Taglines: When the nation was in need, he inspired them to give us hope.
The Great Debaters movie storyline. The Wiley College debate team was coached by the brilliant and passionate professor Melvin B. Tolson. It was Tolson’s recognition that the power of knowledge is the greatest advantage of all, which brought these students from underdogs to victors in a time when more than the odds were against them.
Professor Tolson (Denzel Washington) carefully chooses his team not only because they’re the best Wiley College has to offer but because they carry within them the spark of a new generation. He sets out to instill in them confidence and a sense of responsibility for more than just their own lives. At the same time he knows he must protect them from his own covert activities as an organizer of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union.
Tolson’s most eager student is 14 year-old prodigy James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker) who endures the pressure of the team in addition to the towering presence of his father James Sr., PhD (Forest Whitaker), a renowned scholar and towering presence.
It is James Jr. who grows up quickly by witnessing the horrific acts of prejudice, feeling the pangs of love and becoming the teacher as his father learns that action and assertion must be practiced in order for knowledge to become power.
In Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), Tolson sees a wild intelligence constantly conflicted between expectations and an exploding temper fueled by his search for justice. His fierce independence often clashes with his professor and teammates. Being part of the debate team may be his first experience with true accountability and the responsibility that follows.
Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett) has the honor of being Wiley College’s first female on the debate team. She has to deal with not only the prejudice because of her skin but also as a woman forging ahead in a society that has yet to embrace equal rights for the sexes. She’s up for the challenge as her confidence grows with each and every debate.
What is seemingly a disconnected group of students is revealed as the calculated, brilliant and far reaching vision of Professor Tolson. As the team experiences unprecedented success and consecutive victories they work even more diligently to reach the ultimate goal – a groundbreaking debate with the National Champions at Harvard.
About The Production
The Great Debaters is a fictional story inspired by Wiley College’s winning debate team of the early 1930s. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington steps behind the camera for a second time to direct. He joins fellow Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and co-stars as Melvin B. Tolson, the legendary coach. Harpo Films’ Oprah Winfrey and Kate Forte produced with Todd Black (The Pursuit of Happyness) and Joe Roth (Mona Lisa Smile).
Filmed primarily in northeastern Louisiana with a few days in east Texas, production started on May 14, and ended on July 16, 2007.
Then, production moved to Boston to film the key Harvard scenes at the prestigious Sanders Theatre in Memorial Hall as well as turning the Wang Theater’s foyer into South Station circa 1935. Monday, July 23, 2007, was the last day of filming.
Some years ago writer Robert Eisele’s friend Jeffrey Porro brought to his attention a two-page article “The Great Debaters” written by freelance writer Tony Scherman in the magazine, American Legacy. Eisele explains, “Jeff Porro is a Washington, DC speech writer, with a PhD in Political Science who knew my taste for social realism and gritty, intelligent stories.”
Eisele immediately recognized the debate coach, Melvin B. Tolson, considered one of the best African American poets of the Twentieth Century. Eisele recalls, “I was aware of Melvin B. Tolson’s poetry since I’m a published poet myself, but I had no idea he had trained on his debate teams of the 1930s—the students who would become the Civil Rights leaders of the 1950s and 1960s.”
Some characters, like Tolson, James Farmer Sr. and James Farmer, Jr. are based on historical figures. Eisele recounts, “Jeff and I spent the next two years researching the facts about the Wiley team and interviewing many of the surviving debaters, including James Farmer, Jr. shortly before his death in 1999. It was an honor to speak to him, the man who led the Freedom Rides.”
For many of the other characters, Eisele created composites. He was committed to making the debate team representational and staying true to their passion so he incorporated the stories about their experiences and relationships.
Benjamin Bell, a member of the 1936-1939 team noted in Scherman’s article, “Schools were afraid of debating us. Every time they did, they got their pants kicked. How do you think they felt, getting spanked by a little Jim Crow school from the badlands of Texas!”
In an interview with Robert Eisele, Henrietta Bell, one of the first women members of the team, fondly remembered teammate Henry Heights who was a brilliant orator and the team anchor. “He was a freshman when I was a freshman. He was very suave and he could say anything in a debate. Sometimes it was brilliant but sometimes he could be ridiculous. When it came to the character of Henry Lowe, Eisele was able to instill a lot of the passion and energy that Heights was known for. Ms. Bell’s spirit, drive and expertise were clearly captured in the character of Samantha Booke played by Jurnee Smollett.
