2.5/4  Lacks pride in its performance
Earnest, but awfully familiar underdog drama with good work by Howard and Mac; keeps the preaching to a minimum, but too many cliches keep it from scoring a bullseye. As always with films of this ilk, based on a true story. Final Grade:... (read full)

5/5 Great movie, especially for those who love to swim...
  by J. Smith
This is a good movie if you like to swim along with those who refuse to let their dreams die. Very seldom do you experience African Americans who love to swim; let alone a movie depicting it. Thank God for people like Jim Ellis and those who are blessed to have learned from him. Kudos to the late great Bernie Mac and Terrence Howard (who made you feel the passion and love Jim Ellis has for the sport). I applaud the actors aquatic skills - very inspiring that they were actually swimming :) Much appreciation also to the director Sunu Gonera, (make sure to listen to his commentary).

5/5 Uplifting Film
  by T. Fernald
PRIDE is a beautiful film that will uplift and inspire those who view it. The acting and editing are both fabulous. It shows the power that is discovered in the disadvantaged and in underdogs when someone believes in them. I highly recommend this DVD.

4/5 Formula Film still kept my attention
  by Mark J. Fowler (Okinawa, Japan)
"Pride" recycles some familiar stereotypes and film clichés to present a dramatization of some of the accomplishments of swimming coach Jim Ellis. If a film fits easily into a formula, it should be well done or at least have something new or important to say. I'll go ahead and admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for the underdog-makes-good sports movie, from "Rocky" to "Glory Road", so in fairness I'll go ahead and admit I'm willing to accept a few cosmetic blemishes in this genre.

Terence Howard gives another excellent performance in the lead. A competitive swimmer in North Carolina in the sixties, Jim Ellis met the inexcusable but expected prejudices. In the opening we see Jim at a meet where competing teams refuse to swim in the same pool as a black man.

Cut to fifteen years later we see that Jim has obtained a math degree and hopes to coach swimming. He applies to prestigious Main Line Academy where Tom Arnold's character tells him in essence that "his type" couldn't coach at the school. Jim goes to the unemployment office where he's given a temporary position wrapping things up at a Philadelphia Department of Recreation center slated for closing.

The Center is dilapidated and you can see why the city would no longer want to fund it. Bernie Mac is good as Elston, the Rec center maintenance man who is just waiting for the ax to fall, then is mad to find out from Ellis - the new guy. Kimberly Elise is good as Sue, the girl-from-the-neighborhood-who-made-good and understands Elston's hurt at the closing of the center. Today a city council-woman, we're told in a scene that she "made it" as a result of the Rec Center. But even Elston admits that no one has actually used the center in months, other than the boys who play pickup games of basketball on the courts outside.

The next part of the movie gives us the set-up: Jim puts a little elbow grease into the center, even though it's closing, including cleaning and filling the swimming pool that looks like it hasn't been used or cleaned for years. Elston gives Jim a hard time. The boys play basketball outside - until workers remove the rim as part of the movement towards closing the center.

Jim finds the boys playing a pickup ragged version of basketball water polo. The boys rag on the guy whose job is working at the rec center where it appears there is no work. Jim offers a suggestion for improving swimming technique to one of the prideful teens. The boy challenges the old man to a race.

Much of the rest of the film can be guessed without much thought, but Howard and Mac carry us along that path in a way that made me feel glad to take the ride. One of the chief shortcomings of the movie is lack of character development. Director Sunu Gonera and (count `em!) four credited writers would have done well to see that this film followed not only the footsteps of sports films like "Glory Road", but also underdog films like "Stand and Deliver."


5/5 We swim, too!!!!
  by Assata A. Knox (Summit, NJ USA)
I loved this movie, because it not only showed us in a positive light (a young, college-educated, African-American man who comes back to his community and ends up affecting change in a way no one would've thought of), but it helped to buck an old stereotype: black folk don't swim. And for a while, we bought into it. However, when I understood what the statistics were saying about the drowning rates among African Americans (particularly African American children), I realized how important it was that I learned how to swim. So I started taking swim lessons where I work; and when I learned that there was to be a movie about the first African American swim team, I was excited. And Terrence Howard and the late, great Bernie Mac gave excellent performances, as well as Kimberly Elise.

4/5 Swim, swim, swim.
  by ADRIENNE MILLER (TENNESSEE)
Pride starring Terrence Howard is based on a true story. Howard plays Jim Ellis who coaches some stubborn but talented teenagers how to swim like pros. This little film has a lot of heart, Howard always gives a flawless performance. Bernie Mac and Kimberly Elise also star. The music in the movie is great as well, set against the backdrop of the turblent 1970's. I highly recommend purchasing this under-rated gem, enjoy!