Outstanding movieI loved this movie. Bernie Mack and Terrence Howard are excellent. The film is very touching and I cried during it. I'm glad it is a true story. Very inspirational! It shows that a person can overcome any obstacle if they are determined to do so. A very outstanding movie. It is a inspiritual for our today children's that is growing up in the inner city. It tell a story that you can succeed in life even if you live in the inner city. It only take one person to mentor and change your life. A fabulously made movie acting is outstanding and the story line could not be pertrade any better. Simply outstanding.

Yes, it's full of movie clichés. Yes, the acting is "eh" at times. Yes, apparently, it's a somewhat unrealistic portrayal of how swim meets work.However, barring all that, it offers an inspirational lesson, and is based on a true story, so I can't really bear witness as to what's realistic and what isn't. What is true is this: in 1974 Jim Ellis helped save a rec center in a depressed neighborhood in Philadelphia and created a swimming program that, in real life, proves the old clichés.From Wikipedia: Ellis' protégés include Michael Norment, the first black swimmer on the U.S. national team. His program at the Marcus Foster pool has sent swimmers to the swimming trials for every U.S. Olympic team since 1992.I don't understand the people who gave it one star. There are so many more movies that deserve much worse than this. If it's on cable, watch it for a little. You won't be disappointed.

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.

This movie evoked a bundle of emotions, from tears to smiles, and cheers. I know many people get tired of seeing movies like this one, I am glad they still make them, for our children and grandchildren to know what it really was like in that day and time. If you have not been personally affected by hate of ANY kind then you may not fully understand and will get sick of seeing the same old movies being made.... All I can say is kudos to the film makers, they captured the spirit of those times perfectly. From the white coach who saw no color to the people who hated blacks simply because of color, to the young men being affected by the hate both white and black..... Two thumbs up from me...