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The Great Debaters

"When the nation was in need, he inspired them to give us hope."

The true story of a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African-American college students into a historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite.

Top Cast

  • Denzel Whitaker

    Denzel Whitaker

    James Farmer Jr.

  • Denzel Washington

    Denzel Washington

    Melvin B. Tolson

  • Nate Parker

    Nate Parker

    Henry Lowe

  • Jurnee Smollett

    Jurnee Smollett

    Samantha Booke

  • Forest Whitaker

    Forest Whitaker

    Dr. James Farmer Sr.

  • Kimberly Elise

    Kimberly Elise

    Pearl Farmer

  • Jermaine Williams

    Jermaine Williams

    Hamilton Burgess

  • Gina Ravera

    Gina Ravera

    Ruth Tolson

  • John Heard

    John Heard

    Sheriff Dozier

Overview

The true story of a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African-American college students into a historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite.

Rating

7.3 / 10
713 Reviews
2 Popular

Trailers & Clips

Recommendations

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Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.

The Help

8.2 2011
Radio

In the racially divided town of Anderson, South Carolina in 1976, football coach Harold Jones spots a mentally disabled African-American young man nicknamed Radio near his practice field and is inspired to befriend him. Soon, Radio is Jones' loyal assistant, and he becomes a student at T.L. Hanna High School. But things start to sour when Coach Jones begins taking guff from parents and fans who feel that his devotion to Radio is getting in the way of the team's quest for a championship.

Radio

7.3 2003