Knights of the South Bronx (2005)

The movie is based on the life & times of David MacEnulty who taught schoolchildren of the Bronx Community Elementary School 70 to play at competition level, eventually winning New York ... See full summary »

Director:

Allen Hughes

Writers:

Jamal Joseph (teleplay), Dianne Houston (teleplay)

Stars:

Ted Danson, Malcolm David Kelley, Keke Palmer

3 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
Yves Beneche	...	MD (as Yves Michel-Beneche)
Gabe Bettio	...	Parent #1
Brad Borbridge	...	Player #3

Storyline

The movie is based on the life & times of David MacEnulty who taught schoolchildren of the Bronx Community Elementary School 70 to play at competition level, eventually winning New York City and the New York State Chess Championships. The screenplay portrays whistle-blowing and a mid-life crisis that combine to remove Richard Mason (played by Ted Danson) from his old job & current lifestyle. He becomes a substitute teacher and is assigned to a fourth-grade class in a South Bronx school. In the class are students with parents who are drug addicts or in jail or just scrambling to pay the bills. Few of them see a purpose in school other than meeting society's requirements, and he struggles, mostly in vain, to reach them. Then a student whose father is in jail sees Mason in the park playing a simultaneous exhibition, and beating fourteen opponents at once. He asks to learn the game. One thing leads to another, and soon the entire class is interested in the game. Mason convinces them that ...

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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

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 last tournament game, both players are shown hitting chess clocks on both sides of the chess board.

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Quotes

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

User Reviews

I LOVED the way that Ted Danson as a Teacher connected with kids!!!

I saw this movie, & I really enjoyed it!!!!!! Also, I loved the way the Ted Danson used the game of chess to get the Students motivated & so intrigued with the game, but also the way he insisted that "all homework" must be done and completed before all chess matches. I Feel that all students and teachers should view this movie( despite the foul language)!!!!!! It shows there are Teachers who care for students, though they are few in numbers, they are out there!!!!! And also, I think there should be more movies made in this fashion to tell the students there are people willing to go the distance for them!! Take for instance the woman who donated 4,000 + dollars so the team could go to nationals, or the kind gentlemen who graciously gave Mr. Mason the Money needed for clocks. I would like to do something in this nature but my income don't support me, but would like the students of our nation to know although teachers that care are scarce, they are out there!!!!!