For me, sports movies have always filled a void that the real thing has never been able to do. Sitting through a baseball game for hours on end is one of the most torturous ordeals I can imagine, but condense a season's worth of action into 90 minutes and apply a narrative to it, and I'm good to go. Still, the thrill of the sport can be drowned out, should a film depend too often on the genre's bountiful tropes -- a case that sadly befalls Disney's well-intentioned drama, McFarland, USA. The movie has an upwards battle on its hands as is, in trying to turn cross country running into a visually-exhilarating experience, but its earnest lessons about the merits of cultural understanding are nearly done in by their ho-hum delivery. While it seeks only to leave viewers with the warm and fuzzies, watching McFarland, USA becomes as exhausting a trial as hoofing a half marathon.

Flying the ever-popular "based on a true story" banner overhead, our tale focuses upon one Jim White (Kevin Costner). A practitioner of tough love and wellspring of no-nonsense advice, Jim and his crusty personality have put him at odds with many a student during a career of coaching high school athletics. One such incident results in his firing from a job in Idaho and forces him to relocate his family to McFarland, a poor California community whose population consists mainly of migrant workers. Getting through to the apathetic pupils in his charge appears daunting at first glance, but upon realizing what little hope they have in a brighter future, Jim decides to give them something to dream about. Having witnessed firsthand the stamina of local kids such as Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and Damacio Diaz (Michael Aguero), Coach White convinces enough of them to form a cross country racing team. Day by day, Jim whips his boys into shape and helps them start to believe in themselves, while they end up teaching him that not all is as it seems with their world.

Because McFarland, USA is so shackled to routine, any positive accomplishments it does yield almost go by unnoticed. To start, this is one gorgeously-filmed production; everything comes bathed in a golden sheen that brings out the beauty even in the titular town's most rundown areas. Director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) could've just as easily let viewers wallow in oppressive squalor, but she keeps the prospect of hope within managable reach. Nothing about what we see comes off as especially exaggerated, with Caro assuring both the audience and the characters that as hard as times might seem, it's never too late to change things. To see a flick of this kind not demonize the school staff for once is also refreshing; often depicted as having since given up on the kids in their care, the teachers here actively encourage them to do what boosts their confidence -- a welcome development. McFarland, USA does end with the requisite "big game" (or "big meet," in this case), but it isn't the be all, end all the story is leading towards. Of greater concern to the plot is making sure Jim instills his runners with the appropriate drive to succeed, while he slowly gets nudged out of his cultural comfort zone. However, this is where the film fails to clear its greatest hurdle, as it tells us characters have learned from their experiences but doesn't pony up very much evidence of them doing so.

For a film that promotes going the distance, McFarland, USA takes shortcuts to get that message across. Even though it wraps up past the two-hour mark, it feels like the film shorted us on chunks of background info that would've given key dramatic scenes their intended weight. We're told that Jim's notorious temper has gotten him bumped from one school after the other, but one minor scuffle at the very start is all we see of his supposed anger at work. Though the man certainly has a gruff disposition, it's never close to becoming a problem, nor does he seem to undergo any journey to confront it. His boys are in the same boat, with the featured kids receiving a cliched subplot (family drama, body image issues, etc.) that ends up dropped in a flash, while the most development the remaining runners get is a "where are they now" card at the end. Basically no character leaves a meaningful impact, for either too little time is spent with them or they come off as too one-note (Maria Bello is absolutely wasted as Jim's wife) to seem like real people. The quality of the acting helps a little bit (all of the runners are fine, and Costner gives an authoritative performance), but it isn't enough to give these roles the dimension they crave.

I can see many giving McFarland, USA a pass by virtue of it being "nice." The film means each of the morals it wants to convey, and there isn't any terribly offensive content afoot, but by not ruffling any feathers the movie doesn't have a snowball's chance of leaving a distinct impression upon viewers. As pretty and optimistic as it is, McFarland, USA konks out far from its finish line.
 
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

-McFarland Reflections, a featurette with the real-life subjects of the film talking about their original experiences.

-A music video for "Juntos (Together)," a song performed by the musician Juanes.

-Inspiring McFarland, a brief featurette with the film's cast discussing the story's inspirational qualities.

-A selection of deleted and extended scenes.

(Released by Walt Disney Pictures and rated “PG” for thematic material, some violence and language.)