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.
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Former Member
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
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
