I watched Coach Carter last night. Glad I didn't spend the extra $4 and see it in the theatre when it came out. Pretty marginal movie. The story was good -- considering it was based on a true story. But the acting was lame, and the script definitely lacked some...oomph. It felt like they were trying too hard to be 'hip', in an MTV sort of way, while still delivering a 'good' message about working hard and moving out from under low expectations. It just all made out to be very unconvincing. And there was this whole speel in the there about abortion that was disturbing. "Oh, what? You have other plans for your life and this baby we're going to have would get in the way? It's ok. We'll get rid of it. We wouldn't want to be inconvenienced..."

Anyway, best part of the movie -- they quoted one of my favourite quotes by Nelson Mandela:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

It seemed fitting to hear that this week.