For the article Scherman was also very interested in finding out how the debaters’ lives turned out. “Hobart Jarrett, class of 1936, became an English professor at Brooklyn College; Hamilton Boswell, class of 1938, became a Methodist preacher; and Henrietta Bell, class of 1934, became a social worker.
As for the flamboyant Heights, its thought he became a preacher but there’s no trail of him since the mid-forties. “Tolson loved doing this. He wasn’t paid to do it, he was paid to teach English,” shares Tolson Jr. Scherman adds, “He loved the challenge of masterminding the debates, loved toppling vicious stereotypes, loved the laurels he was winning for Wiley and himself. Tolson loved to win.” It was this drive and commitment that Eisele and Porro wanted to build the story around. Once that was in place they were ready to bring the project to Harpo.
A prolific television writer and producer, Eisele tackled the project with Porro. Subsequently, Harpo Films, Oprah Winfrey’s production company, jumped on Eisele & Porro’s pitch. “After hearing Bob Eisele’s pitch, Harpo Films was compelled to get involved. We jumped at the chance. It is rare to have that strong, unwavering excitement to option a story. There was no doubt on our part,” notes Producer Kate Forte. Thus, began the development process.
Once finished, Eisele’s screenplay massaged the historical facts of Wiley College in the 1930s, and turned it into a compelling fictionalized feature film that focused on one year with the debate team. By following four students in 1935, one who was James Farmer Jr., Eisele’s screenplay depicts why Wiley College had one of the best debate teams of the time.
Director Denzel Washington reveals, “When my agent sent me the script, I thought it was an interesting story about these young kids in this small school and how they overcame the odds. It’s like “The Little Engine That Could”— going against the great universities of the 1930s.”
Once Denzel committed to direct the film, he turned to Producer Todd Black, who was behind Washington’s directorial debut, Antwone Fisher. “Denzel was always at the top of our wish list of directors,” admits Producer Forte. Of course, we thought of him playing Tolson, but we initially approached him to direct ONLY. We wanted him to have the pure directing experience and not have to juggle both acting and directing. Directing and acting are both daunting and hard enough on their own. To have to combine both is unfathomable.”
“I became more and more certain I had to play Tolson with each page. By the time I finished reading the script, I knew as a director I would insist on casting this role,” Washington jokes.
Eisele offers, “I was ecstatic when I heard the news. I felt Denzel had done a wonderful job with Antwone Fisher. Plus, I knew he’d be perfect in the role of Tolson.”
As the development process continued, Black reveals, “We worked with Bob Eisele and made something incredibly unique and different from a lot of Hollywood movies.”
As for taking historical fact and creating fiction, Washington considers, “We leant toward the dramatic because it is a movie. The story really belongs to the characters of Henry Lowe, Samantha, James Farmer Jr. and Hamilton Burgess—the debaters. It’s about the education of these young kids.”
As the second directing effort from Academy Award? winner Denzel Washington, a man responsible for launching Derek Luke’s career by casting him as the lead for Antwone Fisher, he had the pull to meet the best and brightest of young actors to be his “great debaters.”
Washington permits, “We had a great casting agent, Denise Chamian, and went through the process, looked at a lot of kids and just picked the best.”
Just like Melvin B. Tolson took a group of intelligent students and molded them into a formidable debate team, Washington handpicked his actors for the roles of the “great debaters.” He chose Denzel Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Jermaine Williams, aware that they could be the hot new stars of tomorrow.
Producer Forte also notes, “[They] were just extraordinary—as actors and human beings. They were sheer joy to be around. They each have huge talent and promise—but they are all so sweet, enthusiastic, and just plain nice. And, their bond together—and with Denzel was so lovely to observe.”
Then, for the key adult parts, he cast Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker as James Farmer, Sr., Kimberly Elise as Pearl Farmer, the mother of James Jr. and John Heard as Sheriff Dozier, an unsavory character.
Denzel Whitaker, who turned seventeen during production, had previously worked with his namesake on Training Day in a scene as one of the children of Macy Gray’s character. For this movie, he landed the key part of ‘James Farmer Jr.,’ the 14-year-old freshman who went on to be one of the best debaters of the Wiley College team as well as one of the founding fathers of the Civil Rights Movement who inspired the ‘Freedom Rides’ of the 1950s & 60s.
