Trailer Blogger

Click to watch the Pride trailer at Zuguide.com

In honor of US swimmer Michael Phelps’ historic run of eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, I thought I’d seek out one of the few movies to feature the sport of swimming as its primary focus. In Pride, Terrance Howard makes the unlikely transition from a rapping pimp from Memphis (Hustle & Flow) to a community center swimming coach in inner city Philadelphia. Howard is tasked with teaching an undisciplined group of black high schoolers to swim and believe in themselves, despite having to face off against all-white teams with much more experience. If Michael Phelps was in the film, he probably would have been on one of the all-white teams (unless he decided to pull a Robert Downey Jr. and risk all of his endorsements), but I like think he would have been a good sport and offered his rivals some words of encouragement.

The Pride trailer begins with Howard interviewing at an employment office. After accepting the only job they have available, Howard heads to a local community center, where he approaches some kids who have lost their basketball privileges and offers to let them swim. After a few rough patches, including being made fun of for his skimpy swimsuit, Howard wins the boys over and begins to mold them into a swim team. Acting as Howard’s assistant and the film’s comic relief is the recently deceased Bernie Mac. Together, they instill the team with a sense of purpose and teach them the value of self respect. My favorite part of the trailer is when Bernie Mac says that he swims naked and doesn’t want to embarrass anyone by getting in the pool. Pride opened March 23, 2007. Check out the Pride trailer at Zuguide.com.