White savior sports movies ignore minorities

Arguably some of the most satisfying and heart-wrenching films from recent memory have been about the struggles and triumphs of sports teams. There is something inspiring about watching a group of underdogs start from the bottom and come out on top.

If one considers the real hero in many of these kinds of films, however, then the feel-good sentiment about the victory of a group of unsung heros is not quite as lighthearted as it seems. Though sports dramas try to portray team solidarity as the ultimate reason for success, there is a not-so-secret hidden agenda that most of these films have in common — they employ a well-off, influential middle-aged white male to be the catalyst for the change and eventual accomplishment that these characters experience.

Minority characters are underrepresented in the media, and sports films are no exception. The team players in classic films such as “Cool Runnings” and “Coach Carter” are notable, not for their athletic abilities, but for their negative stereotypes. Though the audience wants them to succeed, it seems that the reason behind that is because the male leader is responsible for softening viewers to these individuals, as though they need to be introduced to people from different backgrounds from a privileged perspective.

It may seem like these realities would be less prevalent today, but unfortunately they still hold true. Just this year Disney released “McFarland USA,” a film that belongs among the ranks of those mentioned above. Coach Jim White transfers to a predominantly Mexican-American high school and coaches the unmotivated track team. Through increasingly intense pep talks before meets and becoming a father figure to most of the young boys in town, White becomes the official hero of not only his small town, but also the viewers. Without his influence, the film would probably not even be possible, and audiences would not be able to see an increase in minority representation that seems to only occur when a character like White is a major part of the storyline.

Sports films featuring a promising and worthy group of individuals should be celebrating the impetus behind their creation, yet there seems to be an incongruous idea of whom that commemoration belongs to.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, April 9 print edition. Email Nora Blake at [email protected]