Mcfarland is located 25 miles 40 km northnorthwest of bakersfield and 6. Herlinda gonzalez, delfina herrera, sylvia diaz and her brother, raul diaz at cayucos on october 4, 1985. 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. Theres an underdog theme running throughout the film not just for the. The film was coproduced by walt disney pictures and mayhem pictures. This film reminded me of films like radio, and others within this type of genre.
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. Thats right i had an opportunity to interview the 7 actors who played the inspirational runners in the movie. 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. And by that measure, maybe i can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. Mcfarland, usa inspiring and dramatic story about unlikely. 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. While the running back position has generally taken a backseat to other. Running for their lives, the 2004 gary smith story that inspired the kevin costner movie mcfarland, usa.
But lopez takahashi was absent from practice on the day of the accident. Mcfarland usa runner, now a bakersfield cop, is arrested. Coach white notices it and one of the runners thomas says not to point it out because the parents have fundraised, along. First, the work performed by field workers each day is back. All seven diaz children went to college and all seven returned to mcfarland where they live today. The same thing goes on with the kenyan and ethiopians todaythey all come from an agricultural background. Look, everyone, we have a new kid running with us today, hed say when. Mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running runners world.
Mcfarland usa hero arrested for conspiring with drug dealer. As stated above, the real jim white started teaching in the mcfarland school district straight out of college in 1964. I never set out to leave a legacy, white, whose story inspired the new movie mcfarland, usa, starring kevin costner, tells people. Mcfarland is the only place coach white is able to find a job as a pe teacher and assistant football. 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. 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 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. 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. For victor puentes, one of the subjects of the disney film mcfarland. 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. Legendary cross country coach jim white, the man behind. 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. David diaz said the combination of working in the fields and running. Why did mcfarland usa create the fake backstory about jim white.
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 movie helps one of original runners get back. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to division i status, a byproduct of their success. In actuality, thomas was the number one runner for the 1987 state championship cross country team for mcfarland. Not all runners from the 1987 team are featured in the film. Oct 28, 2014 usa today working in cabbage fields under californias central valley sun for scenes in mcfarland, usa taught kevin costner key lessons. Mcfarland, usa is about more than a team of runners and. Apr 21, 2020 this year has been an extraordinary time for looking inward, learning about wellness and focusing more and more on spirituality. Plus this actor, ramiro rodriguez, is a reallife champion soccer player from the mcfarland area.
The state championship aside, mcfarland, usa suggests my teammates became winners in life. Mar 02, 2015 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 help their parents pick crops in the fields. Brothers who inspired motion picture mcfarland, usa got out of the fields. Mcfarland, usa doesnt look like its going to be a runaway hit at the. Jim white moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach. 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. What we can all learn from the movie mcfarland usa the. Members of mcfarlands diaz family reflect on their time as cross country runners under coach jim white at mcfarland high school. Its all in the attitude allusa by by kristine meldrum denholm, for usa today sports february 17, 2015.
Mcfarland, usa reminds one a bit of the 1979 comingofagesocial class sports drama breaking away, whose team of stonemason cutters echo the. Mcfarland, usa 2014 is an amazing movie based on a true story that took place within mcfarland. Mar 03, 2015 mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running. Mcfarland, usa demonstrates utopian aspects in seemingly nonutopian environment. With kevin costner, maria bello, ramiro rodriguez, carlos pratts. 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. 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. Mcfarland, usa reminds us why we love running runners. A look at the real mcfarland usa kids and coach jim white. 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.
White gets fired from the football staff at the mcfarland school. 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. In mcfarland, usa, kevin costner coaches crosscountry runners. Wrapping up the story in one season instead of eight makes for a feelgood fairy tale. 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. Meet the boys from disneys film mcfarland usa baby gizmo. A look at the real mcfarland usa kids and coach jim. 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. 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. But one thing mcfarland, usa didnt sugarcoat, according to virgin, is the physical demand of agricultural. 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. Meeting the real life runners and coach that the story of mcfarland, usa is based on was a true joy.
Mcfarland movie helps one of original runners get back on. 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. Once you see mcfarland, usa, you may get that same lesson. 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. White saves his star runners from jumping off a bridge.
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. However, the situation depicted in mcfarland usa is still relevant today. Legendary cross country coach jim white, the man behind mcfarland. Mcfarland, usa the 1987 mcfarland cross country team. However, similar to the film, jim white had never been a runner himself and. Kevin costner, center, and the cast of mcfarland, usa disney. The runners of mcfarland developed chemistry in the fields, yes, but in their own latino culture as well. 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. Coach white kevin costner and his family have to relocate to mcfarland, a town populated by farm growers.
Although the movie is set in 1987, the movie was filmed in 2014, mainly in mcfarland, ca. 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. Its about community and becoming people of character. 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. Herlinda was lopez takahashis pacer, a running partner who helps make sure a teammate is not running too slowly or quickly. From disney comes mcfarland, the true againstallodds story of the 1987 mcfarland high school cross country team in an economically challenged. In 1987, football coach jim white kevin costner loses his job at a high. 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 on track victor puentes, member of the 1987 mcfarland cross country team. These 7 runners work hard to build a cross country team under the direction of their.
Mcfarlands high school, which mostly educates the children of mexican farmworkers, is across the street from a. 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. Born todaymost popular celebsmost popular celebscelebrity news. But you will learn that he, and the other 6 runners, are actually much more than that. 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. Family of elite distance runners portrayed in mcfarland, usa. 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.
But one thing mcfarland, usa didnt sugarcoat, according. 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. Oct 04, 2016 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. Two of whites runners are pulled from the team by their father so they can spend more time picking in the fields. We pit the mcfarland, usa true story against the movie. Before the movie mcfarland, usa there was a coach, his. I received an allexpense paid trip from disney so that i could gather and share this information. He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line. 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 the tradition of disney sports movies comes mcfarland, usa, based on the inspiring true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. 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. Family is especially important in mcfarland, as it is in many ethnic cultures in this country. It was difficult for him to do because he kept getting shin splints.
Based on the 1987 true story, disneys mcfarland, usa follows novice runners from mcfarland, an economically challenged town in californias farmrich central valley. Director niki caro wanted to feature more family in the film, so luis partida, who was on the team, was. Feb 27, 2015 wrapping up the story in one season instead of eight makes for a feelgood fairy tale. 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. The utopian elements of mcfarland, usa the prolongation. Mcfarland, usa is about a coach who gets fired from his job due to inappropriate and harsh behaviors towards his colleagues and students. Mcfarland, usa is about more than a team of runners and their. 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. Learn the major plot points and story structure of mcfarland, usa. Meet the real jim white, thomas valles, cheryl white and mcfarlands diaz family. 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. Mcfarland a leading independent publisher of academic.
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. 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. The film is based on the compelling 1987 true story of a group of novice runners. The film starts off like all within in film style as it calmly introduces the cast and the story line, which paced nicely. Hector duran said we can learn alot about life while watching this movie. First thing you learn is to stretch before and after running. The movie made me a better person, puentes told runners world. Mcfarland, usa is based on a true, and familiar, story. Parents need to know that mcfarland, usa is an inspiring sports drama about a mexicanamerican crosscountry team from rural california. 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.
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. Brothers who inspired motion picture mcfarland, usa got out of the. I just always wanted to do the best i could do and let. Catching up with the crosscountry runners of mcfarland, usa disclosure.
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