By Nicole Macchio – Entertainment Editor

Based on a true story, the awe-inspiring sports drama “McFarland, USA” is taking the box office by storm.

After losing another coaching job, Jim White (played by Kevin Costner) moves his family to McFarland, California, the only place that would hire him. Here in the run-down streets of town, the Hispanic students and families are dirt poor. Every day, the boys in town go out into the fields to pick crops, then run to their dilapidated school, and then run back to the fields to pick some more.

Soon after White, or Blanco as the kids call him, starts working at the school, he looks to get a cross country team so he might get noticed. Some of the kids have raw potential, and with some help, Blanco scrounges up seven kids to form a team. While reluctant at first, they find that with running, they can go somewhere, maybe out of this town.

Costner, who is known for his role in “Dances with the Wolves,” “The Untouchables,” and “Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves,” plays his role really well, portraying a worried father and concerned coach.

The beginning of the movie is a rough start for the team. Half of the team doesn’t really want to be there. The main runner, Thomas Valles, was running to get out of a suspension and another boy was running to avoid being put on probation. With this ragtag team, there were bound to be problems.

Carlos Pratts plays Valles, the number one runner for McFarland team. In this movie, Valles has many ups and downs, and the film focuses on the dynamic between him and White. Pratts is known for his work in “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.” He plays the role of a troubled teen who just wants to make his father proud and do better than what life has handed to him.

One night, when White is out driving to clear his head, he stumbles upon Valles sitting on the ledge of an overpass. After this emotional night, the team begins to start getting into shape and becoming closer. The town is ecstatic when the boys qualify for the state tournament. The boys have never won anything, and many feel doomed to live the same lives as their parents, so the town rallies around them.

After a knife fight, a new job opportunity for White, and with just one meet left in the season, White decides to treat the boys. He says, “Listen, I’ve got five bucks and seven boys who’ve never seen the ocean.”

The next step for them was the final meet at states – and the exciting conclusion of the movie.

Under White’s coaching, McFarland has won 15 state championships. White is still coaching the cross country team, and the original runners featured in the movie occasionally come down to practice with them.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars