Pride (2007) User Reviews

Akeelah and the Pool

[intelearts · 7/10 · 21 June 2007]

Pride is MUCH better than the 2.6 rating - yes, it does wear its heart firmly on its sleeve, but a turkey it most definitely is not. We loved Akeelah and the Bee last year and would put this in the same sense of journey: the ad campaign and tag line should be:"The waves they created changed their world forever..."

It does what sport movies should do - gives you the training, the sport, the lift. Of course you know the step by step play but that doesn't alter the fact that this is watchable.

I'm afraid I don't get the objections on ground of race - I would imagine being poor, black, and impoverished and the first in my sport in 1974 would be realistically unbelievably tough.

If you like your films to be about values - then is is definitely worth the view.

IMDb voters should be ashamed - this is not the worst film of all time by a long shot - or all our hearts dead?

Ignore the vote - and view with an open heart - we found it decent, inspiring, and all together a satisfying view.

good exposure

[cwesjenn · 5/10 · 24 March 2007]

I am interested to know how involved Coach Ellis was with this film. I am an African-American swimming coach as well; and I am delighted to see Black swimming get this kind of exposure. However, there were some technical aspects of the film relative to the swimming (the order of events, the starter's pistol, the starters command, the coaching instructions) that were not quite accurate.

Also, I thought Cheney State was a historically Black college. How was he the only Black swimmer on the team? I swam on a predominantly Black team during that era. We visited all-white venues. I do not remember any hostility. And we were traveling south of the Philadelphia area. I guess the tension was fictional and for theatrical purposes.

Lastly, the pulling at the heartstrings and tears were a little over the top. I guess the success of Oprah and chick flicks is precipitating this type of genre. I would have appreciated Bernie Mack's humor coming out a little more to balance the crying.

Why Can't People Be Honest Anymore?

[tmartin-15 · 5/10 · 24 March 2007]

I'm giving this movie a 5 out of 10. Sorry to those that think every movie that doesn't win an Oscar deserves less than a 3 on a scale of ten. But seriously, why can't people be honest or think rationally anymore? I don't care how much this movie lacked, whether in acting or script, the feeling that I felt leaving the theater may not have left me in complete satisfaction, but I felt happy and good inside. Is there something wrong with just feeling good now? I understand where the criticism comes from, which is why I don't rate this higher. The script was all over the place; sometimes you didn't know what was going on or why. Tom Arnold was more annoying to watch than anyone else, the fact that Mainline scheduled no-name recreation centers for their opponents sounds unbelievable, Franklin's so called gangster status was unconvincing (not to mention seeing what he did to pool was disgusting), and even Terrence Howard sounded way too corny at times. But COME ON! This isn't a 1.7 out of ten kind of movie. Bernie Mac was hilarious for the first time in a while, the setting and music was very accurate and good, and the swimming scenes were real and believable. People need to think about what they saw before giving movies such bad reviews. It doesn't matter how bad some of the recent movies have been, but there are about 10 movies from the last two years in the bottom 100 movies of all time! WHAT? Be honest. Give some of these movies a chance. And for some of those who are wondering, I'm white, so I'm not "defending by race" either. I think this movie is somewhat worth it, definitely watchable and, although I would not recommend this overly, I think that someone could get a lot out of this movie.

Been there. Done that.

[JohnDeSando · 10 March 2007]

"... marathon swimming is the most difficult physical, intellectual and emotional battleground I have encountered, and each time I win, each time I touch the other shore, I feel worthy of any other challenge life has to offer." Diana Nyad

Pride is a cliché from the first frame to the end. But I can't change the truth on which these stereotypes were built. In 1974 Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard), a former swimmer now janitor, coaches a rag-tag, sand lot group of talented minorities from the Philadelphia Department of Recreation to state-wide championships in swimming by invoking PDR (pride, determination, resilience). Been there, done that in movies. Within the last year, several films were based on true stories told of coaches and players overcoming odds to become winners: Gridiron Gang, Glory Road, Coach Carter, and Invincible come to mind.

