A summer and winter resort with a beach on Bourget Lake (Frances largest lake) and an aerial cableway up fir-covered Mount Revard (5,125 feet [1,562 metres]), it is a fashionable Alpine spa maintaining the sedate luxury of the Victorian era. and it was also nice of Mr Cardenas to reply your letter this only shows how honorable man he is. I thank you and your fellow team mates for a real life example for ALL the young folks. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys Hispanic & Latino Voices STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events : I love that his story continues to inspire so many people. We had the right principles and the right attitude. And White wasnt the only adult who looked after the kids. All Rights Reserved. They knew he truly cared about them, and the guys would work extremely hard because of the respect they had for him. ), Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk. Its sulfur and alkaline springs were exploited by the Romans, to whom they were known as Aquae Gratianae, and they are still the basis of modern health resorts. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. However, just when it seems like the team will lose, Danny, the overweight runner on the team who typically never finishes fast enough to score points, picks up speed and reaches the finish line fast enough to secure the needed points for McFarland to win the championship. 6. After three runners from McFarland cross the finish line, they peer back, searching for me, their usual fourth man, but I had fallen deep into the pack. Then you spent afternoons running miles upon miles upon miles. Its taken me awhile to warm up to it., Jim White, portrayed by Kevin Costner, was the team coach. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. Despite winning their first race against local powerhouse Clovis, the father of the Diaz brothers pulls them from the team to pick in the fields. In reality, their opponents were more friendly and respectful. McFarland, USA Quotes His teams won nine championships in 14 years. Coach White took care of the young runners - sometimes getting them shoes or letting people stay with his family, as did the community. Jose Cardenas became a writer for the Los Angeles Times and at the time of the films release, was serving his country in the military. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in . His arrest was a big shock to the community because he had been so well-loved and respected. During that year when the team won the title, all three daughters were actually in college in Texas. Mcfarland High School Class of 1988 Jose Carmona. Es uno de los 3 hermanos que corre para Jim White. Learning from the film McFarland USA: As a leader, make a difference in Pop. Again, thanks for your article, and thanks to Mr. Cardenas for your inspiration. Cardenas was a member of the California state championship cross-country team whose story is portrayed in the new movie McFarland, USA, which was released by Disney in February. 30,291. Jose Cardenas. He had always wanted to be in law enforcement eventually pursued that career, starting in the 1990s. If I had run as well as I did the previous week on the same course when we won the regional championship, the state race would not have been a nail-biter. He remains an active and well-loved member of the McFarland community, often working with youth. You all did. Nonetheless, the real challenges White and his team face pull the viewer along for the ride. Damacio Diaz. les informations, l'actualit de la voile en Rhne. But Cardenas isn't just sitting around and hoping. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, Speak to recruitment advertising specialist, More than $15M in residential damage caused by EF-3 tornado in Virginia Beach, city officials say, Paradise Ocean Club unlikely to reopen this summer, owner says, citing slow progress on lease discussion, Former Virginia Beach sailor sentenced to 15 years for killing estranged wifes lover, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He transferred to Humboldt State University, in Arcata, Calif., and earned a journalism degree. Sending love & good vibes your way, always. Thomas Valles . Please use Latlong.net at your own risk. Victor Puentes: Michael Aguero . We would have crushed the team that finished second.. The album has been published and can. Ligue de voile Auvergne Rhne Alpes | Aix-les-Bains - Facebook At the end of the celebration, Lupe and Javi take Julie in a traditional parade of cars down the boulevard. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He has a LinkedIn profile but it does not contain much detail. No one is perfect. We push too hard and flame out. Their first night in McFarland is difficult. On The Scene With Kathy King. The rest of the film was shot around Los Angeles and in Camarillo, California. You deserve the accolades and life you have been given due to your hard work! New Zealander Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country) directs the late 1980s-set McFarland, USA, a tightly focused drama based on the true story of White and his out-of-left-field cross-country runners. Joe Vaughn is best known for leading the Buena High, California girl's basketball team to 500 plus victories. Like his new students in McFarland, hes beaten down, carries a chip on his shoulder, is pessimistic about the future. 3. The scenes of the state race are the most prominent for Johnny Ortiz, the actor playing me. Disgraced cop of 'McFarland USA' fame gets five years in prison Jose Cardenas, 67, stands at U.S.-Mexico border fence in Tijuana that has been painted with the names of deported U.S. veterans. Jos Cardenas is a true inspiration. White really did go and work in the fields and pick crops with his runners to show support to them and their families, as it is portrayed in the film. Jims wife Cheryl makes friends with Javis girlfriend (Martha Higareda). David Diaz also went to college and is now the North Kern State Prison Supervisor of Academic Instruction. He also occasionally travels as a motivational speaker and in the course of doing these promotional appearances, he has seen the movie eight times. Johnny Sameniego: Sergio Avelar . The Perezchica brothers Henry and Jose led McFarland, finishing 22nd and 37th overall . He now works as a physical education teacher at McFarland Middle School. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. However, Centennial High School was not formed until 1993. What we do is nothing compared to what they had to do, she says. Jim White and his wife Cheryl still live in McFarland. His group painted a section of the border fence in Tijuana red, white and blue with the names of deported veterans. After high school graduation, Danny Diaz attended Bakersfield Junior College and Fresno State, then became a teacher and counselor at McFarland High School. And by that measure, maybe I can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. In fact quite the opposite it was an inspiring, a wonderful example of perseverance and what it means to work as a team. Damacio eventually returned to McFarland and was active in the McFarland community, was loved by many, and excelled at his job as a police officer. