McFarland, USA

You would not think it at first glance but McFarland, USA turns out to be the site of an inspiring motion picture as well as the title for same. It's the story of a down and out high school coach played by Kevin Costner who in a last chance job takes one at a high school in the small town of McFarland, California having one of the poorest per capita incomes in the USA and made up of a mostly Chicano population who work mostly as fruit pickers. One of the first sites he sees at his new job as a Physical Education Teacher is mom picking up her three sons for their jobs as pickers after school.

But those three brothers turn out to be an integral part of the cross country running team that he creates for the school. These kids see no future other than the fields of citrus fruit to pick and really have no confidence in themselves. Once he learns the culture Costner is able to motivate those kids to achieve not only in track, but in life.

Costner and wife Maria Bello mix so well with them that they even have a Quincinera for their 15 year old daughter Morgan Saylor, a custom in Hispanic families kind of a coming out for a 15 year old daughter. The Quincinera also leads to a crisis of sorts, but it reaffirms the faith and trust that the kids and parents have developed in Costner.

McFarland,USA is a fine family film from the Disney Studios and recommended most definitely for juvenile audiences.