The difference from the usual fare is swimming, arguably not a strong sport for minorities. The real difference is Ellis, who slowly gains the trust of the lost young athletes at the local center. Ellis doesn't harangue like Bobby Knight or physically react like Woody Hayes; he just shows them how to swim precisely and focused while he also reinforces their need for education. Along the way, of course, is the hanging-about drug dealer/pimp with his alluring dollars and the nagging but attractive single mom, who reluctantly hooks up with Ellis.

All this usually formulaic film fiction-inspired-by-real events is made palatable by engaging actors and the spirit of this lovable coach, still working to this day, who never gave up on the students. Love and trust—sounds like an effective combo even for nations.

You've seen it all before, but you won't be bored because the truth about hard work and love is romantic and enduring.

Follows the simple familiar formula

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 22 August 2014]

Back in 1964, Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) tried to compete in Salisbury, N Carolina but he's not wanted as the only black competitor. Then it's 1973. All he can get is a job to close down a rec center from the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. He finds bitter maintenance guy Elston (Bernie Mac) and a rundown swimming pool. Sue Davis (Kimberly Elise) is the representative who is reluctantly closing down the unused center. When the city takes down the basketball rims, Jim teaches the kids to swim. It turns out that Sue Davis is the sister and guardian of one of the kids.

It's a simple formulaic sports movie. It adds in a splash of racism, a splash of poverty, and stirs it up in an unconventional black sport. Terrence Howard holds it all together. Bernie Mac could have done some damage with his clowning but it's in small doses. It's heart warming at the appropriate time. Tom Arnold may not have the weight to play the bad guy. However the movie follows the underdog formula and does a good job.

Solid Sports Flick - Terrible Ad Campaign

[reelblack · 7/10 · 23 March 2007]

It's obvious that a lot of people giving PRIDE a "1" are reacting to the trailers and radio ads that make this movie come off as a "black vs. white" thang. In reality, the movie it self is much more nuanced and filled with universal themes. It's been said that the achievement in sport by people of color is responsible more than anything to bring a semblance of equality in America. In sports, it's mathematical. A strike is a strike, a touchdown's a touchdown no matter who throws it. PRIDE is worth supporting because it shines light on a real-life person who used sports to teach young kids there's a bigger world past the playground, and if you develop your talents you won't have to fall back on the race card to catch breaks. Pride is a solid sports flick with strong performances by all that will suffer because of some unimaginative and lazy marketing. If you like Terrence Howard or Bernie Mac or even Kimberly Elise, make this one worth your time. Otherwise, wait for the Mark Gastineau story.

It's been done before

[samde-51795 · 7/10 · 29 September 2020]

The formula for this type of movie has been done before but its enjoyable, especially of you like movie, coach carter style.

Anyhow I wanted to give 6.5 but since there is none I did enjoy it and gave 7

Overall a decent movie.

[brianmarkwart58 · 5/10 · 26 March 2007]

Pride is about an African-American swim coach, Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard), who rebuilds a swimming pool in a Philadelphia Recreation center and starts an all-black swim team. Overall the acting is a average and sometimes corny, but hey that's what happens when you hire Tom Arnold and Bernie Mac to try to be serious actors. Terrence Howard does a pretty good job as Jim Ellis, but he does cry a bit much.

The movie does not provide an accurate portrayal of swimming, however. No team with 5 swimmers can win a state meet as team because 5 people can't accumulate enough points even if they were to win every race they swam in. In a swim meet, there is a limit to how many events one person can swim in. Usually its 2 relays and 2 individual events. You get more points if you win an event but you still get points if you finish in like the top 8. If one swimmer from a school gets 1st place, and two swimmers from another school get 2nd and 3rd, then the school that had the 2nd and 3rd place swimmers, gets more points. A big team with a lot of swimmers will beat a small team, even if the small team has good swimmers, so the idea of PDR's small swim team beating a big swim team is not realistic.

I'm not sure how they did it in the 1970's but I doubt they used a gun to start a race. Also, not once did I see any times announced and that's what swimming is all about. Swimming is mainly an individual sport, with the exception of relays. They just put all the individual's points together from a school and make that team points. You swim to make your times better, and if the movie had times in it, then it would have been more authentic.

