Parents' Guide to

The Last Whistle

By Lynnette Nicholas, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Compassion and teamwork beat pride and ego in sports drama.

Movie PG 2019 88 minutes
The Last Whistle Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

kenzee
kenzee Adult
September 28, 2020
age 15+

Classic football movie; ungodly

It's like any other football movie where the coach starts to have a tough time but then gets his life together. Way too many uses of the Lord's name in vain.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE LAST WHISTLE centers on beloved small town high school football Coach Victor Trenton (Brad Leland), who's a father figure to his team -- which is on a winning streak. An "old-school" leader who believes in discipline, team unity, and punctuality, Coach Vick punishes the whole team when one player, Mark Smith (Tyler Perez), deliberately decides to be late to practice because he's upset that team favorite Benny Robinson (Fred Tolliver Jr.) is getting more playing time. As a result of Coach Vick's excruciating drills, Benny collapses during practice -- and doesn't get back up again. The town's perception of Coach Vick begins to change -- but instead of acknowledging the role that his pride and ambition played in the tragedy and allowing the team to grieve properly, Coach Vick tries to push the team to continue their winning streak. Then Benny's mother, Theresa (Deanne Lauvin), presses charges, which finally forces Coach Vick to self-evaluate and come to grips with himself. He must decide whether his reputation and his career are worth his pride.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

While there are obvious budget restraints in effect here, the characters' emotional arcs and the screenwriting by director/writer Rob Smat save the film. Leland, who's been in other sports dramas (including Friday Night Lights), does a good job as Coach Vick, showing that it's never too late to take ownership of your character or personality flaws. As Benny, Tolliver Jr. is both aspirational and endearing, and his role clearly depicts that, for many young men, a "father figure" doesn't necessarily live at home. His respect for Coach Vick is admirable. And as Theresa, Lauvin deftly personifies the role of a strong black mother who loses her only child. Her anger isn't depicted in a stereotypical manner, and her subtle shift toward empathy for Coach Vick at the end of the film could spark great conversations on forgiveness with preteens and young adults.

While Coach Vick centers the film, The Last Whistle would have benefited from more interconnectedness with the other supporting characters and subplots. It would have been nice to see more interaction and scenes with the story's athletes and young adults; Coach Vick's many solo bar scenes get redundant after a while. And the ending is overly abrupt: There's really no closure regarding what will become of Coach Vick's life after he gets past this challenge. But the movie positively highlights Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in young athletes, a serious real-life condition that affects youth in sports including football, soccer, basketball, and more.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Last Whistle depicts sports culture. What are some of the positive effects of participating in a sport? What character strengths does playing sports help develop? What impact does playing sports have on the team's star athlete, Benny Robinson?

  • Are any of the athletes or coaches in the movie role models? What character strengths and actions do they display, if any? What role do guilt and forgiveness play in this movie?

  • How does Coach Vick demonstrate pride? What are some of the positive and negative effects of pride?

  • How does the movie portray drinking? Are there realistic consequences? Why is that important?

Movie Details

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