Movies like The Great Debaters

If you like "The Great Debaters" you are looking for inspirational, realistic and touching movies about / with racism, teacher, debate, mentor, african american, college and professor themes of Biography, Drama and Romance genre shot in USA.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
The Great Debaters (2007)
 7.5
 60K
The Great Debaters (2007)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: The true story of a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African American college students into an historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite.
Style: inspirational, realistic, touching, political, feel good, emotional, entertaining, motivational, sentimental, sincere ...
Plot: racism, teacher, debate, mentor, african american, college, professor, black american, segregation, contests and competitions, prejudice, labor union, education, society, confrontation, opponent, racial segregation, teachers and students, discrimination, rivalry, responsibility, ambition, school, courage, teacher student relationship ...
Time: 1930s, 20th century, 30s
Place: texas, africa, california, oklahoma, new york, usa, harlem ...

Movie in categories

Most similar movies to The Great Debaters

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out dramatic, serious, inspirational and realistic films with plots about destiny, catastrophe, mentor, runaway, storytelling, friendship and culture clash mostly in Drama, Biography and Sport genres. Some movies like The Great Debaters: Freedom Writers (2007), October Sky (1999), Hidden Figures (2016), Remember the Titans (2000), 42 (2013). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Freedom Writers (2007)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.
Style: inspirational, touching, sentimental, rough, feel good ...
Audience: teens, kids, chick flick, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: high school, teacher, dedicated educator, teachers and students, racism, lifestyle change, teenage life, holocaust, mentor, school, teenager, idealism ...
Time: 1930s, 20th century, year 1993, year 1992, year 2006 ...
Place: california, los angeles, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.8
 94K
October Sky (1999)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.
Style: inspirational, touching, realistic, sentimental, emotional ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, date night
Plot: small town, friendship, teacher, follow your dream, mathematics, against the odds, generation gap, teenage life, life philosophy, space program, scientist, dedicated educator ...
Time: 50s, future, 20th century, year 1957
Place: west virginia, usa, appalachia, new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.8
 237K
Hidden Figures (2016)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story: The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into ...
Style: inspirational, motivational, sincere, touching, factual ...
Audience: girls' night, kids, teens, chick flick
Plot: racism, mathematics, nasa, prejudice, african american, space program, stereotypes, scientist, sexism, discrimination, strong female character, african american woman ...
Time: 60s, year 1961, 50s, year 1962, 20th century
Place: langley virginia, virginia, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
80%
Remember the Titans (2000)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story: After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a ...
Style: inspirational, sentimental, touching, feel good, emotional ...
Audience: kids, teens, chick flick, family outing, girls' night ...
Plot: racism, african american, sport, high school, american football, racial tension, civil rights, racial prejudice, prejudice, racial slur, friendship, coach ...
Time: 70s, 20th century
Place: virginia, africa, new jersey, california, usa ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
1930s movies
1410
realistic movies
28805
touching movies
10722
 7.5
 98K
42 (2013)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: The powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he joined the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The film follows the innovative Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey, the ...
Style: sentimental, inspirational, emotional, factual, touching ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: racism, baseball, sport, against the odds, rivalry, african american, athlete and trainer, americana, rise to the top, human spirit, hopes, civil rights ...
Time: 1940s, 70s, 1930s, 20th century, year 1948 ...
Place: boston, new jersey, california, africa, new york ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.2
 7K
Pride (2007)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story: In this uplifting film based on a true story, coach Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) shocks the community and changes lives when, aided by a local janitor (Bernie Mac), he sets out to form Philadelphia's first black swim team. But the odds are ...
Style: inspirational, serious, uplifting, emotional, realistic ...
Audience: kids, family outing
Plot: racism, sport, swimming, ambition, life is a bitch, against the odds, african american, teacher, rivalry, human spirit, athlete's life, youth ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, 60s
Place: africa, new jersey, new orleans, philadelphia, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.3
 37K
Antwone Fisher (2002)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story: A sailor prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and ...
Style: inspirational, psychological, thought provoking, sincere, touching ...
Plot: psychiatrist, psychology, family reunited, african american, u.s. navy, redemption, child abuse, justice, honest, depression, life philosophy, transformation ...
Time: 21st century
Place: new jersey, africa, usa, mexico, cleveland ohio ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.7
 97K
Malcolm X (1992)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 202 min.
Story: A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left ...
Style: inspirational, political, factual, intense, stylized ...
Plot: civil rights, racism, politics, african american, civil rights movement, black history, assassination, islam, childhood, society, prison, racial slur ...
Time: 20th century, 50s, 60s, 1940s, 1920s ...
Place: usa, africa, new york, harlem, middle east ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
 7.2
 117K
The Butler (2013)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story: A look at the life of Cecil Gaines who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made.
Style: touching, emotional, bad ending, political, inspirational ...
