The Great Debaters

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Inspired by a true story, Washington shines as a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African American college students into an historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite.

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Released:	Dec 25th, 2007
Budget:	N/A
Revenue:	N/A

The Great Debaters Main Cast

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Denzel Washington
plays Melvin B. Tolson

Nate Parker
plays Henry Lowe

Jurnee Smollett
plays Samantha Booke

Denzel Whitaker
plays James Farmer Jr.

Jermaine Williams
plays Hamilton Burgess

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Movie Trivia/Goofs

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Movie Goof (factual errors): In 1935, Marshall, Texas, was major rail center, not a one-track whistle stop.
Movie Goof (anachronisms): When Prof. Tolson lectures his students about the origin of the word "lynching," he refers to the Willie Lynch Letter or Willie Lynch Speech, which are generally considered modern-day hoaxes. There is no historical or archival record of either before the 1990s, when they first appeared on the Internet. No 1930s professor could have cited them.
Movie Goof (anachronisms): In the final debate against Harvard, James Farmer Jr. goes to the hot seat and clicks a ballpoint pen closed. The movie is set in 1935; the ballpoint pen was patented in 1938.
On December 19, 2007, Denzel Washington announced a $1 million dollar donation to Wiley College so they could re-establish their debate team.

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