I did not live in the 1970's, so I don't know if girls swam against guys, but from my experience with swimming I found the idea that Willie (the black girl swimmer) beating all the guys in butterfly is unrealistic. The idea of a girl beating guys is not totally far-fetched. (Hey I know girls that are faster than me in certain events) But in the movie the last meet is supposed to be a state meet or a national meet or something like that, so the guys there are really fast and no girl, even if she is the fastest girl, can beat the fastest guys.

One part that was completely stupid, was in the 1st meet between Main Line and PDR when the white guy swimmer, kicked Hakim in the face during the 50 yard freestyle. Do you have any idea how difficult that would be? Go and try it. Get in a pool with lanes and tell your buddy to swim in the lane next to you and try and kick him after you do a flip turn. First off, to be able to reach the person next to you, both of you would have to swimming really close to the lane line, and most swimmers, when they are racing swim in the middle to avoid running into the lane lines. The part that makes it really hard is the fact that they did it after a flip turn. (For those of you who aren't swimmers that's when you swim into the wall do a somersault, push off the wall, and go back the other way) After a flip turn you are somewhat disoriented and I don't think you would be able to reach over and kick the guy swimming next to you.

The movie is inspiring, but it could have been a lot better if they had a more experienced director.

I don't agree with anybody.

[m-rugen · 10/10 · 7 February 2008]

The fact that this movie has a 3.7 rating on IMDb is ridiculous. I don't see how somebody could not like this movie. Why is racism in early 70s Philadelphia unbelievable? How are Terrence Howard and Tom Arnold not good in this movie? Terrence Howard as Jim Ellis is one of the most inspirational coaches in any movie I've ever seen. The script is better than some people say and every character is believable-some more than others-but regardless. From the start of the movie all the way to the end I was glued to the TV. Who cares if the movie is "predictable": it's a TRUE story, OF COURSE IT'S PREDICTABLE. Some people are ridiculous. Anybody that gives this movie lower than 7 stars is obviously a complete moron. I'm giving this 10 stars because it damn well deserves it.

Anybody who reads this comments prior to seeing the movie, don't believe a word they say: they're all wrong.

effective despite the clichés

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 1 August 2007]

"Pride" is the latest piece of sentimental uplift set in the movie-spun world of real-life sports.

You know the drill. An idealistic coach takes a ragtag collection of recalcitrant youngsters, and through discipline, hard work, and a litany of inspirational speeches, turns them into a winning team overflowing with character and pride. When the youths have to battle racial prejudice on top of everything else - as in "Remember the Titans" and "Glory Road" - well, that's just additional icing on the feel-good cake.

It would be easy to be cynical about a movie like "Pride." It clearly knows all the right buttons to push as it manipulates the emotions and stacks the decks in ways that could call into question the integrity of its makers. Yet, for all its slavish devotion to the formula, "Pride" works as a movie, thanks, primarily, to the actors who approach their roles with an earnestness and sincerity that bring the concept to life on screen.

Terrence Howard portrays Jim Ellis, a former competitive swimmer, who in 1974 is sent to dismantle a failing rec center run by the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Once there, he meets up with a group of inner city boys whom he teaches to swim, and who, as a team, make the transition from hopeless underdogs to state champions in the course of a single season. Of course, it goes without saying that Ellis has to contend with the initial cockiness and lack of discipline of his own swimmers, but he also has to battle the prejudice of the other all-white teams against whom they compete as well as a local street hoodlum bent on drawing the boys into a life of crime.

Luckily, Howard receives strong support from Bernie Mac, Tom Arnold and a handful of fine young actors who acquit themselves well in the role of the swimmers.

There are times when "Pride" lays it on a little thick, when it seems more interested in tugging at our heartstrings than in telling a completely believable story, but I suspect that most members of the audience will be as awash in goose bumps and tears by the end of the movie as the script itself is in clichés. But then, like it or not, that's the name of the game when it comes to inspirational sports stories these days.

Going through life without a hoop.

[lastliberal · 5/10 · 3 February 2008]

Sometimes a movie is not technically good, but it is still worth watch anyway. I generally find that sports movies fall into that category.

