by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent
‘Diversity’ is a buzzword that says a lot by saying very little, so it is with McFarland, USA, from Disney, starring Kevin Costner leading a remarkable cast.
When this movie opens wide on Feb. 20, nobody will need to know anything about the buzzwords, other than it is a “huge hit” from Niki Caro (Whale Rider) that will put America’s small San Joaquin Valley farming town on the map of our hearts.
Costner, who showed up for the US Premiere over the weekend, said “I thought it rang so true. I come back to that word, it was ‘true.’ This isn’t a Hollywood ending.”
Kevin Costner says he “enjoyed Whale Rider so much."
“Niki came after me. I was flattered that I was important to her.”
Meanwhile Costner had “turned down many” projects, from action pictures to dramas, you name it.
So why did she, from Wellington, New Zealand on the other side of the world from Hollywood, pick Costner?
“You’d have to ask her those questions, but she looked at the body of my work and knew who Jim White was.”
“And I’m grateful to her.”
The true story he refers to is about a high school track team from 1987 that went on to personal glory in the State Championships against all odds.
So who are the McFarland Cougars, and why was 1987 significant?
The one-liner is: Failed football coach Jim White reinvents himself as a Track Coach, builds a superb core of runner-scholars from the ground up, and rejuvenates a distressed town of farm workers in the process.
Mario Bello (Cheryl White, Morgan Saylor (Julie White), and Elsie Fisher (Jamie White) round out the family unit for Costner’s Coach White.
They are surrounded by a remarkable cast that features non-actors, as Niki Caro did with Whale Rider, as well as a new undeniable star, Carlos Pratts, in the textured role of Thomas Valles, whose plight is the heart of the movie.
Still young enough to play high school age, Pratts has had a quiet career for a decade in Hollywood. He played Gus Ruiz on “The Bridge” TV series, as well as a few movie credits, guest-spots. “Eight auditions later” he landed a starring role in McFarland USA.
“Kevin was signed so, there was a little bit of pressure on myself,” Pratts recalls. “First day on the set was pretty awesome. He made sure everybody was (in it) together.”
Former child actor Hector Duran, now a solid young adult, plays Pratts’ pal, Johnny Sameniego, with non-actor Sergio Avelar, who shines in his turn as a runner because he is actually a local who attended this high school. “I’m actually from McFarland.”
Avelar recounts how it all happened. “I went to the open casting call. A year and a half later Niki Caro gives me a call at my other job - I work with a charity. They work people who have disabilities, like autism. Anyway, she called me up, and asked me to be part of this project. Of course, I jumped up and down! I was a little intimidated, because I didn’t even take a high school drama class.”
Pratts jumps in for him, “Not that he ever needed our help with acting, he’s a natural.”
“He actually ran cross-country at McFarland High. The other guys from McFarland, they are real and genuine. They helped us tremendously, with running. They ran the pride of McFarland into us.”
Kevin Costner puts a twist on this story. Coach Jim White, “he wasn’t even that skilled,” he says, meaning it is all the more remarkable that a man with no real experience in Track and Field managed to put this vision together.
Before you think ‘If you build a track team, they will run,’ Costner notes this movie is in a class by itself, “if it’s told right.”
When he’s told that Carlos, Hector and Sergio said the shoot turned everybody into a family, Costner smiles.
“When you’re somewhere (on location) that long together, you have to depend on each other,” he says.
“You become like a family. And some days aren’t as good as other days. If you’ve invested in who they are as people, you can say ‘are you alright today?’ Even though we had a job to do.”
Meanwhile, the young stars were in awe of the Oscar winning actor/writer/director/producer behind his back.
They had their private ‘I’m in a movie with Kevin Costner’ moments.
“I’d be lying if I said we weren’t,” Pratts jokes. “But, ah, you know, nothing changes at home. You piss off your mother, she still takes out the sandal and throws it at you!”
Hector Duran comes clean with “‘Dances with Wolves’ is like my favorite movie."
"Me and one of my co-stars went back to our hotel room and watched it like three times. I feel like this movie is going to be a huge hit. Especially in the Latino community, because it portrays us in this positive light.”
“And it’s the first cross-country film,” Carlos Pratts points out, “so I think the Cross-Country universe has been waiting a while to see themselves.
Niki Caro has the last word at the US Premiere on Closing Night of the 30th Santa Barbara Film Festival.
“No matter how many studio movies they let me make, I will make them in an independent way.” Then she says, “this is the first time I will have experienced the movie with a big audience.”
Then, she has a surprise before the film starts.
“I want to introduce some very special people from McFarland. Sergio, Michael, also Hector Duran, Carlos Pratts and Johnny Ortiz."
"Come on guys. C'mon! It's like herding cats sometimes," the New Zealand-born director jokes.
With all assembled, Caro says, "I've been waiting to do this."
Kevin Costner appears, the guys go into a huddle with their director Niki Caro.
Hands layered atop one and other like in the movie, they get ready, set...
"Uno, Dos, Tres, McFarland!," they shout in unison.
Costner is lovebombed by his adoring cast members.
This moment is special because it is before the media onslaught happens, before they find themselves household names, before the fame game starts.
All that is left is a victory lap at the box office, on Feb. 20 for McFarland, USA director Niki Caro, and cast members, Kevin Costner ("Coach White"), Carlos Pratts ("Thomas Valles"), Rafael Martinez ("David Diaz"), Michael Aguero ("Damacio Diaz"), Ramiro Rodriguez ("Danny Diaz"), Hector Duran ("Johnny Sameniego"), Johnny Ortiz / ("Jose Cardenas"), Sergio Avelar ("Victor Puentes"). Writers, Bettina Gilois and Christopher Cleveland. All of whom showed their true colors in red, white, and blue for Disney.
For theaters and showtimes near you, check http://movies.disney.com/mcfarland-usa.
(Note: Make sure to catch the end credits for updates on where the McFarland Team of 1987 is now.)
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