Knights of the South Bronx (TV 2005)

A business man decides that he wants to teach school in the inner city and chooses a tough school in the South Bronx. He teaches the children how to play the game of chess, and along the ... See full summary »

Director:

Allen Hughes

Writers:

Jamal Joseph (teleplay), Dianne Houston (teleplay),

Stars:

Ted Danson, Malcolm David Kelley, Keke Palmer

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ted Danson	...	Richard
Malcolm David Kelley	...	Jimmy
Keke Palmer	...	Kenya Russell
Clifton Powell	...	Cokey
Devon Bostick	...	Darren
Brian Markinson	...	Arnie
Kate Vernon	...	Richard's wife
Alex Karzis	...	Kasparov
Karen LeBlanc	...	Dolly
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Akin	...	Asst. Princpal Hill
Cameron Ansell	...	Jimmy's Opponent
Brandon Bally	...	Peach Thug #2
Gabe Bettio	...	Parent #1
Brad Borbridge	...	Player #3
Kedar Brown	...	Cop #2

Storyline

A business man decides that he wants to teach school in the inner city and chooses a tough school in the South Bronx. He teaches the children how to play the game of chess, and along the way they learn a lot about life.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Spiel des Lebens

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&E Television Networks, Tiara Blu Films, Fox Television Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

It took producer Diane Nabatoff 5 years to get this movie made.

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Goofs

During Dawson's first tournament game, two different chess clocks are used: a tan BHB and a dark brown USCF

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Quotes

Parent: Which kid is yours?
Richard: All the black and Puerto Rican ones.

User Reviews

Pleasant enough -- no surprises.

The genre of "inspired and unusual teachers who impact the lives of their students" goes back at least to "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939) and perhaps farther than that. Many of us still remember our reactions to "To Sir, With Love" (1967) and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1969). The present effort, based on the founding of "Chess in the Schools" by David MacEnulty, doesn't rank with these "greats," but it's a respectable sentiment piece and makes up for its formulaic plot to some extent with notably excellent acting. I think Ted Danson is generally underrated, and his performance here is skillful and convincing. I don't know what the real-life MacEnulty was like, but I can imagine him being just about like Danson's portrayal. The five young people who constitute the "Knights" chess team are the heart of this movie, and all are serious actors, though a bit long-in-the-tooth to be in the fourth grade. One gets so accustomed to that misrepresentation, especially in American films, that it goes almost unnoticed. If you watch enough movies, you start to wonder why the real kids you know are so LITTLE! Anyway, this is a not-bad film with a good story to tell, and it won't give anybody nightmares.