Whitaker’s Patriots

No, it’s not a film about the all dominating team from New England, instead, what we’ve got here is a movie about Al Collins, basketball coach for John Ehret High in Marrero, La., who led his Patriots to the state championship a year after Katrina ravaged the school and displaced many of its students. Collins’ team consisted of 10 players who attended five different schools before the disaster. Forest Whitaker will of course bring the noise as Al Collins. The film will be directed by Tim Story, whose surprisingly terrible take on FANTASTIC FOUR is only surprising until you realize he got the job after he made TAXI. Fortunately, the film will mark a reunion for Oscar-winner Whitaker and his THE GREAT DEBATERS screenwriter Robert Eisele. I know it’s unlikely, but I would love if this film goes in a direction other than building up to a rousing speech where the Patriots overcome a seemingly impossible obstacle. Unless that direction is for Reed Richards and his pals to quadruple team Dr. Doom, in which case just do the speech thing.