McFARLAND, USA closed out the 30th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 8, 2015, complete with red carpet and an enthusiastic hometown crowd. The film’s star, Kevin Costner, together with director Niki Caro and the young men who co-star and who play the McFarland High School runners, were on hand for the festivities.
Based on the 1987 true story, McFARLAND, USA follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.
For Costner, McFARLAND, USA speaks to his very roots. “I lived up in Visalia. I actually played McFarland in high school. We drive on our freeways, on our highways, and especially in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, and Camarillo. We see people out in those fields. We see it every day.”
Disney’s “McFarland, USA” stars Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz, Carlos Pratts, Ramiro Rodriguez, Danny Mora, Valente Rodriguez, Vanessa Martinez, Chris Ellis and Diana Maria Riva, and is directed by Niki Caro with screenplay by Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson, and story by Cleveland & Gilois. Gordon Gray and Mark Ciardi are producing, with Mario Iscovich and Mary Martin serving as executive producers.
“McFarland, USA” sprints into theatres February 20, 2015.
