"The Great Debaters" (2008) - Denzel Washington/Forest Whitaker

New York Times article, December 5, 2007.

Drawing inspiration from the true story of a temperamental debate coach who molded the students of a small East Texas college into a formidable team that gave Harvard's squad a run for their money in the 1930s, Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters features the director himself as the ambitious educator, and Forest Whitaker as the resentful father of a student whose loyalties now lie almost exclusively with his coach. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide.