Carter High is one of the most touching independent films I have previewed in a very long time. It tells a true story of a 1988 popular football team. “The Carter High Cowboys” noted as being the best high school football team in history. Based in Dallas, this is the only team where 18 Division I players obtained full football scholarships to prestigious universities; however nine boys ended up going straight to prison to serve 24-30 year sentences for armed robbery.
Charles Dutton did an excellent job portraying a caring high school coach who cared for the boys’ welfare like he would his own children. VIvica A. Fox played Dutton’s devoted and supportive wife. Pooch Hall played the concerned football coach that went to great lengths to instill discipline in the boys; from breaking up dice games in the locker room and battling with the boys to keep up their grades, while fighting for the team to qualify and pushing them to win the Texas state championship.
Being in Dallas posed many obstacles for the team; mainly due to the fact they were constantly the target of sabotage because of being an all-Black school. Carter High has many messages and great teaching storylines for young African American males. It really screamed out to parents why you need to pay attention to what your boys are doing during school, after school, before school. When they show up at home with expensive sneakers and clothing that you know their part-time jobs aren’t affording them; we may need to ask more questions.
Sometimes we can get so caught up in our own daily survival tactics for our families (especially as single moms); we don’t pay attention to our kids and the double lives they may be living. African American males really have a hard time struggling between the transition from boys to men. Even when there is a mom and dad present in the household, peer pressure at the school still exists. The need to be popular and liked dwells within all our children and we have to know them well enough or at least pay attention so that we can see when we need to intervene and help them make the needed changes so as not to end up with a diploma and a jail sentence resulting from crimes that may come to the forefront at the worst given time (graduation).
David Banner played a very emotionally, politically correct, aggressive attorney, fighting hard for the football players rights and fair judicial decisions to take place. So basically Banner got to put a lot of himself into his acting role, which is why his delivery is so powerful. Attending the screening hosted by Banner and Aspire network, we learned in detail how Banner was able to prepare for his role through studying his character’s mannerisms, posture and disposition.
Writer-director Arthur Muhammed did an excellent job of combining all the incidents of an entire school year and football season in one 120-minute film. The day of the private screening we learned the NFL approved this movie to use in their training process. Every high school football coach should take his players to see this film. Please support this movie. Leave a comment below..
