In 1985 Colorado, a long-absent woman, proficient as a black belt in martial arts, returns home where she agrees, secretly, to train a bullied gay teen.
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Title: The Sensei (2008)
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3 wins & 2 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Diana Lee Inosanto | ... | Karen O'Neil (as D. Lee Inosanto) | |
| Keith David | ... | The Minister | |
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Melissa Taylor | ... | Lorna |
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Shane Weingardt | ... | Attacker #1 |
| Mark Griffin Jr. | ... | Attacker #2 (as Mark Griffin) | |
| Ryan J. Parker | ... | Attacker #3 (as Ryan Parker) | |
| Michael O'Laskey II | ... | McClain Evans (as Mike O'Laskey) | |
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Ayo Fadeyi | ... | Policeman #1 (as Ayodeji Fadeyi) |
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Curtis Magee-Ortiz | ... | Policeman #2 |
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Jeff Liu | ... | Matthew |
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Danny Lopez | ... | Picture of Tim |
| Kerry Knuppe | ... | Brenda | |
| Jonathan Camp | ... | Craig Beard | |
| John Campbell | ... | John | |
| Ben Perkins | ... | Buck | |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
After punks at school hand him multiple savage beatings, gay teen McClain Evans, discreetly begins martial arts training with Karen O'Neil, a mysterious woman who had her own cross to bear with the prejudiced and bigoted small town community. As McClain learns to defend himself from hatred and bigotry, the student and his teacher expose several raw nerves in their rural Colorado community. Written by trivwhiz
Taglines:
You have the right to defend yourself against hatred, and self hatred! See more »Certificate:
Not RatedParents Guide:
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Did You Know?
Trivia
ON SCREEN: "Civil Rights organizations today, like "The Matthew Shepard Foundation" lead the way in forming educational programs enacting legislation to address the persuasive problem of bullying and violence against gay youths and adults." See more »Goofs
BNSF locomotives are seen in a sequence set in 1985. This railroad was formed by a merger that took place in 1996. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 May 2008 (USA) See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$220,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
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This was one of the best movies of the decade as a drama. Well told, well written, beautifully acted, nice twist. An inspiring tale for many audiences and worth any persons time every second of the movie. The transformation of characters engages the audience as the script progresses. The martial arts in the scenes are well filmed and appear to be very realistic. Seeing a female Martial Arts Teacher is inspiring for women of all ages and breaking stereo-types on many levels of race, sex, and sexual orientation. The strength of the movie comes through on so many levels and is heartfelt. It is the type of movie that I would recommend to young and old alike.