Audience: teens, date night
Plot: civil rights, racism, u.s. president, black history, president, butler, injustice, african american, prejudice, father son relationship, white house, segregation ...
Time: 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s, year 2008 ...
Place: washington d.c., usa, africa, tennessee, cuba ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
 7.2
 47K
Glory Road (2006)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min.
Story: In 1966, Texas Western coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship.
Style: inspirational, feel good, sincere, emotional, intense ...
Audience: boys' night, kids, teens, girls' night
Plot: basketball, racism, underdog, athlete and trainer, coach, sport, college, racial slur, teamwork, racial segregation, justice, unlikely friendships ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, year 1966
Place: texas, usa, el paso texas, indiana, maryland ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
32%
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story: Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher in a school in a hispanic neighbourhood. Convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods to try and turn gang members and no-hopers into some of the country's top ...
Style: inspirational, touching, sentimental, feel good, realistic ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: teacher, high school, education, teenager, mathematics, school, gang, dedicated educator, mentor, civil rights, coming of age, transformation ...
Time: 80s, 1930s, 20th century
Place: los angeles, california, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
31%
 7.3
 30K
The Banker (2020)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story: In the 1960s, two entrepreneurs hatch an ingenious business plan to fight for housing integration—and equal access to the American Dream.
Style: touching, motivational, inspirational, captivating, uplifting ...
Plot: money, racism, banker, investor, black american, african american, black history, racial slur, personal assistant, segregation, friendship, prejudice ...
Time: 60s, year 1939, 2020s, 50s, year 1954 ...
Place: america, los angeles, washington d.c.
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.6
 99K
The Hurricane (1999)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 146 min.
Story: The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
Style: thought provoking, touching, factual, inspirational, motivational ...
Plot: prison, boxing, racism, courtroom, prison life, legal, court, african american, friendship, fighting the system, justice, injustice ...
Time: 70s, 60s, 80s, 20th century, 1940s ...
Place: new jersey, africa, canada, toronto ontario canada
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
 7.6
 340K
The Blind Side (2009)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: Oversized African-American, Michael Oher, the teen from across the tracks and a broken home, has nowhere to sleep at age 16. Taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, Michael embarks on a remarkable rise to play for the NFL.
Style: inspirational, touching, emotional, sentimental, motivational ...
Audience: family outing, teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night
Plot: american football, life, adoption, christian, interracial relations, human spirit, african american, football, rising to stardom, parents and children, racism, strong female character ...
Time: 2000s, 21st century
Place: usa, tennessee, mississippi, memphis, california
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story: The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.
Style: emotional, sad, thought provoking, intense, sincere ...
Audience: preschoolers
Plot: african american, racism, police brutality, introspection, character study, new year's eve, haunted by the past, tragic hero, murder, civil rights, encounter, couple relations ...
Time: 2000s, year 2007, year 2008, year 2009, 21st century
Place: california, san francisco, new york, usa, oakland california
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
Dangerous Minds (1995)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Former Marine Louanne Johnson lands a gig teaching in a pilot program for bright but underachieving teens at a notorious inner-city high school. After having a terrible first day, she decides she must throw decorum to the wind. When Johnson returns ...
Style: touching, sentimental, inspirational, rough, sincere ...
Audience: teens, kids, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: high school, teacher, gang, teenager, school teacher, coming of age, school, hip hop, gangsters, mentor, amusement park, hopes ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, 80s
Place: california, new jersey, usa, san francisco
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
 7.2
 22K
The Express (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 130 min.
Story: Based on the incredible true story, The Express follows the inspirational life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Style: inspirational, emotional, factual, uplifting, serious ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: american football, sport, african american, racism, athlete and trainer, football, college, human spirit, friendship, mentor, courage, ambition ...
Time: 20th century, 1940s, 60s, 50s
Place: usa, new york, texas, new jersey, cleveland ohio
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
 6.8
 7K
Prefontaine (1997)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story: It's the true-life story of legendary track star Steve Prefontaine, the exciting and sometimes controversial "James Dean of Track," whose spirit captured the heart of the nation! Cocky, charismatic, and tough, "Pre" was a ...
Style: talky, factual, intense, serious, rough ...
Plot: sport, runner, olympics, underdog, justice, contests and competitions, human spirit, athlete's life, american football, lifestyle, hopes, running ...
Time: 20th century, 70s, year 1969, 60s, year 1960 ...
Place: usa, seattle, boston, montreal, munich germany ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
Movie in collections
 7.5
 93K
Selma (2014)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: "Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Civil Rights ...
Style: emotional, thought provoking, political, sincere, factual ...
Plot: racism, civil rights, politics, civil rights movement, justice, african american, black history, racial discrimination, idealism, righting the wronged, president, human spirit ...
