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 |
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Mark Anthony Griffin | ... | 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:
The Courage to Fight. The Strength to Win. See more »Certificate:
Not RatedParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 May 2008 (USA) See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$2,200,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color
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Craig Beard: I had to use the can.
Jean Beard: Shh. We're in church.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
ON SCREEN: "Of the 1,185,000 Americans living with HIV/AIDS, 24-27% are unaware of their HIV infection. More than one quarter of the 44,000 new infections each year are women, as the disease today is transmitted primarily through heterosexual sex." 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 »Quotes
Jean Beard: Where were you two? You're late.Craig Beard: I had to use the can.
Jean Beard: Shh. We're in church.
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I appreciate the thoughts behind this film. It makes points, if you can find them, that need to be seen and said and realized and remembered.
Following the story takes strong dedication as the numerous flashbacks injure the story and misdirect the message.
Diana Lee Inosanto and Michael O'Laskey II are good but not exactly convincing and they should be. Their fighting is more convincing than their acting.
Sab Shimono and Emily Kuroda delivered realistic performances but they were mostly in the background.
McClain's female friend needs acting lessons.
I admire the take on hate, ignorance, and discrimination.
This is definitely the opposite of a Hollywood movie, but that shouldn't kill it. Regardless of the flaws, it's worth watching two or three times to see what's happening. The ideas were worth making into a movie.