The script and the direction in this film left a lot to be desired, and the actions was not always first rate - largely, I believe, because of the script and direction, but I still felt inspired after watching the film and was pleased at the time spent.

I do like Terrence Howard, and thought him great in both Hustle & Flow and Crash. I wish he has better dialog and direction here, but he did the best he could with what he had to work with and gave us an enjoyable performance.

I am not a big fan of Bernie Mac, but did enjoy his performances in Mr. 3000 and Bad Santa. He was superb here and i thought he gave the best performance of his career.

Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters, John Q) was also enjoyable, and Tom Arnold was a real jerk.

It will touch your heart.

Pride, Determination, Resilience

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 27 June 2007]

PRIDE does not open any new doors in the genre of film biopics of teachers who raise the status of downtrodden students to the point of genuine appreciation of self worth. The story has been told countless times with different characters, both male and female, different races (African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, etc), and different areas of the United States. But despite the recurring similarity of heart-on-the-sleeve stories such as this, PRIDE stands solidly on its own merits, in part due to the well developed and written screenplay by Kevin Michael Smith, Michael Gozzard, J. Mills Goodloe, and Norman Vance Jr. based on the life and contributions to society of Jim Ellis, in part due to the sensitive direction of Sunu Gonera, and in part due to the fine cast. The idea behind the story may not be new, but PRIDE is a fine example of the genre.

Opening in the 1960s we meet Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) as a superior swimmer unable to use his gifts because of his race. Jump 10 years forward and Ellis has finished college as a math major and seeks to teach in Philadelphia, only to face racism again. Desperate for work he accepts a 'closing down' job at a condemned Philadelphia Recreation Center tended by downtrodden Elston (Bernie Mac) who resents Ellis' intrusion into his domain. Ellis restores the center's swimming pool and gradually initiates a swim team for troubled teens, young boys and a girl who are new to swimming and even newer to the thought that they can become someone important and rise out of their slum surroundings and influence of drug lords. With time Ellis teaches the team not only how to swim like champions, but also how to gain faith in themselves through PDR (Pride, Determination, Resilience), eventually winning a championship as a team of African Americans in a city still plagued by racism.

The cast is excellent: Terrence Howard once again proves he can create a character of complete credibility, completely immersing himself in a role with all of the subtle facilities of fine acting; Bernie Mac at last is given a serious role and rises to the level of Howard in skill; Kimberly Elise and Tom Arnold provide fine cameo roles. But one of the treasures of this film is the cast of young actors who seem so natural that they deserve special plaudits: Brandon Fobbs, Alphonso McAuley, Regine Nehy, Nate Parker, Kevin Phillips, and Evan Ross. Clint Eastwood's son Scott Reeves plays a pivotal role as a racist swimmer.

So despite the overexposure of stories such as this, PRIDE stands out as one of the best. It is a beautifully filmed and well-developed homage to a very worthy man and coach: PDR. Grady Harp

Pride

[DJJOEINC · 5/10 · 21 June 2007]

Pride -Charming movie based on the true story of Jim Ellis.Jim Ellis took an ailing rec center in downtown Philly in the 70s and put together a competitive swim team.Terrence Howard plays Jim Ellis - and I will be honest- he is why I watched the movie-Howard is captivating-a mixture of charisma,anger and beguiling charm.This movie is a relentless cliché machine- it hit's every sports movie note that it should- and it manages to work in spite of itself or because Howard elevates the material.Helmed by first time director Sunu Gonera- the movie works because of the authentic South Philly soul soundtrack and an engaging cast of teen actors.I have seen this movie before( I think the underdog sports movie is the male version of the romantic comedy)- or rather several other movies that mix race,sports and coming together to achieve a goal in spite of overwhelming odds.Not my first choice for a rewatching or a rental- but not a terrible choice for family viewing.The DVD has a deleted scene(an awkward scene with Bernie Mac as the chaperone in a seedy motel with the swim teen) and an informative but monotone commentary by the director.The movie was filmed in New Orleans in order to capture the ghetto feel of 70s Philadelphia- and it does- but gives an idea how messed up Nawlins is after Katrina.The movie suffers during the second and third act when conflict seems to be inserted cinematically and manages to deter from the gritty Philly that the filmmaker was trying to capture.Based on a true story this movie succeeds in bringing a lump to my throat during the swim meet scenes and when we see the adverse conditions and retro attitudes of the competing teams.A solid movie for family viewing- although it is hokey and predictable - it is entertaining due to another strong performance by Terrence Howard and a strong supporting cast. C-

Much, much better than its IMDb rating would indicate.

