This tiring tale of a debate team during the 1930’s in the south where civil rights don’t exist is the subject of this second directorial effort of Denzel Washington.  He last directed Antwone Fisher, which had about as much emotional pizzazz as this one.  Both movies are the type that should tug at your heartstrings but instead, nothing happens and you leave the theater wanting to feel for the characters, but unfortunately could care less.

The movie saunters along quite dully as we find out who the debaters will be.  We then get to hear them debate topics of the day that don’t really relate to much today, and see these young actors overact and do everything they can to hold up their hand just wanting their chance to act again in a scene.  As the movie goes along, the story unfolds with a teacher with a secretive past, an undefeated debate team that ultimately loses, but then (SPOILER ALERT) wins in the end, as well as a member of the team giving up, wanting his chance, and goofing off to let the team down.  How much more formulaic could the writers have been.  I realize this is based on a true story, but I don’t believe the story unfolded in real life as it did on the screen.

Washington attempts to get the audience involved as the season goes along with a montage of the team going undefeated which is a rip off copy of Remember the Titans starring Denzel.  There is nothing original about what he has to offer.  Unfortunately for Forrest Whitaker, who is a superb actor, we get a flat two dimensional character of a preacher father who we would have no clue at all he was a preacher except for the movie telling us.  His character could have been compelling, yet he was basically just a father, which gave him nothing to work with.

If you want to see a movie that uses race and a young cocky student who needs an old teacher to help him, see Finding Forrester with Sean Connery.  If you want to see a movie that makes you feel sick in your stomach about race, then see Crash.  If you want to stand up and cheer for a group of students, then rent Dead Poets Society.  If you want to be unenlightened and bored by Denzel Washington, watch this one or any one of his movies that have missed like Out of Time and Devil in a Blue Dress.  The Great Debaters has nothing new to offer and proves that Washington should stick to acting, and use his acting for edgy roles like Training Day and American Gangster, not this historical weepy stuff.

Similar recommended titles: Dead Poets Society, Finding Forrester and Crash