Catching up with the crosscountry runners of mcfarland, usa disclosure. An exdetective who was on the championship 1987 track team depicted in the movie mcfarland usa has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to bribery and drug charges. Mcfarland, usa 2014 is an amazing movie based on a true story that took place within mcfarland. Mcfarland, usa doesnt look like its going to be a runaway hit at the. Although the movie is set in 1987, the movie was filmed in 2014, mainly in mcfarland, ca. Their excitement was clear as i saw the smiles on the faces of coach jim white, and former cougar running brothers, david diaz, damacio diaz and danny diaz. Feb 19, 2015 the story of a toughminded coach who starts a crosscountry team made up of underprivileged latino runners in the california town of mcfarland in the 1980s offers few surprises, if any. It was difficult for him to do because he kept getting shin splints. Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day disneys alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day follows the exploits of 11yearold alexander ed oxenbould as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. Mar 02, 2015 the state championship aside, mcfarland, usa suggests my teammates became winners in life. This is part of a sponsored collaboration with disney and walt disney pictures.
Brothers who inspired motion picture mcfarland, usa got out of the fields. Mcfarland, usa is about a coach who gets fired from his job due to inappropriate and harsh behaviors towards his colleagues and students. Feb 11, 2015 i received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime bakersfield californian photographer felix adamo, found these photos i shot of the 1987 mcfarland boys cross country team. However, similar to the film, jim white had never been a runner himself and. Mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back on track victor puentes, member of the 1987 mcfarland cross country team, has battled drug addiction. But one thing mcfarland, usa didnt sugarcoat, according to virgin, is the physical demand of agricultural. Not all runners from the 1987 team are featured in the film. This is the team featured in the movie mcfarland usa, which opens to general release on february 20.
Mcfarland, usa demonstrates utopian aspects in seemingly nonutopian environment. Mcfarland formerly, hunt and lone pine is a city in the san joaquin valley, in kern county, california, united states. Mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back. With kevin costner, maria bello, ramiro rodriguez, carlos pratts.
In actuality, thomas was the number one runner for the 1987 state championship cross country team for mcfarland. Mcfarland, usa is based on a true, and familiar, story. Mcfarlands high school, which mostly educates the children of mexican farmworkers, is across the street from a. Thomas received a degree and served our country before returning to mcfarland to raise a family and also help coach the mcfarland girls cross country team and continues to be a part of this amazing community. The first time i saw the trailer for the new movie mcfarland, usa, i couldnt help thinking that was my story once the coach, his high school runners, the fields, the improbable string. Its all in the attitude allusa by by kristine meldrum denholm, for usa today sports february 17, 2015.
Wrapping up the story in one season instead of eight makes for a feelgood fairy tale. Feb 20, 2015 mcfarland, usa is the latest installment in walt disney pictures ongoing series of true storybased underdog sports movies and it sticks very closely to the formula of such similar previous releases as cool runnings and remember the titans, in terms of plot beats and character archetypes. For victor puentes, one of the subjects of the disney film mcfarland. A crosscountry runner portrayed in disneys mcfarland usa, who is now grown up and working as a bakersfield police detective, was arrested friday for conspiring with a drug dealer to help him escape arrest.
Legendary cross country coach jim white, the man behind. Before the movie mcfarland, usa there was a coach, his. He sees that some of the students are worth starting a crosscountry team and turns seven students with no hope into one of the best crosscountry teams. Herlinda was lopez takahashis pacer, a running partner who helps make sure a teammate is not running too slowly or quickly. But one thing mcfarland, usa didnt sugarcoat, according.
Parents need to know that mcfarland, usa is an inspiring sports drama about a mexicanamerican crosscountry team from rural california. Mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back on. Family is especially important in mcfarland, as it is in many ethnic cultures in this country. Thats right i had an opportunity to interview the 7 actors who played the inspirational runners in the movie. Mcfarland is only one small town but it can be used as a representation of the larger problem of the poverty cycle and lack of opportunity in our society today. Like any crosscountry race, mcfarland, usa, starring kevin costner as the reallife coach who turned the sons of a small california farming town into unlikely state champions in the 80s. I never set out to leave a legacy, white, whose story inspired the new movie mcfarland, usa, starring kevin costner, tells people. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to division i status, a byproduct of their success. Brothers who inspired motion picture mcfarland, usa got out of the. Usa today s claudia puig was equally impressed by how the movie avoided racial stereotypes. Based on a true story, the movie stars kevin costner as the teams coach, whos determined to guide a bunch of farm workers kids into a team thats good enough to compete in the states first crosscountry. Mcfarland is the only place coach white is able to find a job as a pe teacher and assistant football.