[TxMike · 3 August 2007]

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.

Great movie to start discussion about all prejudices.

[arias-3 · 7/10 · 22 July 2007]

The movie begins with a young talented athlete who is not allowed to compete in a swim meet because he is black. I believe that this was truly the case in 1964. I found myself getting angry about the "authorities" who were a part of the problem.

Move ahead 10 years and that same black man has now completed his education and is ready to make some type of an impact and is turned away, again, partially because he is now and educated BLACK man. He settles on a job of helping to close a Pennsylvania Rec Center and things begin to happen.

Mr. Ellis finds himself caring about a group of young men who spend all their time playing basketball on the outside court of the Rec Center--but not coming into the Center or attending school. Through this man's concern and then coaching a swim team begins to be formed and the movie shows several aspects of the struggle these youth have to face. The main problem is believing that something can be different and they can be a part of it.

As the team begins to take Pride in what they are doing the community begins to take notice and starts to support them. Of course the movie ends with a (spoiler) miracle win. But it is only after they become a TEAM and care about each other.

Loved the movie. I don't understand why it was rated so low--it definitely does NOT deserve the 3.2 or whatever it is. Watch this if you get a chance. Thank You.

racist film hmmmmmmmmmm...

[dontforgetdis · 7/10 · 17 July 2007]

like a lot of people who have commented and wondered why this movie has such a low rating, i can really find a lot of positives from this movie even if you can't relate to it based on colour of your skin, theirs some basic principles i feel we can all benefit from. The acting was OK, no where near Gladiator quality of course, and i understand that some people don't like the way their race was portrayed through out the movie but i don't think that should be a problem, any one remember "Birth of a Nation" scored pretty high on here anyway. Point is this was based around a true story and it briefly YES briefly showed how narrow minded people are, if not then but also now. Don't lie to yourself decent movie.

Janitor comes out of retirement to lead the way

[mikestaley78 · 7/10 · 18 September 2007]

This movie was about a former swimmer (Terrance Howard), who helps instruct some inner city youths how to competitively swim. I know we have all seen this movie before(Remember the titans, Coach Carter, etc.), however this one was above average and enjoyable. I sometimes have problems with these types of movies relying too much of the script on the racial aspect of it, but in this movie I did not have that feeling. There were a few instances of bashing the white man, but it was not overdone and did not take away from the heart of the movie. The big story here is the superb acting of Terrance Howard who really makes this movie with his portrayal of swimming coach Jim Ellis. Yes, the constant tearing up got cheesy, but his heart was in the right place and he did a good job nailing the part. Loved Bernie Mac as always, and the five actors who played the swimmers all did a good job. Tom Arnold is great and we all love him, just not in this role. The role needed to be played by a hard nosed actor who could play an A**hole real well. I was half expecting Tom to start cracking jokes and being fun like he is on the "Best Damn Sports Show Period." He carried the part well, I just was not buying it BECAUSE IT IS TOM ARNOLD!!! My other gripe with this otherwise good movie was the storyline with the neighborhood drug dealer. I find it hard to believe that after Jim Ellis beat this guy and his boys down that nothing else happened with this storyline. Sadly in the real world too many times in a situation like this, the guy will come back for revenge. We all read about this in the news way too often about senseless violence and murders. Other than that, if you are interested in watching a feel good movie with some decent actors, I recommend watching this movie.

Nothing new

[cmto · 1/10 · 27 March 2007]

Yet another White-bashing (using blacks, again) movie - the same movie you've already seen dozens of times rehashed yet again.

What's more to say? Certainly, to say "movies like this are low-rated because they cater to African-Americans" is utterly ludicrous. That some people believe they can put an anti-black spin on an overtly anti-White film shows that they believe they can spin anything.

That said, the fact that it is low-rated proves these films are not popular, so why are they being made? Obviously it can't be for money.

