McFarland USA is one of the most inspirational movies of the year. Based on real life events in the life of Coach White and the boys who raced for him at McFarland High School, this movie is uplifting, moving, and filled with the excitement of any underdog sports movie in the veins of such greats as Miracle and Million Dollar Arm. If you missed it when it first came out, you have the chance to see it again in the comfort of your own home. McFarland USA comes to BluRay and DVD on June 2nd.
- Read the full review of McFarland USA right here on the Disney Nerds blog.
One of the best parts about getting the BluRay/DVD of a great movie are all the bonus features that come along with it and this one is no different. “McFarland Reflections” is an introspective into the lives that formed the basis of the movie with Kevin Costner, Jim White, and the runners from the 1987 team. There is a sweet feature called “Inspiring McFarland” and the music video by Juanes called “Junto.” But the best feature is the deleted / extended scenes. Most BluRay/DVD have them, but the ones shown on this disc add some real depth and flavor to the characters and certain scenes in the movie. It is a must have for fans of the film and for first time viewers it will be a welcome bonus. One thing that would have made this release even better would have been the inclusion of commentary either for the movie or the deleted scenes or both. It’s always fascinating to hear about how certain aspects of a film made the cut or didn’t and why. Nonetheless, this is a great addition to your collection of family and/or sports films.
- Read Kevin Costner’s take on McFarland USA from our coverage of the press conference
While I won’t give away all the deleted/extended scenes or what happens in them (after all you should see it for yourself), here are a few highlights you missed in the movie.
- Jim and Jenks – In the scene between Jim, Coach Jenks, and Principal Camillo there’s a reference to an “altercation” which is only partially shown in the movie. The full details of what happens between the two after the game is shown in the deleted scenes.
- Victor Puentes – In the first run, Victor quits the team but is suddenly back on without any real explanation of why or what happened. In this cut scene from the movie, we see more of Victor’s life and how he ends up back with the rest of the boys.
- Jose Cardenas – Jose’s character isn’t fully explored in the movie, but in the deleted scenes, he has a really interesting background. We also see how Coach White comes to fully appreciate the boys in scenes like this which fleshes out his relationship with each of them.
Be sure to pick up McFarland USA on June 2nd when it’s released on both BluRay and DVD!
Disney Nerds 