'McFarland, USA' Releasing Feb 2015 Stars Kevin Costner in Another Inspirational True-To-Life Sports Drama From Walt Disney
Walt Disney's McFarland, USA, an inspirational sports drama based on a true story, is scheduled for release on February 20. Directed by Niki Castro from a screenplay written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson, the movie stars Kevin Costner as Jim White, the legendary coach at a predominantly Latino high school who starts a cross country team from scratch and turn it around into a national champion.
Based on the 1987 true story, McFarland, USA follows the story of the novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California's farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White, a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys' exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon, something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent-the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.
McFarland, USA also stars Maria Bello as Coach White's wife Cheryl, along with Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz, Carlos Pratts, Ramiro Rodriguez, Danny Mora, Valente Rodriguez, Vanessa Martinez, Chris Ellis, Diana Maria Riva, Connor Weil, Vanessa Martinez, and Alex MacNicoll.
To this day, McFarland is king when it comes to competitive cross-country racing and Jim White is the man who helped them earn that reputation, reports ABC30 which also first profiled the coach and his team back in 1997. According to the site, White told them, "It's not about the X's and O's, it's not about your training, it's how you relate to the kid. Are these kids going to be willing to give you 100 percent?" His wife who helps him with the kids reportedly added, "Well, in the Bible it says, 'do the best you can' so we were living our life doing the best we could, and helped the kids become that part too."