There really is no need for anyone to watch this film. Neither is there any need for films like these to be made anymore. It is repetition. It is propaganda.

9/27 people have the brains to think for themselves. That is heartening.

Racist?

[CarstairsConsiders · 10/10 · 27 March 2007]

I'm surprised by some of the comments here. I'm white, I went to see the movie this weekend, and I thought it was great.

Yes, there are some white characters that treat our heroes horribly. But that rang true for me. This was 1974 Philedelphia, after all. And racism is a horrid part of our past.

But all the characters, even our heroes, are flawed. And there are a couple African American characters who are more evil then any of the white characters are.

Furthermore, the entire point of the movie is that pride is something you have to earn. Before you can be proud of yourself, you have to earn it. This applies to everyone, no matter what your background.

Go see this movie for yourself and make up your own mind. Personally, I found it inspiring and well worth watching.

Does its job, with some good acting

[jimcheva · 6/10 · 24 July 2023]

This is a step away from a Movie of the Week, with little claim to be High Art. But it does what you would expect, and then some. It helps that Howard is one of those actors who suggests integrity, even when his character crosses a line. You're kind of willing to find his character on his journey. Bernie Mac's character is something of a cliché, but Mac himself does an excellent job. Tom Arnold gamely embodies the squeaky clean, basically corporate racist who is one of the main adversaries here; you really WANT this guy to lose. The orchestration of obstacles both external (racism, short-sighted municipal planning) and internal (the players' own attitudes) is no revelation but credible enough. The scene where a woman who has read the protagonist the riot act realizes how real his contribution is beautifully played out. A nice touch is the inclusion of a young woman, showing that not all the prejudices in play are racial. Is it formula? Sure. But well-played and with heart.

Swimfan was a better swimming movie, and that's saying a lot!

[grsmith-5 · 1/10 · 2 April 2007]

To start, I'm not a person to rate movies that I haven't seen, nor am I a person that rates movies 1's when they don't deserve it. This movie was really that bad. The basic plot was extremely formulaic, and while it wasn't great, the plot deserved about a 5. The part that really bothered me was anything referencing swimming in the film. I compiled a short list of things wrong with the swimming aspects of this film.

1. No character development. 2. No sense of time. 3. Completely inaccurate swimming scenes, which include: a. A team of six swimmer going to something called both "Nationals" and "regional" with no mention of how they qualify. b. This same team going to whatever the hell this meet was without swimming a real meet at any point in the film. c. The rival program goes from being a high school to a club team back to a high school and then a club team again. d. In the scene where Ellis is interviewing for a job the banners show high school state wins and placements at nationals, yet the team consists of anywhere from 5 to 12 swimmers depending on which of the 3 meets are happening. e. A team of 5 guys and a girl win nationals/regions whatever. f. Said girl wins a men's 100 butterfly event. g. In this race, said girl beats two guys from a team that the previous year was in the top 3 in the nation. h. The announcer changes a race from the 200 breast to the 100 breast back to the 200 again in the span on about 45 seconds. i. In the final relay, the 4X100, which is being swum in a 50 meter long course pool, one swimmer is seen doing two flip turns. j. In this same relay, the teams anchor swimmer freaks out and steps off the blocks, prompting an inspirational pep talk, which lasts for about two and a half minutes, or about 3 times as long as the leg would take at a national caliber meet. k. The movie begins in the month of July or August, assuming that Ellis was applying before the school year started, and the pool was to be closed in 3 months, so assuming these things both hold true, the swimmers went from not being able to swim to winning nationals/regional whatever, in less than two, as the pool had to be cleaned and the kids didn't start practicing for a while. l. I'm sure there are a couple hundred more, I'm just trying to block them out of my memory. 4. Throughout the film there is not a single mention of a swimmers time. 5. If you're going to have a movie about swimming, it would be a good idea to hire extras that know how to swim well. 6. The scene where the kid is kicked underwater is physically impossible.

That being said, all the swimming scenes were way too slow, swimmers had horrible technique, and the idea of being able to qualify for a national meet within three months of learning to swim is just insulting to swimmers everywhere.