Washington allows, “I can’t believe his name is actually ‘Denzel—Denzel Whitaker.’ But that’s not why he got the job. He’s a brilliant young actor.”
Forest Whitaker, who plays his father in the movie, praises, “You could tell from the very first reading that little Denzel is quite the remarkable kid. He’s very astute, very intelligent. The scenes I’ve done with him have been right on.”
Kimberly Elise, who plays his mother, smiles, “Little Denzel Whitaker is just magic. He gave me a Mother’s Day card that touched my heart. He has that sort of sensitivity where he allows himself to be vulnerable and open on camera. That just pulls you in and makes you want to follow the story with him.”
It was obvious that story, character and talent were coming together perfectly. “We all knew we were part of something important in terms of story but we also knew we were part of something important in term of acting experience, observing legends such as Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker interact with these gifted young actors,” says Forte.
The other three debaters—Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett & Jermaine Williams were equally thrilled to be cast in this movie.
Nate Parker, whose natural good looks make it easy to view him as a younger version of Denzel Washington, explains, “I’ve looked up to Mr. Washington for most of my life—before I became an actor. I had his picture on my desktop, so when I met him, I felt like I knew him as someone who I had been talking to for years which made it easy.”
“It was obvious as soon as Jurnee read that she had the role. She was the first one in to audition – and I believe that Denzel was pretty committed to her casting after that first reading,” says Forte. Jurnee Smollett was keen to be in the movie. She admits, “I was aware of this film a long time before I went in to audition. I was very passionate about the project and being a part of it that I started researching the character immediately.”
She continues, “I feel so honored to be a part of this project. I get to watch Denzel work, the notes he has given me, the conversations we’ve had… I will forever cherish the moments. One day I’ll sit back and tell my kids, ‘Yeah, when I was twenty, I worked with Denzel Washington in a film he directed.’”
Jermaine Williams who many will recognize from Stomp The Yard, embraced his chance to work with his idol, Denzel Washington. He confesses, “I was very intimidated the first time meeting Mr. Washington. I wasn’t sure how he was going to come across, but he actually came across a lot like a father figure—he approached me, introduced himself and extended his hand—after that, I knew it was going to be easy to work with him.”
Denzel Whitaker considers working with his two namesakes, “‘Forest taught me things about finding and getting into character—finding the deeper things that make your character tick in a certain situation. Just acting with him, I’d be sitting there feeling like ‘wow, he’s bringing it on and I gotta come up to his level!’”
As for his director and other co-star, Denzel Washington, the young Whitaker offers, “Denzel—he’s just great! He would always tell me his little notes and we would compare them with mine, and then we’d sit and figure it out.”
Black confirms, “It’s been so much fun and interesting to watch these new kids always watching Denzel and Forest—off camera, on camera, on the sides—always watching and learning.”
He continues, “I think it’s been an incredible journey for both sets of people. Denzel and Forest are watching new talent, watching their eyes come alive and watching that they have no bad habits, staying fresh because of that.”
Black further elucidates, “Meanwhile these young actors are watching these incredibly seasoned actors—how they hit their mark, how they deliver something, how they change something up. You can really see the way these young people are being so wonderfully influenced by the master class of teachers.”
He grins, “Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker—you don’t get much better than that!”
Washington permits, “We found four really great young actors and we have given them the opportunity of a lifetime. As far as I can see they’ve excelled in their acting careers.”
He contemplates, “I felt that way about Derek Luke in Antwone Fisher, and he’s off to the races now, so I’m curious to see how things go for these kids since I feel the same way about them.”
Smiling, Washington predicts, “I think they’re going to go a long way.”
To add to the authenticity of the debate scenes, the young actors were sent off to “debate camp” at Texas Southern University in Houston. For two days, the actors were provided with intensive training in the art of communication in the form of debate, with special emphasis on parliamentary debate. The camp was conducted by TSU’s assistant coaches, LaShelle Sargent, Clare Bailey, Terrick Brown, and coordinated by head coach, Dr. Thomas F. Freeman.
Washington reveals, “As an actor, I’ve always liked to do stuff like ‘boot camp’ for the various roles– like I did for Glory and For Queen and Country. It’s just part of an actor’s job in preparing for a role.”
Washington continues, “Texas Southern University has an outstanding debating team right now, so we sent the kids there and put them against the Texas Southern team—just threw them in the water to see if they could swim.”
Producer Forte adds, “They crawled into the world of their characters—and the world of debating. They were incredibly competitive to make sure that they excelled in debating.”