Mcfarland a leading independent publisher of academic. However, the situation depicted in mcfarland usa is still relevant today. Mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back on track victor puentes, member of the 1987 mcfarland cross country team. Herlinda gonzalez, delfina herrera, sylvia diaz and her brother, raul diaz at cayucos on october 4, 1985.
This heartwarming drama follows novice runners who strive to build a crosscountry team under coach jim white kevin costner in their predominantly latino high school. The plot, based on a true story, is pretty much paintbynumbers, and though mcfarland adds a few surprising dashes of color, the look and feel are utterly familiar. A look at the real mcfarland usa kids and coach jim white. White gets fired from the football staff at the mcfarland school. Kevin costner, center, and the cast of mcfarland, usa disney. Meet the real jim white, thomas valles, cheryl white and mcfarlands diaz family. The 2015 film mcfarland, usa tells the true story of california high school crosscountry coach jim white kevin costner and his underdog team of latino runners who had never competed in the sport before and who, when they werent training, had to help their parents pick crops in the fields.
Members of mcfarlands diaz family reflect on their time as cross country runners under coach jim white at mcfarland high school. As stated above, the real jim white started teaching in the mcfarland school district straight out of college in 1964. Plus this actor, ramiro rodriguez, is a reallife champion soccer player from the mcfarland area. Mcfarland, usa reminds one a bit of the 1979 comingofagesocial class sports drama breaking away, whose team of stonemason cutters echo the. Three out of the seven young mcfarland usa cast actors on the team in the movie are from the mcfarland areasergio avelar who plays victor puentes and michael aguero, cast as damacio diaz, are actual runners and ramiro rodriguez, as danny diaz, was a champion soccer player. Mar 04, 2020 once you see mcfarland, usa, you may get that same lesson. Mar 03, 2015 mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running.
He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line. Inspired by the 1987 true story, mcfarland, usa follows novice runners from mcfarland, an economically challenged town in californias farmrich central valley, as they give their all to build a. First thing you learn is to stretch before and after running. Mcfarland is located 25 miles 40 km northnorthwest of bakersfield and 6. I received an allexpense paid trip from disney so that i could gather and share this information. Last week i shared my interviews with kevin costner and the real inspiration behind the new disney film mcfarland usa, so today we are talking about the boys who brought the story to life on screen. In mcfarland, usa, kevin costner coaches crosscountry runners.
Mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running runners. Feb 26, 2015 mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back on track victor puentes, member of the 1987 mcfarland cross country team, has battled drug addiction. From disney comes mcfarland, the true againstallodds story of the 1987 mcfarland high school cross country team in an economically challenged. But lopez takahashi was absent from practice on the day of the accident. Mcfarland, usa is about more than a team of runners and their. Meeting the real life runners and coach that the story of mcfarland, usa is based on was a true joy. Born todaymost popular celebsmost popular celebscelebrity news. Coach white notices it and one of the runners thomas says not to point it out because the parents have fundraised, along. Learn the major plot points and story structure of mcfarland, usa. I just always wanted to do the best i could do and let. In the tradition of disney sports movies comes mcfarland, usa, based on the inspiring true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. Feb 27, 2015 wrapping up the story in one season instead of eight makes for a feelgood fairy tale. The film starts off like all within in film style as it calmly introduces the cast and the story line, which paced nicely.
Family of elite distance runners portrayed in mcfarland, usa. Based on the 1987 true story, disneys mcfarland, usa follows novice runners from mcfarland, an economically challenged town in californias farmrich central valley. Oct 28, 2015 subtitles available in english and spanish. Here at mcfarland, weve published many resources that help individuals achieve their wellness goalsincluding our health topics series, a growing cannabis studies selection and a brandnew imprint, toplight books, devoted to all things personal development. The runners of mcfarland developed chemistry in the fields, yes, but in their own latino culture as well. Coach white kevin costner and his family have to relocate to mcfarland, a town populated by farm growers. The real life people of mcfarland usa mcfarlandusa in the making for 15 years, jim white wanted to share the true story of the 1987 novice runners.
Jim white moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach. Mcfarland usa runner, now a bakersfield cop, is arrested. Oct 28, 2014 usa today working in cabbage fields under californias central valley sun for scenes in mcfarland, usa taught kevin costner key lessons. The photo was taken with rauls camera by a teammate and the images are the only known pictures of the real beach trip depicted in the movie mcfarland usa. Mcfarland, usa is about more than a team of runners and. What we can all learn from the movie mcfarland usa the. Once you see mcfarland, usa, you may get that same lesson. Legendary cross country coach jim white, the man behind mcfarland. The social reach of mcfarland, usa is more than the story of a team of runners and a brokendown coach who show what they are made of. The film is based on the compelling 1987 true story of a group of novice runners.