Time: 60s, 20th century, year 1964, year 1963, year 1965
Place: alabama, usa, southern usa, boston, birmingham alabama
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 7.4
 22K
Lean on Me (1989)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: When principal Joe Clark takes over decaying Eastside High School, he's faced with students wearing gang colors and graffiti-covered walls. Determined to do anything he must to turn the school around, he expels suspected drug dealers, padlocks ...
Style: inspirational, feel good, realistic, sentimental, intense ...
Audience: teens, girls' night, kids
Plot: high school, african american, teacher, gang, school, teenager, mentor, violence, education, society, teaching, teenage pregnancy ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, 60s
Place: new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 6.7
 102K
Ali (2001)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story: In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his ...
Style: inspirational, uplifting, touching, sincere, thought provoking ...
Plot: boxing, muslim, african american, racism, sport, civil rights, friendship, fight, rise to the top, human spirit, politics, comeback ...
Time: 70s, 60s, year 1964, year 1974, 20th century
Place: africa, usa, nigeria
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 7.4
 14K
Cry Freedom (1987)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Zimbabwe, USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story: A dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko, ...
Style: inspirational, political, thought provoking, edutainment, feel good ...
Plot: racism, apartheid, politics, human rights, journalism, social injustice, friendship, reporter, murder, idealism, journalist, slavery ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1977, year 1975
Place: south africa, africa, england, cape town south africa
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
Flash of Genius (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story: In this David vs. Goliath drama based on a true story, college professor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns doggedly ...
Style: thought provoking, inspirational, sentimental, sincere, serious ...
Plot: business, inventor, lawsuit, underdog, lawyer, courtroom, inventions and discoveries, corruption, court, betrayal, nervous breakdown, legal action ...
Time: 20th century, 70s, 80s, 60s
Place: michigan, usa, detroit, california
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
Movie in collections
 8.0
 191K
Cinderella Man (2005)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 144 min.
Story: The true story of boxer, Jim Braddock who, in the 1920’s after his retirement, has a surprise comeback in order to get him and his family out of a socially poor state.
Style: touching, inspirational, emotional, motivational, sentimental ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, manly
Plot: boxing, sport, human spirit, underdog, great depression, athlete's life, poverty, fight, boxer, depression, financial problem, family bonds ...
Time: 1930s, 1920s, 20th century, year 1935
Place: new jersey, netherlands, usa, madison square garden manhattan new york city, manhattan new york city ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
Finding Forrester (2000)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min.
Story: Gus van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. He accidentally runs into an old writer named Forrester who discovers his passion for writing. With help ...
Style: sentimental, touching, uplifting, feel good, sincere ...
Audience: teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: mentor, dedicated educator, prejudice, friendship, literature, teacher, basketball, african american, writers, coming of age, writer's life, youth ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: new york, boston, brooklyn new york city, scotland, usa ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
Mississippi Masala (1991)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 118 min.
Story: An Indian family is expelled from Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. They move to Mississippi and time passes. The Indian daughter falls in love with a black man, and the respective families have to come to terms with it.
Style: romantic, touching, sexy, light, talky ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: racism, immigrants, culture clash, interracial relations, racial prejudice, stereotypes, honest, love affair, opposites attract, social differences, fall in love, dysfunctional family ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1972, year 1990
Place: mississippi, africa, uganda, india, california ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
 7.5
 65K
Rudy (1993)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story: Rudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size ...
Style: inspirational, feel good, emotional, uplifting, touching ...
Audience: family outing, teens, kids, girls' night
Plot: american football, sport, underdog, college, motivation, aspiration, ambition, american football player, mentor, high school, football, youth ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, 60s
Place: indiana, boston, new jersey, texas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored (1995)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story: This film relates the story of a tightly connected Afro-American community informally called Colored Town where the inhabitants live and depend on each other in a world where racist oppression is everywhere, as told by a boy called Cliff who spent ...
Style: sentimental, uplifting, realistic, road movie, compassionate ...
Plot: racism, civil rights, discrimination, interracial relations, racial segregation, social differences, injustice, life is a bitch, society, youth, teaching the ways of the world, family life ...
Time: 1940s, 70s, 50s
Place: mississippi, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
 6.9
 2K
Cross Creek (1983)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story: The portrait of a woman who, at the edge of survival, found a world of meaning.
Style: realistic, touching, sexy, witty, thought provoking ...
Plot: writers, swamp, friendship, courage, culture clash, depression, destiny, childhood, unlikely friendships, solitude, aging, character study ...
Time: 80s, 1930s
Place: florida, new york, usa, new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
 7.4
 40K
McFarland, USA (2015)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: A track coach in a small California town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders.
Style: inspirational, touching, feel good, sentimental, exciting ...
Audience: teens, family outing, kids, girls' night, boys' night
Plot: sport, teacher, coach, underdog, track and field, athlete and trainer, human spirit, teenager, mentor, school, high school, dedicated educator ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: usa, california, texas, new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%