Jurnee Smollett divulges, “We learned parliamentary style of debating from the remarkable people at Texas Southern University. Dr. Freeman started the debate team at TSU in 1948, and I tell you, this man has a presence! He’s so incredibly intelligent.”
She continues, “The first day they taught us style and then the second day we actually had to put into practice what we learned which was a challenge. We were reading the newspaper, watching CNN, talking about all the hot issues of the moment. I think in a sense it brought us all together.”
Denzel Whitaker agrees, “We started to get to know each other during debate camp, but it was just the beginning. Now, we really look out for each other—just like our characters do in the movie.”
Nate Parker offers, “I’ve been an athlete all my life so when we got to Houston, my goal was that whatever we do, we are going to win.”
He continues, “They taught us all how to do different kinds of debate—short, long, structure, format—then we had mock debates. We did a competition to see who made it to the end and we were up against their sophomore teams.”
He pauses, “I think we did extremely well…”
Jermaine Williams who plays Hamilton Burgess proposes, “Now in 2007, debate isn’t really a popular sport compared to how it was in 1935, but hopefully after seeing this movie, it might be the next big thing. I know after being at debate camp, I’m hooked!”
Denzel Washington, Director
Producer Kate Forte experienced Denzel’s formidable presence throughout the making of the film. “The synergy on the film was palpable. Firstly, it was amazing to observe Denzel direct. He was so confident, so prepared, so focused and energized. He is as good a director as he is an actor—which says a lot!!!”
John Heard, who plays the “bad guy” role of Sheriff Dozier, proposes, “When actors become ‘big-time’ and embrace something that means something special to them, that’s when I take notice. Denzel Washington directing this movie makes it an honor to be a part of his cast.”
“This is our third movie together. Previously, we only acted together,” smiles Kimberly Elise who worked with Denzel Washington on John Q and The Manchurian Candidate. She continues, “I love Denzel’s honesty and have a great deal of trust for him as a director. He’ll challenge me to find something new, something different. It’s like an athlete working with a great trainer who’s only going to take what you have already and make it stronger and better because he knows it’s there.”
Forest Whitaker who has stepped behind the camera a few times himself, praises, Denzel “as a filmmaker who seems very confident, very clear, very sure.”
He reveals, “Denzel was very comfortable from the beginning. I remember the first day when he was getting ready; he just seemed so relaxed. He was ready to make this film and had done a lot of work.”
Whitaker acknowledges, “I liked it that he brought us all in early so we could rehearse before we starting filming. It gave us the chance to figure out how to shape the character before shooting onto film.”
His crew was equally glowing with compliments for Denzel Washington as a director. Production Designer David Bomba chimes, “What’s been so wonderful about this experience is the collaboration. Not only does Denzel give you the most amazing information to work from and to push you towards, but working with Costume Designer Sharen Davis & Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot—it’s a magical collaboration—I’ve been having the time of my life!”
The sound mixer, two-time Academy Award® winner Willie Burton (Dreamgirls, Bird) offers, “My first experience with Denzel as a director was Antwone Fisher and I was really impressed with how he did for his first time. He was prepared and ready to go. I thought that was pretty incredible because I’ve worked with a lot of first-time directors and they were not as prepared as Denzel.”
Burton continues, “Now with The Great Debaters, I knew Denzel was good, but I’m amazed at how much he’s grown and how great he is on a film like this. If I had to rate him among all the directors I’ve worked with in Hollywood, in my book he’s considered a great director—he knows what he wants, he’s prepared, he’s on top of it—plus he’s talented!”
Washington has his own take on his ease of being behind the camera, “I’ve been around a long time and I’ve worked with some of the best directors in the history of the business.”
As for the job of directing, Washington admits, “I really enjoy being behind the camera and I enjoy seeing other people do well. I enjoy that more than acting—much more—there’s no comparison!”
Recreating 1935
Recreating 1935 in 2007 was no easy feat. Hiring Production Designer David Bomba, who had impressed Washington and Black with his work on Walk The Line, proved to be a stroke of genius.
Taking advantage of the tax credits afforded to filmmakers in Louisiana, the production opted to shoot most of the movie in small towns outside of Shreveport. Mansfield, Grand Cane, Keatchie, and Belcher, all within a 50-minute drive from the largest city in northeast Louisiana, served as backdrops for East Texas of the Great Depression.
