Resolved: A film can inspire through examples of greatness.

The Great Debaters is the affirmative argument to this question. It is a fictionalized story of the Wiley College debate teams of the 1930s. This small, African-American school in East Texas debated larger African-American schools such as Tuskegee and Howard, but also debated, when possible, white colleges and universities, eventually winning the national championship. While some of the characters (Marvin Tolson, James Farmer, Sr. and James Farmer, Jr.) are real, the others are composites of students who were part of the debate team through the years.

The film shows us the development of the debate team in one year. The main focus is on James Farmer, Jr., who was a fourteen-year old freshman, but the other debaters along with Tolson and the senior Farmer are just as important. Through this year, the debaters are trained in research, in speaking and debate tactics, and most importantly in life. For the young Farmer there is a bit of tension between what he learns from his father (also a member of the faculty at Wiley) and what Tolson is teaching him, both formally and by example.

A film about African-Americans in the 1930s cannot be discussed without reference to the racism that was especially prevalent in the Jim Crow south. We witness the elder Farmer being humiliated in front of his family by white pig farmers. There is a lynching. There are also examples of fighting back against the system. Tolson works to unionize the sharecroppers of the area—both black and white. When Tolson is arrested, it is the elder Farmer who goes to the Sheriff’s office to demand (and achieve) his release. All of this comes into play on the students (especially the younger Farmer) as they develop their debating skills, and more importantly their lives. The heart of the story is that with courage and determination people can overcome the barriers to success that racism presents.

Although set 70 years ago, many of the issues debated still are worth thinking about: welfare, integration, prisons, and—the one they argue against Harvard—civil disobedience as a way to justice. The bits of debates we get to hear may seem to be about a world long gone, but are also matters that many people still face each day.

As the film progresses, the interpersonal issues with team members, faculty, parents and the world at large help to mold these young people. They learn to bring not just their research to the debates, but their passion as well. These lessons paid off well for them in later life. Alumni of the debate team went on to successful careers in various fields. James Farmer, Jr., became one of the founders of the Congress of Racial Equality and is considered among the “Big Four” of the civil rights movement (along with Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young.)

The film models the debate technique. Presenting facts can be illuminating, but also can be overwhelming or even boring. To have an argument truly heard requires the inclusion of passion and personal experience. At times the film seems a bit too prepared. One of the issues the Wiley team has to deal with is that they used canned arguments written by Tolson. Occasionally, the film also shows a bit too much of Denzel Washington’s directing work. It is the passion that gives the film (like a debate) its power. When that part of the characters (and the actors) comes through, it carries the day.