From the Rough (2013)

I was able to see this movie on Netflix streaming movies. It is based on a real person, and a real university in Nashville. But as the end credits state many situations in this movie are fictionalized and many characters are composites of more than one person.For example, in the movie when she starts a golf team in the 1980s she cannot find but one local golfer, so she goes to the phones and recruited internationally, getting players from all over the world. But here is what she says about her first season, " My first golf team consisted of two injured football players, two other guys and one girl who was permitted to play with us. I started out with that and they were all African-Americans. It continued on and then I started getting other interested players from other ethnic groups. Eventually, it evolved into having some international students."So in the movie they lump all that into one season, including the eventual national tournament win in 2005, her last year of coaching.None of that is to knock the movie, just to point out that it isn't really a documentary, rather it is a dramatization of her impact as a trailblazing coach, a female coach of a men's golf team.The lead is played by one my personal favorites, Taraji P. Henson (of 'Person of Interest') as Dr Catana Starks, and golf coach. Now deceased Michael Clarke Duncan has a good role as a janitor that helps Sparks get the attention the program needed. And Henry Simmons is Kendrick Paulsen Jr., the wealthy former athlete who is now athletic director and gives Starks a hard time, threatening to fire her.The golf is all amateurish, but it is there to tell a story. It was mostly filmed in and around the New Orleans area, including Dillard University and several golf courses. Good movie.

"We are all, all of us, including me somebody else's table scraps." Tennessee State University is having a problem with their sports programs. In order to save money they decide to drop the baseball team and add two smaller programs. One of the new programs they add is a men's golf team. The biggest problem they have is that no one wants to coach. The AD recruits swim team coach Catana Starks (Henson) since she has experience playing. She is very excited at the opportunity but when she is told she will receive no scholarships, funding or any help at all she decides to make her own rules. I love sports movies and especially the true ones like this. Like many sports movies this one focuses on the personal stories rather then the sport itself. That's what makes them so great. Unlike other sports movies though this one has a huge focus on the coach's life rather then how she helps the team come together. There are a few cheesy parts in this but for the most part the movie is very inspiring. There really isn't a big motivational speech like many sports movies have but what it does have are little lines that have the same power and inspiration as the long speeches usually given. The characters are great and are really likable. I really did enjoy this and I recommend this but it is not at the same level as Remember The Titans or movies like that. Overall, a very good and inspiring true story that I recommend. Even though there are a few cheesy parts it never comes off as being overly cheesy and laughable. I give this a B+.

Taraji P Henson scores a hole in one with this fantastic movie!! The way she portrays Coach Starks is totally believable. The film tells the inspiring story of how Coach Starks pulled together a team of misfits and changed their lives for the better. It shows that people working together can accomplish great things, and it shows what one extraordinary person can do with lots of patience, perseverance, and hard work.Justin Chon was amazing as a 'bad-ass' Korean teenager who is not comfortable with his straight laced father, but eventually he comes to terms with himself. Tom Felton is another character who grows throughout the film. Coach Starks has a positive effect on everyone she touches.Her life does not appear to have been easy, but she makes the most of what she has. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it that much more refreshing.

Based on a true-life story, From the Rough is both entertaining and inspirational. If you like sports movies such as Hoosiers, Miracle, and Remember the Titans, you are probably going to like this one also. The screenplay is excellent, the cast is first-rate, and the production values are superb.The team comes together and overcomes long odds to compete in men's college golf against well-entrenched and better-financed programs. You don't have to be a golfer to follow the action and to appreciate the techniques used by Coach Starks to forge the winning formula. I recommend this to movie goers of all ages. Don't let the lack of a large marketing budget fool you; this movie is a hidden gem that you should make a special point to see.