Analysis

To what extent is the stereotypical representation of black people challenged with particular reference to Coach Carter (2005)

Media Language

•Alot of urban clothing is shown at the start of the movie such as hoodies, baseball caps, baggy clothing etc. Props such as guns are used to canote violence and danger, as well as drug dealing - stereotypical view of a young black adult

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•A number of different camera shots are used throughout the movie, there are a number of long shots used whilst showing the Richmond basketball team, and this has been done in order to present the team as a whole.. Close ups are used in a number of scenes in order to show the facial expressions of the students when they are rude to their basketball coach.

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•The movie is set in Richmond, California, USA

Institution

•MTV

•Domestic –

•Opening Weekend: $24,182,961(2,524 theaters, $9,581 average)% of Total Gross: 36.0%Widest Release: 2,574 theaters

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•Overall Domestic: $67,264,877 87.7%

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•Internationally: $9,404,929 12.3%

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•Worldwide: $76,669,806

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•As shown above, the movie did not do as well internationally as it did domestically.

Genre

•Genre: Drama/Sport

•Coach Carter is not no ordinary movie with a message but it is a movie based on a passionate basketball coach who locks up their school gym and cancels matches as the team do not perform academically. It consists of skilful basketball matches and a turn of events that you wouldn't see in any usual sport movie.

Representation

•Black people are first represented as promoting anti-social behaviour, one of the ways in which this is shown in the movie is through drug dealing, violence and with use of props such as guns. Anti-social behaviour is also shown when one of the students shows attitude to the coach and tries to hit him in the face but the coach grabs him and pushes him into the wall.

•Throughout the movie, the representations of black males is challenged as the students begin to focus on their school work and they stop the violence and crime due to the guidance of the coach.

Audience

•Teenagers – sends a message to teenagers which is stay out of trouble and show commitment towards school work before any hobbies.

•Adults – kind of creates a moral panic that the students of today are not focusing in school academically as they are too busy doing something else.

•Sports/basketball fans – movie is aimed at fans as they may be interested in basketball and might want to see the matches played and the tricks of the game.

•MTV generation – a lot of urban clothing and urban slang used such as the “N” word therefore this may interest the urban MTV crowd

Ideology

Men are shown as the match winners as they are playing and winning the basketball matches where as the women are shown as cheerleaders who support the men, therefore this film could promote patriarchal values.

Narrative

•Coach Carter doesn’t follow Propps theory of character roles as there is no real villain in the movie, however, Coach Carter could be argued to be the hero of the movie as he is the one who leads the team through the season and improves their academic skills.

Social

Raises a moral panic - Alerts society that students go to school to learn. if academic results are not good enough, then other activities should be banned.

Historical

•Black youths have been known to be abusive and violent in the past and this movie challenges this stereotype as the students who start off as following the negative black stereotype later challenge it.