Running for their lives, the 2004 gary smith story that inspired the kevin costner movie mcfarland, usa. Director niki caro wanted to feature more family in the film, so luis partida, who was on the team, was. I received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime bakersfield californian photographer felix adamo, found these photos i shot of the 1987 mcfarland boys cross country team. The state championship aside, mcfarland, usa suggests my teammates became winners in life. The 2015 film mcfarland, usa tells the true story of california high school crosscountry coach jim white kevin costner and his underdog team of latino runners who had never competed in the sport before and who, when they werent training, had to. Meet the boys from disneys film mcfarland usa baby gizmo. And by that measure, maybe i can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. There he discovers buried potential in several high school boys and slowly turns them into championship runners and brings them closer than even he could ever imagine. Apr 21, 2020 this year has been an extraordinary time for looking inward, learning about wellness and focusing more and more on spirituality. Feb 20, 2015 the social reach of mcfarland, usa is more than the story of a team of runners and a brokendown coach who show what they are made of. Mcfarland usa, released this year and starring kevin costner, is based on the mcfarland high school crosscountry team that won the california championship in 1987. Mcfarland, usa also known as mcfarland is a 2015 american sports drama film directed by niki caro, produced by mark ciardi and gordon gray, written by christopher cleveland, bettina gilois and grant thompson with music composed by antonio pinto. Two of whites runners are pulled from the team by their father so they can spend more time picking in the fields. These 7 runners work hard to build a cross country team under the direction of their.
The mcfarland, usa true story supports that mcfarland high school won nine cif california state championships in cross country including five in a row and held a streak of attending the state championship meet 24 years in a row. David, danny and damasio diaz whose story was told in the movie mcfarland usa, spoke to 50 california state university bakersfield students and their families who received scholarships from the. In 1987, football coach jim white kevin costner loses his job at a high. Mcfarland usa hero arrested for conspiring with drug dealer. Mcfarland, usa i got a chance to see mcfarland, usa at a screening this week and left the theater as equally exhausted and exhilarated as i normally feel after running a race. The same thing goes on with the kenyan and ethiopians todaythey all come from an agricultural background. The story of a toughminded coach who starts a crosscountry team made up of underprivileged latino runners in the california town of mcfarland in the 1980s offers few surprises, if any.
Feb 17, 2015 inspired by the 1987 true story, mcfarland, usa follows novice runners from mcfarland, an economically challenged town in californias farmrich central valley, as they give their all to build a. This book addresses urban ecology, green technology, problems with climate change prediction, groundwater contamination, invasive species and many others topics, and offers a guardedly optimistic interpretation of humanitys place in nature and our unique caretaker role. Why did mcfarland usa create the fake backstory about jim white. Oct 07, 2015 david, danny and damasio diaz whose story was told in the movie mcfarland usa, spoke to 50 california state university bakersfield students and their families who received scholarships from the. All seven diaz children went to college and all seven returned to mcfarland where they live today. Nov 20, 2015 mcfarland usa, released this year and starring kevin costner, is based on the mcfarland high school crosscountry team that won the california championship in 1987. Theres an underdog theme running throughout the film not just for the.
Look, everyone, we have a new kid running with us today, hed say when. Included in the segment, titled mcfarlands family of champions, are danny diaz, daughter delia diaz, gabriel diaz, damacio diaz, david diaz, diego diaz, and father and mother paul and juanita diaz. While the running back position has generally taken a backseat to other. David diaz said the combination of working in the fields and running. We pit the mcfarland, usa true story against the movie. A look at the real mcfarland usa kids and coach jim. First, the work performed by field workers each day is back. Its about community and becoming people of character. Mcfarland, usa inspiring and dramatic story about unlikely. But you will learn that he, and the other 6 runners, are actually much more than that. This film reminded me of films like radio, and others within this type of genre. Mcfarland, usa the 1987 mcfarland cross country team. The mcfarland, usa true story reveals that, unlike the movie, he didnt come to mcfarland on his last leg after being fired several times for losing his temper with players, superintendents, etc.
The film was coproduced by walt disney pictures and mayhem pictures. A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in america. The houses, small corner stores, living conditions and even the stray dogs roaming the streets can all be seen today in most small, agricultural towns in the central valley. Mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running runners world. The movie made me a better person, puentes told runners world.
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