 - V4 - P5 - MPAAPG-13