McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie Review

"Believe in yourselves, and believe in your teammates. It won't matter what anyone else thinks."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 2, 2015

McFarland, USA lays it on thick. Anything. Everything. Thick. Cliché after cliché after tired cliché. It's a message movie wrapped in an underdog sports drama; a saccharine, unmistakably sentimental underdog sports drama you've seen a hundred times before. But it's also achingly sincere. So sincere that it's hard to hold a grudge against its blasé direction and paint-by-numbers screenplay, no matter how predictable the results may be. While Kevin Costner sticks to his patented noble stoicism shtick, his young co-stars, particularly Carlos Pratts, deliver scene-stealing performances, lending the heartfelt story real heart when its rusty mechanics threaten to grind the genre machine to a halt.

Disgraced and desperate after an unfortunate halftime incident leaves him looking for a new job, high school football coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) relocates his wife Cheryl (Maria Bello) and daughters Julie and Jamie (Morgan Saylor and Elsie Fisher) from Boise, Idaho to McFarland, California, an economically challenged rural town with a predominately Latino population. Hired to teach both science and physical education, the quiet but good-natured White and his family have a difficult time settling into their new home, realizing they're now living in a very different world. Matters worsen when White inadvertently upsets McFarland's head coach (Chris Ellis) and finds himself sidelined by the school's principal (Valente Rodriguez), who's eager to keep the peace.

White counters by pitching a cross-country team, inspired by Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts), a troubled but talented runner who doesn't realize how gifted he is. Recruiting Valles and six other teenage boys -- Johnny Samenjego (Hector Duran), Victor Puentas (Sergio Avelar), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz) and brothers David, Damacio and Danny Diaz (Rafael Martinez, Michael Aguero and Ramiro Rodriguz) -- the coach works to win their respect and build their confidence. As training for the upcoming State Championships becomes more intense, White's cross-country team has to overcome numerous obstacles, on the track and off, and face their greatest challenge: recognizing their value while overcoming their own self-doubt.

Racial tensions fuel every conflict and subplot in McFarland, USA, though the film rarely explores such complex social issues to any thoughtful or nuanced end. Immigration, illegal or otherwise, isn't a component of the script, so no hot button pressing there; class warfare and economic inequality are, with White learning a few touching lessons in hard work from his students, who get up early and break their backs to earn meager wages and help feed their families. There's nothing offensive here, other than the usual well-intentioned but irritating stereotypes that define different segments of the film's Latino community. Disney may as well have its logo stamped in the corner of every sun-kissed, family friendly shot. And it isn't exactly problematic either, neatly packaging tough, timely topics in digestible, bite-sized story beats.

Where the film fails is in giving the Whites and their new neighbors anything compelling to say. McFarland's third act is its finest, with Antônio Pinto's music swelling on cue, tear-jerking moments rolling in at a steady clip, and the climactic State Championships ending precisely as you'd expect. All well and good. This is a true story after all. You can't fault every underdog cliché. But it's the lead-up to the big race that stumbles. Costner and Bello manage the White family drama nicely; all the fish-out-of-water anxiety, warm welcomes, and changed hearts and minds feels trite and manufactured. Side trips into the community, to Thomas' house and elsewhere, are stronger, but also fall into similar cookie cutter molds. It's never disingenuous, but you'll never forget that you're watching a movie. You'll also grow increasingly skeptical of how true to life this true tale really is.

McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disney's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation impresses. Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw's dusty Southern California palette is perfectly pleasant (despite resembling every other nostalgia-tinted period sports drama), with warmly saturated hues, striking reds, natural earthtones, and satisfying black levels. Colors are often sun-bleached to the point of washing out, but it's all in keeping with Arkapaw and director Niki Caro's intentions. Detail is just as strong. Edges are clean and well-defined, textures are refined and delineation is revealing, and there isn't any significant macroblocking, aliasing, banding or other issues of note.

McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

McFarland, USA also features a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The film's sound design relies heavily on the front channels, without much in the way of aggressive rear speaker activity. The soundfield is still reasonably engaging; there just isn't much in the way of immersive interiors or ambient-rich environments. LFE output is restrained but reliable, with ample low-end support granted to heavy footfalls, dramatic race beats, and Antônio Pinto's score. Moreover, dialogue is clear and intelligible from start to finish and, like other soundscape elements, smartly prioritized throughout. All told, Disney's AV presentation delivers.

McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• McFarland Reflections (HD, 9 minutes): Kevin Costner hosts an on-location round table discussion with the real Jim White and runners from his original team, including Thomas Valles, Johnny Sameniego and David, Damacio and Danny Diaz. Honestly, I wish this one were significantly longer. Without a commentary, there isn't much insight into the differences between the film and the true story on which it's based. This featurette provides what few glimpses into the adaptation we get.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (HD, 8 minutes): Six hit or miss deleted and extended scenes are available, among them "Jim and Jenks Go Toe-to-Toe," "Un-Quit," "Coach Motivates Danny and Victor," "Jose Is on His Own," "Dale Takes in Jose" and "Thomas Watches His Father Leave." None of the scenes would have substantially strengthened the story, but there are some good performance bits nonetheless.
• Music Video (HD, 3 minutes): "Juntos" by Juanes.
• Inspiring McFarland (HD, 2 minutes): A brief behind-the-scenes promo.

McFarland, USA Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

McFarland, USA means well. Several scenes are actually quite moving, with Costner's young co-stars providing emotional heft to a script that lacks emotional depth. It's only in its execution that the all too conventional sports drama suffers. Disney's Blu-ray release, meanwhile, offers an excellent video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It's light on supplements, which is a real shame, but so it goes. I'd recommend renting before buying, but if you're a sucker for inspirational family friendly sports films, you could certainly do a lot worse than Niki Caro's McFarland, USA.