2nd Sunday Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Today's Movie Review: Life of a King (2014)

Cuba Gooding Jr. is one of my favorite actors, so you can imagine when I saw that there was a movie out with him in the lead role, and it was about chess...ut-um, get me some popcorn and a drink, and don't bother me for the next couple of hours. ;-) Also, my favorite genre of movies is those based on true stories, so as an added bonus, I learned that this movie was about the real-life story of an ex-con named Eugene Brown. To get started, let's take a look at the trailer below.

Life Of A King Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Cuba Gooding Jr., Dennis Haysbert Movie HD

I think this movie is one of my favorites about chess because it captures my attention emotionally. There are many points in the movie that are relatable to me. When I was a kid, I went to high school in a dangerous community with a gang presence, drugs, and alcohol. School was a place to be cautious and not trust others around you. My situation was not as bad as the kids in the movie, but I have seen my share of delinquent behavior, and sadly, a lot of my former high school classmates have died at an early age or gone to jail. I understand the natural progression of teens without proper parental guidance or at least SOME caring adult in life to help them find a more positive path. As a teacher of high school students, it really pierced my heart to think about one of my dear students having to face some of the challenges the kids in the movie demonstrated. The students I teach in real life come from wonderfully supportive families, and even with that, teens struggle a bit with figuring out who they want to be as adults. It is a tragedy that many children around the world do not grow up in a safe and nurturing environment to be able to navigate these defining years of their lives.

Whenever I watch a film about a real person's life, I always search for a biography to read about them or go looking for another lecture to listen to the real person tell their story. In this case, Eugene Brown has a TED talk. If you want to learn about this inspirational man, you can enjoy his presentation below. Be aware, that although he speaks mainly about things not mentioned in the movie, he will give away a few spoilers. If you plan to watch the movie, I suggest that you wait to watch the TED talk until after you've enjoyed the film. It is so worth it.

The Parallels of Life and Chess | Eugene Brown | TEDxHickory

Enjoy the show!
Cheers!