The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.
Chuck says:
John Leguizamo’s directorial debut tells the story of five young men who had each been dealt a bad hand, all of them destined to work jobs beneath their potential or wind up dead far too young. Based on the life of high school teacher Mario Martinez and his 1998 Miami Jackson High School chess team, the film is a testament to the power of belief and hard work. Yes, it does sound like your typical teacher-inspires-his-students-to-believe-in-themselves programmer, but there’s more at play here than meets the eye. This is a movie for this moment, one that offers hope to the marginalized without pandering to them or offering up insincere platitudes. 3 ½ Stars. Not rated. 108 minutes.