Mansfield turned out to be the main location for the production. Bomba reminds, “The town of Mansfield, Louisiana is our town of Marshall, Texas. Mansfield has a beautiful courthouse in the middle of the square. Two sides of the square have been modernized and updated, while the other two sides were pretty much boarded up. I was able to create a ‘back-lot’ situation where you don’t interrupt business but have a framework of something to use.”
Mansfield was also the location for the two main homes that appear in the film—the home of the Farmer family and the home of Melvin B. Tolson.
Bomba compliments, “Mansfield has been extremely cooperative and very excited about what we did—kind of giving their city a little bit of a facelift back in time.”
The production shot one day at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, to take advantage of the exterior. Production Designer Bomba reveals, “Wiley College is an established college in the Piney Woods of East Texas, so there were just a few buildings we could use to fit our time period—the President’s house and the classical administration building ended up being the ones we could used.”
Costume Designer Sharen Davis had her own set of woes in resurrecting clothing from over seventy years ago.
She admits, “It was challenging because clothes from the 1930s are so hard to find. I designed all the clothing for the lead characters, but when it came to the background, I called all over the United States to vintage stores and bought out all outfits that I could find from the late 1920s and early 1930s.”
However, she did score a big coup for the wardrobe of Washington’s Melvin B. Tolson and Forest Whitaker’s James Farmer Sr.
Costume Designer Davis reveals, “Brooks Brothers has been around since the 1800s, so they were nice enough to make clothes from my illustrations for Washington and Forest Whitaker. THAT was a huge help!”
Washington allows, “A lot of the team that was here for this film was on my first movie, Antwone Fisher. Philippe Rousselot, a brilliant cinematographer, Willie Burton, a two-time Academy Award®-winner sound mixer, Sharen Davis, a good friend and one of the top costume designers in the business and my producing partner, Todd Black, whom I wouldn’t have made the movie without him.” He adds, “Also I have to give credit to David Bomba whom I worked with for the first time on this movie and is brilliant production designer.”
Now that 1935 is represented on the big screen, Washington discloses, “I’m glad that this group wanted to work with me and create this environment despite the long hours.”
As the movie went into the post-production stage, Washington had the greatest confidence in his team. “It’s surrounding yourself with brilliant collaborators and allowing them to do their job. After all, as captain of the ship, I don’t have to do every job on the ship—I just oversee it.”
Harvard University
“Although the Wiley team did defeat the national champions, we couldn’t find documentary evidence that they actually debated Harvard University. Nonetheless, we felt for our story Harvard best embodied Wiley’s incredible achievement and conveyed the real Wiley debate team’s true sense of accomplishment. In that era, there was much as stake when a black college debated any white school, particularly one with the stature of Harvard. We used Harvard to demonstrate the heights they achieved,” notes screenwriter Eisele. “The fact that we were granted permission to film there and not have to recreate it, was remarkable,” adds Producer Black.
Co-Producer Molly Allen is responsible for securing Harvard University as one of the key locations of the movie. A former location manager who worked previously with Denzel Washington on his directorial debut, Antwone Fisher, she explains, “The person I was to speak to about filming at Harvard was ‘no, no, no, no, we don’t allow it.’”
She continues, “They told me that they were about education and didn’t want the interruption. But once I got the name of Eric Engle who is in charge of the Sanders Theatre in Memorial Hall, I bugged him a lot. I told him how important it was to the story that we film at Harvard and not recreate it somewhere else. He told me to be patient. He was a tremendous asset to the process. Without Eric, we wouldn’t be at Harvard.”
She smiles, “I’m a fairly impatient person so I bit my nails for four days, but when the door opened, I stuck my foot in and that was it.”
Shooting at Harvard helped the actors tremendously. “You can just feel the heritage in the place. The moment you walk onto the stage you just instantly smile. It’s an excitement that comes over you—Hello, Harvard!!!!!!!!!!” shouts Denzel Whitaker.
Jurnee Smollett agrees, “Walking onto the campus of Harvard, you feel the enormity of the place. It gives you this belief that you can accomplish anything.”
Nate Parker has another take, “It didn’t really hit me until I walked onto the stage of the Sanders Theatre and saw the thousands of scuff marks on the floor and the worn leather seats in the auditorium.”
He continues, “Those scuffs on the wood signify all those feet that have crossed the stage for commencements, for secret societies—that’s when it hit me how serious a place like Harvard is. Especially when I realized this college started without African Americans—or other minorities—and that the desire of people changed that. It makes you appreciate history.”
