McFarland USA – A Movie You Do Not Want to Miss

When my seven-year-old daughter and I sat down to watch Disney’s McFarland USA I had no idea what I was in for. I had not seen a preview and I gathered from the movie poster that the movie was about running. Since I love both Disney and running, I figured I would probably like the movie. As it turns out, I LOVED it (and so did my daughter).

Before I get to my own thoughts about the movie, let me share a quick synopsis from Disney:

Based on the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school, with whom they ultimately bond to build not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

McFarland USA is not about running. Not really. Sure, there is lots of running and training and racing. But this movie is about so much more than running. This movie is about loving your neighbor, as well as the power of community, family, and hard work.

When Kevin Costner’s character, Coach Jim White, moves his family to McFarland to begin a new job, his daughter asks him if they are in Mexico. His family is uneasy around the Latino youth in the neighborhood, and the community seems suspicious of the White family. The cultural divide seems insurmountable. I will not ruin the story for you, but the divide is bridged and lifelong relationships are built. It truly is a beautiful story. But it is also funny, dramatic, exciting, inspirational, and very entertaining.

Take your family to see this movie. Take your running buddies. Take you Bible study or book club. Take whomever…just go see it.

McFARLAND, USA

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Family-friendly: Yes

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG

Release Date: February 20, 2015

Running Time:  128.5 min.