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Parents' Guide to

Sprinter

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Heartwarming sports drama has sex, language, and drinking.

Movie NR 2019 114 minutes
Sprinter Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

It's not hard to understand why Akeem Sharp (Dale Elliott) looks up to his brother, Germaine (Kadeem Wilson), in SPRINTER. His mother, Donna (Lorraine Toussaint), left the family in Jamaica 10 years earlier to work in the United States and help support them; she's there for him, but only via Skype. His dad (Dennis Titus), though well-intentioned, is struggling himself. Only Germaine, a former 400-meter track star, is a role model for Akeem. So the teen is angry when his coach (David Alan Grier) forces him to compete in a 200-meter race instead of the 400 he's rather unsuccessfully been prepping for. To Akeem's surprise and delight, he wins the 200 and becomes a phenomenon. Germaine is impressed. Girls are impressed. But the road to the World Youth Games in Los Angeles is far from manageable. Akeem must face the scary truth that his brother isn't what he seems, that his parents have been keeping a secret that devastates him, and that he must grow up in order to make the right choices that will make his own life work.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Sometimes a conventional story can be made special via in-depth characters well played, a rousing spirit, and great rooting interest; this is one of those stories. Underdog athletes are a staple of feel-good sports movies; Storm Saulter makes his hero especially "winning" in Sprinter. Even the pedestrian villain of the piece, a big brother seduced by greed and power, touched by envy, and seemingly unredeemable, has a chance to get in touch with the soul he once had. Saulter and his team (particularly production design and music) bring the unique beauty of Jamaica -- its music, its color, its singular energy -- to the screen as well. Executive-produced by Jada Pinkett and Will Smith, it was a film festival favorite. It's a good movie, satisfying in spite of its predictability.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the value of seeing movies about people from other countries and cultures. Were you familiar with Jamaica before you watched Sprinter? What did you find special or interesting about the island? What do you think kids in your community have in common with the teens you saw at St. Lazarus High School? Differences?

  • The movie states, "No shortcuts, not in track and field, not in life." What does this mean? How does it work in combination with the coach's advice about "mental blinkers"?

  • This movie can be described as predictable. How early in the movie did you know how it would end? Did it make the journey any less enjoyable? Why are predictable movies sometimes deeply satisfying?

  • How did the filmmakers use color and music to set the tone for the film? What did it add to the story? How did it define Akeem's community?

Movie Details

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