| | | Inspired by True Events.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, English, Subtitled, Spanish, Dolby Digital (5.1)
The year is 1973, and Jim Ellis (Academy Award Nominee Terrence Howard), a college-educated African-American, can't find a job. Driven by his love of competitive swimming, Jim converts an abandoned recreational pool in a Philadelphia slum with the help of Elston (Bernie Mac), a local janitor. But when city officials mark the Philadelphia Department of Recreation for demolition, Jim fights back - by starting the city's first African-American swim team. Recruiting troubled teens from the streets, Jim struggles to transform a motley team of novices into capable swimmers - all in time for the upcoming state championships. But as racism, violence and an unsympathetic city official threaten to tear the team apart, Jim must do everything he can to convince his swimmers that victory, both in and out of the pool, is within their reach...
"A measured, magnificently understated and intense performance by [Howard]..." Connie Ogle, Miami Herald
"...as reassuringly uplifting as its predecessors, but the African-American and aquatic elements set it pleasantly apart." Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
"Howard, playing an inspirational and resourceful man up against long odds, really is an inspiration." Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"...a formula picture of genuine feeling." Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"As exasperating as it is conventionally satisfying." Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Editor's Note
Based on a true-life story set in 1970s Philadelphia, PRIDE follows determined swimming coach Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) as he as struggles to gain recognition and respect for his African-American team. Operating out of a recreational center in a rough part of Philly, Ellis's loose-knit group of teens face difficulties dealing with both criminal and racial issues, making it that much harder to keep them focused on swimming. When Ellis gets a chance to take on the swim team of a school that rejected him for a job, he sees a great opportunity for his kids to show their true mettle.Helmed by first-time feature-film director Sunu Gonera, PRIDE, like 2006's football-themed INVINCIBLE, is steeped in the look of ?70s Philadelphia, but that aspect never seems forced, allowing the poignant story to shine through, thanks, in large part, to Howard's thoughtful, no-frills performance. While Bernie Mac is on hand to lend support, the comedian (and his considerable sideburns) never steals the show, and only enhances the movie's uplifting vibe, which is boosted further by an excellent Philly-soul soundtrack that prominently features the O'Jays. Although PRIDE isn't out to reinvent the sports-drama wheel, its attention to factual detail and its amiable, straightforward aesthetic make it an exemplary offering in the genre.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Stereo | | Deleted & Extended Scenes | | Director's Audio Commentary | | Interactive Menus | | Music Montages | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Lions Gate |
| Release Date: 9/9/2008 |
| Running Time: 109 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 21540 | | UPC: 00031398215400 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Bernie Mac | | Kimberly Elise | | Terrence Howard | | Tom Arnold | | Aaron Zigman - Original Music By | | Adam Rosenfelt - Producer | | Billy Fox - Editor | | Kevin Michael Smith, et. al. - Writer | | Matthew F. Leonetti - Cinematographer | | Monroe Kelly - Art Director | | Steve Saklad - Production Designer | | Sunu Gonera - Director | | Terrence Howard - Executive Producer |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"Howard, once again, commands through quiet, summoning the gentle music of a man who is literally trying to find his power as he speaks." -- Grade: B 03/30/2007 p.52ReelViews 6 of 10
Pride is one of those generic inspirational sports movies that has been cobbled together from spare parts left to rust on Hollywood's shelf of cliches and stereotypes. Take a little '70s racism, add the guidance of a strong coach, throw in minor subplots about the players, and stir. Yet, despite the stale odor of the broth, lack of originality isn't Pride's stumbling point - it's that the familiar story is not well presented. The manipulation is clumsy and obvious and none of the characters attains a semblance of three-dimensionality. Even a solid performance by Terrence Howard can't keep Coach Jim Ellis from seeming like a shadow of the many more interesting men in whose footsteps he treads...This is the feature debut for director Sunu Gonera but, despite his obvious good intentions, it's not a positive way to start a career. - James Berardinelli
Reel.com 7 of 10
All the usual buttons get pushed, often repeatedly, in Pride, yet another fact-based, sports-themed inspirational story that's frequently rousing, despite its rather pedestrian execution and all too formulaic narrative. That first-time director Sunu Gonera seems more interested in recreating the look and sound of '70s-era inner-city Philadelphia than fully developing his characters undermines what could have been a compelling film with real emotional grit, instead of simply a conventional story of "underdogs" overcoming the odds...Still, there's Howard, a magnetic actor holding the screen with his piercing gaze and his honesty. Thanks largely to him and to the dynamic supporting cast headed by Mac and Elise, Pride pays fitting tribute to Ellis, who continues to inspire inner-city kids to strive for excellence, both in and out of the pool. - Tim Knight
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