At first I wasn’t exactly sure why it took four screenwriters to nail down the inspiring story of Jim Ellis, who started an inner city swimming program in the early 1970′s. Based on a true story, a sports theme, and in general, a formula picture. After some checking, sure enough, one of major criticisms of this film is that, well, quoted from Ellis himself, “Some of the liberties is the way that they portrayed it (the swimming program’s start)”. In other words, the main conflicts and/or story points in the film never took place. Now that explains a lot. Let me explain this, however: so what?

Yeah, sports cliches. They’ve been done a million times, and they will be done a million times more. Yes, later on I sadly discovered there is an extreme amount of shameless manipulation in the film, but at the time I was watching the film? I bought it. I didn’t buy the idea of cracking the inner city boys’ swim team to compete against The White Rich Boys Swim Club of Philly within months. I laughed a little when a story problem sticks out: having been hired to help pack away things in a torn up rec hall scheduled for closure in a few months. By the look of the place, demolition isn’t too far behind. The problem? Ellis ‘job’ is to pack things up, not put things back together. He gets the pool back in working order in no time…but to think he remembered his swimming trunks! Ugh! Then there’s the thing with the girl on the BOYS swim team. “Well I can’t think of any rules that says she can’t be on the team” sayeth the coach. I can think of one or two. Oddly, there is not one scene regarding the obvious locker room problem or that an attractive teen girl being alone with a bunch of horny teen guys.

I also had some reservations about how, aside from one white coach at the start of the film, nearly every character who happens to be white always has a racial slur or demeaning comment to make. Didn’t the swim team face other, less crass opponents?

The film is far from perfect. But it’s also watchable, thanks to Terrence Howard’s perfomance as Ellis- both young and older- and how there never seems to be a false moment out of the character’s mouth. But the real surprise is Bernie Mac. Known mostly for his comic turns in many films, he gives a surpringly effective dramatic turn. Furthermore, Mac and Howard play off each other rather well. You’d think the characters known each other for years. Tom Arnold is also a treat-he does come off as a insensitive SOB, but the film falters when as an audience, we feel the need to boo him.

Now, on to the fabrications of the story. I’m a sucker for ‘inspirational’ formula pictures. I don’t mind them so much as long as the requirements of not being too sappy and that they have some grounding in reality. The film is about overcoming obstacles and finding dreams, turning those dreams into a reality. If some -or all- of the film were inventions of imagination, then during the first viewing or so, it didn’t seem to bother me that much in a storytelling sense. Did I think it was a bit much that the church was across the street? Maybe. I didn’t mind. Did I know the team was going to the big game, the main opponent would be the Stereotyped Rich White Snob Swim Team that they faced before? Sadly, it’s expected. When the results are given, was I let down in the way new director Sunu Gonera handled it?

Yes. While there is nothing new under the sports formula picture, at least the talents involved give it thier all. I have no problem with that. Is there a problem with the local hoodlum-who is about as threatening as a fly in a spider’s web? Well, it kind of works. The hoodlum peeing in the pool and Howard reprising his Dee Jay role in Hustle & Flow for a minute? Don’t test me. I was enjoying the film. I was even enjoying the manipulation in the writing of the film. I didn’t mind. At least there was a movng scene where the White Snobby Swim Team backs out of prejudice (all of them?!) and the home crowd was let down- only to witness the local swimmers give them a show of pride, and cheer them on as, Ellis, in tears, fires the starting pistol. The crowd still gets a show.

So did I, even with the cliched and concocted faults.

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Pride (2007)
Directed by : Sunu Gonera
Starring: Terrance Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise and Tom Arnold

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