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his family problems. He started coaching the high school cross-country teams in 1980, not 1987. Updates? Because his citizenship application never went through, Cardenas was deported to Mexico after serving 10 years in federal prison. "People forget that the Army has boats, too, and this has fulfilled my greatest chances to sail all over the world - the Caribbean and now off Dubai.". Still, my heart began to sink when a screening of McFarland, USA rolled around to its climax. McFarland, USA runs an inspirational race. Victor Puentes. His alumni now coach the cross-country programs for the elementary, junior high, high school, as well as McFarlands Parks and Rec teams. 1 May 2023. Perhaps that is why stories like Mr. Cardenas and his teammates resonates so strongly, as reminders that what may seem impossible isnt. 'McFarland, USA' film revives long-buried memory for runner Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Thank you for being part of this community. The home theyve bought is old and run-down, and the family experiences culture shock. McFarland, USA (2015) - Plot - IMDb Have a team. When we run, our spirits fly. "The life out there and the life in here is totally different," he says of living in Mexico. We still enjoy the whole running thing. The actual trip, which included stops at Morro Bay and Cayucos after an Atascadero race, was even more moving than what we see in the film because it included the girls team. I agree, Griselda, he is an inspiration to people all over the world. White quickly learns that the young people of McFarland see nothing but a hardscrabble future for themselves, offering no opportunity to advance up the economic ladder. Yes. Im so happy to hear from you, Jose. McFarland was a more balanced community of Latino and white residents then. The reality is much less dramatic: he started teaching in the McFarland school district in 1964 and only middle school after graduating from Pepperdine University. Cardenas is now a staff sergeant with the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. A Y member has a sister who works with Cardenas wife, thus the invitation to come to Salisbury. It happens to all runners at least once, she says. McFarland, USA Movie Photos and Stills | Fandango He was an inspiration and a father figure to the boys, Cardenas says. Principal Camillo agrees, reluctantly, and Johnny is recruited as the teams first runner. All other trade-marks and graphic not owned by www.MrsKathyKing.com that appears on this post are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with, connected to, or a sponsored of www.MrsKathyKing.com. I told you we would win with or without you, our coach, Jim White, told me on the bus ride home from Fresno. "Actually, lettuce didn't grow there, but that's a minor thing. See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by . We speak to the gods. However, his come-from-behind clutch running performance in the 1987 championship that secured the title for McFarland really did happen. We are portrayed as the underdogs, but thats not necessarily the way you see yourself as a child.. I enjoyed your essay as well. Jose has done speaking engagements as well since the movies release. By the way, these are me and my kids two sonsfrom the burbs and a foster daughter from Guatemala the ones you are helping me to teach that anything is possible if they work hard enough. He took my place, and McFarland miraculously still won. And then there is his most uncomfortable moment in the movie - as in life. "He thinks hes out there still, so someone needs to be there to kind of calm him down and stuff. The community teams up with the White family to raise money for better uniforms for the cross-country team, and they throw a delightful quinceaera party for Julies 15th birthday. The film depicts the McFarland team forming and winning the state championship in the same year (1987). Victor Puentes served a sentence at the penitentiary, but continued his education and got a good job. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if . The two teams were close and a terrible tragedy that killed two girls on the cross-country team (Sylvia Diaz, 16, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, were struck and killed by a car during cross-country practice) earlier that school year, A journalist who covered the 1987 race remembers this moving moment when Thomas Valles, who is a prominent character in the film, ponders the deaths of Sylvia and Herlinda before the championship race: Here was the star runner, just a kid, bringing his hands to his face in prayer and keeping them there for what seemed an eternity before the start of his race The loss of Sylvia and Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, the year of the boys first state cross-country victory., One of the runners, David Diaz, said this to the same journalist about the tragedys effect: The tragedy that happened to McFarland cross-country that year (1986), I believe, catapulted many of us to run with more heart in the following years. But like any movie based or inspired by a true story, not everything in McFarland, USA is literally true. When gang members show up and harass them, a fight breaks out and Julie is pulled to safety just before getting injured. If I had run as well as I did the previous week on the same course when we won the regional championship, the state race would not have been a nail-biter. The cornerstone facts are true, but the story itself is not necessarily very accurate. Quotes.net. The mother of the three Diaz boys really did forbid them to run cross-country at one point. It drew national attention because for him, the final race portrayed in the movie was one of the most painful memories of his life his mistake of starting out too fast put enormous pressure on his team to make up the points. Jim White and his wife Cheryl have three daughters. God Bless. Too often I have found that our own will criticize those of us who want something better and different. Jose wrote an essay for the Los Angeles Times in March 2015 describing his experience with the McFarland team. Then I transferred to Humboldt State. A summer and winter resort with a beach on Bourget Lake (France's largest lake) and an aerial cableway up fir-covered Mount Revard (5,125 feet [1,562 metres]), it is a fashionable Alpine spa maintaining the sedate luxury of the Victorian era. Mal Vincent has been a longtime culture writer for The Virginian-Pilot. Tambin es pizcador en las maanas. Eventually, his love for the water led to the Army. The movie is also going global. Julie and Jamie are also depicted younger than they were in 1987. Great reminder that we can revisit the things that inspire us. Damacio Diaz recalled fondly in an interview for the film that he would often jog with his dad, Paul Diaz, who worked hard for his family. I ran track in the spring of my freshman and sophomore years but played football in the fall. He's rallied, marched and met with California politicians as part of a group of deported veterans lobbying the government to allow them to return to the U.S. based on their military service. Thats want counts as much as a victory itself. It saddens me that he viewed the race as the biggest disappointment of his youth, but in the same sense I admire his vulnerability & honesty. Jim Price, a janitor at the high school, let me live with his family.