This from EW.com:
Recent Oscar nominee Terrence Howard has two new roles in his future: In the first, he'll star in PDR (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) a movie about real-life inner-city swim coach Jim Ellis.
I know Jim. Great guy. Besides the fact that he had two (or three) black swimmers go to Olympic trials, I'm not real sure what makes this a feature film. It's not like his story is anywhere near "Glory Road." If Michael Norment had made the '96 Olympic team, that would have been something. But maybe it's precisely because Jim got more than one black swimmer to the 1996 Trials that gets the green light.
Why aren't they doing a movie about my age-group coach, who ran an all-black swim team for many, many, many years. Even though I was the only one in his group to do anything swimming-wise, my coach (Mr. Taylor we called him, never by his first name) had polio and had lots and lots of respect in St. Louis, where there are lots of blacks, but was only one black swim team.
Anyway. Terrence Howard would have to bulk up for the role. Jim is (or was about 10 years ago when I saw him last) a bulky guy. Terrence looks a little too slim.
All I hope is that they use real swimmers from PDR, and not actors who think they know how to swim.
Originally posted by Jeff Commings
If Michael Norment had made the '96 Olympic team, that would have been something.
Right, but then we'd be seeing the Michael Norment movie, not one about Jim Ellis!
Good point about using real swimmers in the swimming scenes. Even if the movie is great, having actors try to swim would ruin it for all of us :)
I've heard a little about PDR and expect there could be a good movie from it if they do it right. Of course if they do make a good movie about swimming it will be the first,at least since "Million Dollar Mermaid". If they get real swimmers that will also be nearly a first. The last good swimmer I remember was the young woman who played "Chrissie" in "Jaws" and that didn't end well for her.
When I first moved to DC after college, I volunteered at the capital hill natatorium tecahing kids to swim. the guy who started the program was one of three black coaches onthe east cost. I think that he might have swam at Tuskeegee. We used to have a black meet. It was weird because none of the parents had any swimming background, and many of the girls didn't want to get their hair wet. the team from Philly always won the meet. I'm not sure i fthis is still going on or not. The UDC physical ed. depart. also tried to do a lot with getting balcks into sports that black kids don't normally get involved in.
I think it's a great idea that they are making a movie like this. It sounds like Mr. Taylor would have been an excellent person to make a movie about. My best guess for why Jim Ellis was selected is based on the fact that he had 3 Olympic Trial Qualifiers in 1996 (as you mentioned)....and hence more people may have heard of him on a National level than say Mr. Taylor?.....I can't say for sure though b/c I don't know anything about either of thes guys....You mentioned that Mr. Taylor was very well known in swimming circles in the St. Louis area.....but how bout outside the St. Louis area? I think the fact that he had polio and was still able to be so successful is also a very interesting story.
Newmastersswimmer
Great coaches - I know of many great coaches who have never had a swimmer go to the Olympics. I think the whole Olmypic thing is out of context.
I believe that they should not allow professionals to go to the Olympics and there should be limits placed on their time in water, don't let me go on.
Now its a coach sees a good swimmer and steals him from his coach, or the swimmer searching for swim garu and leaves his club.
I think their should be movies made about guys like Jim Ellis and about the little "Y" coach I know who works in Alabama.
