Coming to DVD & Blu-ray June 2, 2015!
Get ready running fans! McFarland USA will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray June, 2. This heart-warming story for runners and non-runners alike, shows that anyone is capable of rising up to a challenge and succeeding.
Blu-ray Review
McFarland USA is based on a true story. Many of the film elements remain true to what Coach White and the cross country team experience. Other moments are embellished or made up, but they do not diminish the heart of the story – which is that hard work, on and off the course, will pay off if you have the determination to finish the race.
Those who watch McFarland USA will develop a greater appreciation for Cross Country running, as well as a deeper understanding of the Mexican culture. All of the runners on the team we depicted has having very little, yet they achieved far more than anyone every expected.
Bonus Material
Included on the Blu-ray was a really neat discussion entitled McFarland Reflections including Kevin Costner, the ‘actual’ Coach Jim White, and the original Cross Country team runners of the 1987 Championship team. They reminisced about their running days, and about how Coach White treated them with dignity and respected their need to work the fields in the mornings. It’s certainly neat to see how each member of the team became something more because they had the encouragement to do so from their Coach and mentor.
The full music video of Juanes performing “Juntos” is included in the bonus material, as well. This is a fun, toe-tapping song all sung in Spanish. It makes me want to buy the soundtrack to McFarland USA.
Deleted scenes can also be viewed on the Blu-ray. Seeing these actually deepens your understanding of some of the living conditions these boys dealt with. The story of Jose wasn’t fully developed in the movie, but through the deleted scenes we learn that his mother passed away, and his father was deported back to Mexico. He was living on his own for 6+ months and Coach White figured out new living arrangements to keep him in McFarland and out of foster care.
Recommended? YES!
While this story follows the typical underdog-to-champion storyline, it’s more than just a sports success story. Values and traditions are revealed. This movie is appropriate for all ages. It is 2 hours in length, therefore smaller children may not be able to sit through the entire movie in one sitting. But everyone will fall in love with the camaraderie of the team we know as McFarland USA.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of McFarland USA on Blu-ray for review purposes only. All opinions expressed are my own. Affiliate links have been provided – and done so of our own volition.
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