Pride (2007)

The chances of Pride doing anything at the box-office are slim to none, which really makes me wonder why they made it even though it is extremely good. Granted, as I am sure you can tell from the trailer, this flick has cliché written all over it. While it is based on a true story, you know how these true stories go… troubled kids don’t have anywhere to go, they find a place to go and bond, they try to beat the odds and are embarrassed and want to quit, but they are encouraged to go further and everyone is happy. That is pretty much the gist of it, but you knew that already, the question is, what makes this movie worth seeing?

To begin with Pride offers one of the best actors out there right now in Terrence Howard, there really isn’t anything this guy can’t do. To prove that he is going from an inner-city swimming “coach” in Pride to a soon-to-be superhero sidekick in Paramount’s Iron Man. This guy runs the gamut when it comes to acting and in Pride he can bring out emotions even in scenes you aren’t at all surprised by.

Joining Howard is Bernie Mac, an old school caretaker, and a group of inner-city kids that need a little help getting out of trouble. Playing Jim Ellis, Howard is a down on his luck college grad dealing with the racial issues of the early 1970s. Unable to get a job he is forced to search out a temporary job, which leads him to the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, which he is instructed to clean up before it is torn down.

Still a swimmer at heart since his college days he encourages a small group of kids off the streets and into the pool. Pride is the story of what it takes to make something of yourself even when the odds are against you. That is the generic and studio sounding description, but it is accurate.

In the face of adversity this is the story of a group of kids that succeeded where many would have picked them to fail. It is your cliché pick-me-up story, but it is well acted and well told, which makes it a worthy watch. By no means should you rush out to the theater to see, but once it hits DVD you should be sure to add it to your NetFlix queue.