Coach Carter…My Views & Reviews

Keyed here r my thoughts after seeing a particular movie…Suffering from a short attention span & hyperactive imagination…don’t be surprised to see my views jumping all over the globe…But I guess who ever is reading this is either used to that by now or would get used to it….for the rest of them I really don’t care!

I went into Planet M to pick up some koooooool sufi music & me being a ‘shop-o-holic’ was soon drawn to the dvd & vcd section, wherein I chanced upon a movie called ‘Coach Carter’….& then like lightening it struck me….that a very dear though weird friend of mine[like most of my friends] had asked me to watch it at least 3 times…so how could I not pick it up[enough reason to splurge].

…All curled up in bed that night, with enough of goodies to nibble on, I switched on my television to watch this much acclaimed movie….& to be sure it was worth every penny & much more.

An awesome movie about overcoming fears, realizing dreams & more importantly love & respect for one’s self. It is a movie about coming to terms with one’s self….& yes, it is also a movie about team work & team spirit…but that is something secondary for me, b’coz when u r honest with ur self & when u learn to respect ur self…the same is automatically passed on to others…& teams thus formed are naturally invincible. So team spirit is just an additional perk of knowing ones self & doing what u believe in whole heartedly.

Two scenes in the movie really moved me:
(i) when the lock out is voted out by the school board & yet the students continue the lock out at a personal level & when one student stands up & tells Coach Carter that what he fears most is not failure but the power & light within himself….that scene ripped me apart...it was simply Brilliant !
(ii) the last scene in the movie when the team loses the state championship & are in the locker room…The sheer joy & pride the team takes in belonging to Richmond & the exuberance on their faces when they shout the name over & over & over again…is something we don’t see these days. Infact it is something I haven’t seen in a long, long time.

The pride that we have for our home town & country is long gone….

…I enjoy working with students more than with ppl in the corporate sector, primarily b’coz I have never really grown up[infact I have regressed…I should give some of the credit here to my friends]…but the point here is every second student that I talk to wants to go abroad for his higher studies…OR wants a job in an MNC so that he can go abroad for his training OR wants to go abroad on deputation OR go abroad in search of better opportunities …Basically everyone is trying to run away from home or from themselves or run away from something or the other. What they don’t realize is …if u r brilliant, u will shine Anywhere…u don’t have to go outside for fame & recognition, it will come automatically to u.

Most people forget that when they go abroad, they have to work doubly hard to sustain & prove themselves at every level…b’coz their families r not their to provide for them, the luxuries of home r no longer available, ur closet friends are leagues away…So who do u think these people would call in the middle of the night when they have a problem or when they need to hang out with someone….Any Guesses…..Strangers from their home land & in some strange way they are no longer strangers…they become extended family…Isn’t it?

…Let me rephrase that…What is the first thing most Indians do when they go abroad…Find other Indians who are already there…befriend them…Y?...B’coz it gives them a sense of security….Finding ‘Home Away from home’ !

We slog day & night in another land, away from home & pay higher taxes…but we don’t mind…Y?....is it b’coz we get the tag of ‘foreign returned’ when we get back home & that makes it worth the while. Then, aren’t we at some level working out of fear & insecurity … & is it a Healthy way? … I really don’t know.

…Just imagine if we had to work just as hard back home…we would undoubtedly be one of the wealthiest people in the country, would be more powerful & influential, plus we would be paying far lesser taxes & would be pampered & spoilt thoroughly by our family & friends [what more can one ask for...I wonder]. In addition, we would be able to travel around the world for our holidays every few months….but sadly, most people abroad come home for their holidays for just a month or so & go back to slogging the rest of the year in another’s land. [Who comes home on a holiday?……I always thought u go outside on a holiday....well as usual I guess I am wrong].

Y aren’t we at peace with what we have at home? What is it that we are searching for….when everything we ever wanted is right in front of us at home….Maybe, it’s the circle of life to wander around and then come back home finally…….But, my worry is, What if it is too late? Or worse still…have we gone to the ‘Point Of No Return’!

The Movie Coach Carter…talks about returning to ones self…it talks about being proud of who u r & reaching for the stars ….Though u may not reach the stars u will still get the taste of being high ..up above the world…. This is where I beg to differ…. “I no longer want to reach for the stars…I want the stars to reach down to Me!”