Tagline: Reach for it with everything you’ve got.
Based on the true story of inner city Philadelphia swim coach Jim Ellis. The story revolves around Ellis’ fight to build a swim team in one of Philly’s toughest neighborhoods in the 1970s. Ultimately, Ellis leads the swimmers to the state championships. (“P.D.R.” stands for Philadelphia Dept. of Recreation).
The year is 1973, and Jim Ellis, a college-educated African-American, can’t find a job. Driven by his love of competitive swimming, Jim converts an abandoned recreational pool hall in a Philadelphia slum with the help of Elston, a local janitor. But when city officials mark the new Philadelphia Department of Recreation for demolition, Jim fights back–by starting the city’s first African-American swim team.
Recruiting troubled teens from the streets, Jim struggles to transform a motley team of novices into capable swimmers–all in time for the upcoming state championships. But as racism, violence and an unsympathetic city official threaten to tear the team apart, Jim must do everything he can to convince his swimmers that victory, both in and out of the pool, is within their reach.
Production notes provided by Lionsgate Films.
Pride
Starring: Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Tom Arnold, Regine Nehy, Kevin Phillips
Directed by: Sunu Gonera
Screenplay by: Mike Gozzard
Release Date: March 23rd, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, language including some racial epithets, and violence.
Studio: Lionsgate Films
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $7,057,600 (99.5%)
Foreign: $37,050 (0.5%)
Total: $7,094,650 (Worldwide)