Washington smiles, “I’m glad that Harvard allowed us to share what they represent. Harvard is the standard. It was the standard then; it is the standard now.”
Allen concedes, “In the end, quite honestly, the names of Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey and Harvey Weinstein carry a lot of weight. Coupled with the amazing script, how could they say no?”
‘The Great Debaters’
In 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, Wiley College had a debate team that beat many universities. This movie is inspired by their wins and the fact that Melvin B. Tolson and James Farmer Sr. nurtured the team, most notably James Farmer, Jr., a gifted student who was enrolled at Wiley when he was fourteen, to be all they could be at a time when the nation was suffering on so many fronts.
In an interview with screenwriter Robert Eisele, Tolson’s eldest son, Melvin Jr., remembered eavesdropping on one of his father’s late night practices in their living room. “They would start off as kind of friendly, informal discussions about the debate topics, with lots of good humor. But they would practice for hours and suddenly it was for real. Dad would prod the debaters until it was a genuine debate. It was like an intellectual fistfight.”
“It is important for all of us to remember our own influence and power. To learn that words are weapons is an invaluable lesson,” notes Producer Forte. “We all have the ability to improve. To emphasize the importance of education, self-motivation, self-reliance is a timeless, useful, universal lesson.”
Producer Black professes, “The reason I responded to this story is that it’s different. It’s educational without beating you over the head. It tells a really great story—almost like a sports movie. You’re rooting for the people. There’s a dedicated teacher involved. It takes the idea of a classic sports movie and turns it on its ear.”
Director Washington considers, “The way I helped shape the story was how it relates to this young boy, James Farmer Jr., and what he sees about his father and what he sees in Melvin B. Tolson.”
Kimberly Elise suggests, “I see in this film a great story about education. We don’t own our children; we’re here to nurture and help shape them. Then, we have to release them and let them blossom and be all that they can be so that they can set the world, you know, aglow with their own thing.”
Forest Whitaker, deemed one of the best actors of his generation, ponders, “I think the movie operates on the theme of tolerance- allowing people to be fully who they are, giving them the dignity and respect of who and what they are.” Yet Whitaker zeroes in on James Farmer Jr., played by Denzel Whitaker.
The older Whitaker offers, “It’s about a winning debate team, but ultimately, it’s about this character,, his rights of passage, him becoming a man and moving into manhood. He slowly goes on this journey that allows him in the end to win and become who he fully is, an actualized person.”
Denzel Whitaker discloses, “I’ve heard very little about James Farmer Jr. in my history books at school. It wasn’t until I did this movie that I got an understanding of his importance in the Civil Rights Movement.” He proclaims, “It’s one of those great stories that needs to be told!”
Washington demurs, “I don’t like to answer questions about what audiences can expect from my movie, but I know there are some brilliant performances by these actors.”
He considers, “But the bottom line, the common denominator, was that there were these great educators at these historically Black Colleges and they put the children first.”
“Remember, there was no television then. Debating was so popular, you could charge admission and get a full house. At Wiley, when you had debates, whatever team was coming, it was a prize occasion. People piled in,” Tolson Jr. recalls.
“It sounds trite—but the film does have timeless and universal themes. It is a war of words. No matter the obstacles, we can achieve. Denzel’s character says something along the lines, ‘the world is not going to welcome you with open arms.’ This is a fact. It is an understatement. So, it is incumbent on us to be smart, resilient, curious, hungry for knowledge, tough, and prepared. We will do combat with our brains, words, and power of persuasion,” adds Forte.
In this instance, it was Melvin B. Tolson and James Farmer Sr., teachers at Wiley College in the 1930s, who nurtured their students to make the world a better place.
The Great Debaters (2007)
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Starring: Denzel Washington, Columbus Short, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Jermaine Williams, Nate Parker, Justice Leak, J.D. Evermore, Charissa Allen
Screenplay by: Robert Eisele
Production Design by: David J. Bomba
Cinematography by: Philippe Rousselot
Film Editing by: John Breinholt, Hughes Winborne
Costume Design by: Sharen Davis
Set Decoration by: Patrick Cassidy
Art Direction by: John R. Jensen
Music by: Peter Golub, James Newton Howard
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for depiction of strong thematic material including violence and disturbing images, language, sexuality.
Distributed by: The Weinstein Company
Release Date: December 25, 2007
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