Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

hgeaton As a swimmer, I have to say this was an entertaining movie. First, the story of PDR is one that is well-known to swimmers in PA, and it's a story that should be shared with a larger audience. Second, as someone else mentioned, the swimming scenes were very realistic- the good swimmers actually swam well- which is probably a first in cinematic history! Finally, it is a movie of a group overcoming tremendous odds- and, I can tell you that PDR is truly a powerhouse of a team today. Thus, it's a movie that leaves you with a sense of optimism about humanity. So, although I know very little about scripts, cinematography, etc., I do know a lot about swimming and can say from that perspective that this is worth a watch!

Objectivity I checked IMDb : 3.9 score. Then I worked out this was a "black" film, or, translated, an inspiring film where the main subjects are black but which can be inspiration to anyone out there. And "black" films hardly ever get scores above 5, so I decided to take it out anyhow and see it for myself.What a film. What a performance from Terrence Howard, yet again - this man doesn't know what bad acting is; whatever the film, the Oscar winning CRASH, the revenge thriller with Jodie Foster, THE BRAVE ONE, John Singleton's FOUR BROTHERS, or HUSTLE & FLOW, this guy shows he is one of the best actors around.Whatever your colour, simply put your Objective hat on and let yourself be inspired - you'll go to bed dreaming, feeling good, moved, inspired. Brilliant.

mikestaley78 This movie was about a former swimmer (Terrance Howard), who helps instruct some inner city youths how to competitively swim. I know we have all seen this movie before(Remember the titans, Coach Carter, etc.), however this one was above average and enjoyable. I sometimes have problems with these types of movies relying too much of the script on the racial aspect of it, but in this movie I did not have that feeling. There were a few instances of bashing the white man, but it was not overdone and did not take away from the heart of the movie. The big story here is the superb acting of Terrance Howard who really makes this movie with his portrayal of swimming coach Jim Ellis. Yes, the constant tearing up got cheesy, but his heart was in the right place and he did a good job nailing the part. Loved Bernie Mac as always, and the five actors who played the swimmers all did a good job. Tom Arnold is great and we all love him, just not in this role. The role needed to be played by a hard nosed actor who could play an A**hole real well. I was half expecting Tom to start cracking jokes and being fun like he is on the "Best Damn Sports Show Period." He carried the part well, I just was not buying it BECAUSE IT IS TOM ARNOLD!!! My other gripe with this otherwise good movie was the storyline with the neighborhood drug dealer. I find it hard to believe that after Jim Ellis beat this guy and his boys down that nothing else happened with this storyline. Sadly in the real world too many times in a situation like this, the guy will come back for revenge. We all read about this in the news way too often about senseless violence and murders. Other than that, if you are interested in watching a feel good movie with some decent actors, I recommend watching this movie.

TxMike It is puzzling why so many "1" votes have been given to this movie, because it is actually pretty good. It is based on a true story of a former competitive swimmer from the 1960s who, looking for meaningful work 10 years later, stumbles upon an opportunity to form a swim team from a group of rag-tag guys in the hood.Terrence Howard is Jim Ellis, and he is hired to clean up and close down a Philadelphia recreation area which had fallen into disrepair. It happened to have a competition pool, and Jim gets it back into swimming shape on his own time.Bernie Mac is good as the long time maintenance man Elston.One hot summer day the basketball hoop is taken down and the guys who usually play pickup ball there are left without a place to play. They wander into the natatorium and swim to keep cool. Jim picks up on their competitive juices and agrees to help them become good swimmers.While not a great movie, it is interesting and entertaining.