The Great Debaters

Based on a true story, this powerful drama tells the tale of Melvin B. Tolson, a brilliant but radical debate coach who transforms a group of underdog African-American college students into a historical debating powerhouse that takes on the Harvard elite in 1930s Texas. The film explores racial social issues in the American South during the Great Depression, from daily insults to the risk of lynchings, and follows the team's journey as they ultimately defeat the University of Southern California, which was once the reigning debating champion.