OK, if you still don't believe me, let me say that this movie is one of the 5 worst films i have ever seen, and this is coming from the guy that owns Gigli, Soul Plane, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Skullduggery, and any number of other total piece of crap that have been put on film. Please don't go!

Mr. Ellis the man

[Oxford3018 · 10/10 · 27 June 2007]

This movie was the most inspiring movie that I has seen in a long time and for this man to take time out of his life to be so wonderful with these group of kids makes my heart feel really good. My kids swim for this gentleman and I really loves his techniques and my son also looks up to him as being his second father. I am so blessed that I came to this team. My niece whom also swims for him says that the most inspiring part of the movie was when they said "This is our house coach". In the future I want to see that my children or the other children that he is now coaching be there to see them in the Olympics and to have him right by there side to say that this is my coach who brought me here.

Pride offers a fresh take on a persistent challenge, making it an entertaining watch from start to finish

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 23 March 2024]

I recently watched Pride (2007) on Tubi. The storyline follows a former high school and college swimmer who struggles to find a job in his field. He reluctantly accepts a position in Philadelphia from the government to help close a recreation center. However, when faced with closing the basketball courts, he decides to reopen the recreational pool temporarily and teach kids how to swim. Through this act, he profoundly impacts the lives of the children and transforms the neighborhood.

Directed by Sunu Gonera (known for Riding with Sugar), the film features a stellar cast including Terrence Howard (from Hustle & Flow), Bernie Mac (from Bad Santa), Kimberly Elise (from John Q), Tom Arnold (from True Lies), and Scott Eastwood (from Suicide Squad).

Pride is a well-crafted film with a strong cast, engaging subplots, and the establishment of compelling circumstances and obstacles to overcome. Bernie Mac shines with his usual mannerisms and comedy, providing plenty of memorable moments. While the overarching challenge may not be entirely novel, and Arnold's presence sometimes feels excessive, the swimming dynamic adds a unique and worthwhile dimension to the story. Howard delivers a solid performance as the main character, making him easy to root for. The triumphant ending is uplifting, and the inclusion of shots featuring the real-life individuals from the movie during the credits adds a touching element.

In conclusion, Pride offers a fresh take on a persistent challenge, making it an entertaining watch from start to finish. I would score this film a 6.5-7/10 and strongly recommend it.

poor script relies on its "based on a true story" tag to make you feel instead of giving you characters and situations you can relate to

[dbborroughs · 4/10 · 2 September 2007]

Inspired by a true story tale is full of 1970's feeling but is disjointed in the telling. This is the tale of a black college swimmer who ends up in Phillie at a closing rec center in a bad neighborhood and somehow puts together a swim team. The film staggers around blindly for the first half hour until Terrence Howard, as our hero, gets the kids into the pool.It picks up at that point by becoming somewhat engaging, though it still staggers about. There is a good story in this and its clear why Howard and Bernie Mac took part in it, but the script is poor and most of the direction seems intent on making it feel like 197something instead of making us feel anything for the story.

Not the disaster that some reviews made it out to be, it instead suffers by all of the recent sport true stories-Coach Carter, Invincible, Glory Road, etc, which at least knew that you have to at least work with the story to make a movie as opposed to just letting the audience suffer because "its true".

'Pride' picks up every sports cliché as it pops along.

[moviesfan11 · 24 March 2007]

Pride; Pride focuses on a determined man named Jim Ellis who has felt that, for his entire life, his race has kept him from fulfilling his biggest dream of being successful in swimming. He begins a team for troubled black teens at a local sports club in Philadelphia. His team learns the value of teamwork and commitment as they break racial barriers.

Pride is no different than the other inspirational sports movie "based on a true story" that you've seen 8 times already. Honestly, there isn't one event in this movie that you can't see coming. That said, It still delivers good performances and if you're into this type of movie, you'll probably get what you were looking for.

Pride also suffers from it's lack of constantly-moving pace. You might get a scene where something exciting happens, but then have to endure 4 or 5 scenes of people discussing something exciting that just happened. And it's not an exactly what you want in your movie. 'Pride' is as generic as it's title, but it has some good performances, writing and a soothing message. 2.5 from 4.