McFarland, USA

Based on a true story, McFarland, USA follows Jim White, a track coach who takes a job at a high school in McFarland, a small town in California's Central Valley. Most of the students come from Latino farming families with limited opportunities after graduation, and White initially struggles to connect with them. When he notices how naturally fast the boys are, he decides to build a cross-country team, even though the idea meets with resistance and the runners must balance training against work in the fields and obligations at home. The story is a culture-clash drama in which the coach and his family adjust to life in a town where they are outsiders, while the athletes learn what discipline and belief in themselves can achieve.

Niki Caro directed, with a screenplay by Grant Thompson, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois. It followed her earlier features Whale Rider and North Country and came before The Zookeeper's Wife, Mulan and The Mother, placing it in the middle of her filmography. Kevin Costner plays Jim White, with Maria Bello as his wife Cheryl, Elsie Fisher and Morgan Saylor as their daughters, and Martha Higareda and Vincent Martella among the credited cast of 59.

Released by Walt Disney Pictures with Mayhem Pictures, the film had a budget of about 17 million dollars and took roughly 46 million worldwide, a modest return. On TMDB it holds 7.5 out of 10 from 974 votes, indicating solid approval from viewers. It runs 128 minutes.