Denzel Washington delivered two memorable performances in 2007. First he electrified audiences as Frank Lucas, a murderer to root for, in American Gangster. Then he followed that with his portrayal of Melvin B. Tolson, a true-to-life college teacher in the 1930's, thus considered far less interesting by our sensationalist society. Whereas American Gangster showed just how subversively charming a bad guy can be, The Great Debaters shows how charmingly smug a good-hearted teacher can be. Admit it: recalling your favorite teachers in high school or college, there was always one a little full of himself. In The Great Debaters Washington proudly takes the role of bombastic do-gooder as Melvin B. Tolson and patronizes his students in style.

The story follows the efforts of Tolson at the historically black Wiley College, as he takes his debate team not only to victory but also to national attention, as they are put on equal footing with white debate teams in a very racist 1930's southern America. Who makes up Tolson's debate team? There's the young hothead Henry Lowe, who seems to be living proof that angry and sexually aggressive young men are misunderstood geniuses. This sublimation process also spells good news for James Farmer Jr. a very young man who has a lot of zeal inherited from his preacher father, Samantha Brooke, a young woman who may be more interested in Henry than in history-making, and Hamilton Burgess, who has a lot of talent but an equal amount of fear.

While The Great Debaters uses this sublimation theory to a different effect than most feel-good movies about teacher and student relationships, the journey is still familiar. What feels different is the fact that all of these characters seem to accept the fact that progress will be slow and that talking things out patiently with white aggressors is really the most effective form of resistance. This is clearly in contrast to the black power of today's cinema that we often take for granted. Forest Whitaker proves this aptly as Dr. James Farmer Sr., a turn-the-other-cheek preacher who would rather give up his wages than upset a white man who's furious about his dead pig.

The only thing that separates The Great Debaters from lower fare that would disingenuously attempt to teach master-student love (in the To Sir With Love way, not the Notes On a Scandal kind of love) is the fact that Tolson's students really are qualified for their positions. They're not stereotypical losers; they simply lack confidence and opportunity. Tolson represents this one in a million chance, though it would be very tolerant to say that Denzel Washington doesn't chew scenery like adult bubble gum. The third act of the film is predictable though this was based on a true story--like all great Hollywood biopics, loosely based on a story that sounded much better when rewritten.

Nevertheless, I enjoy Denzel Washington's directing efforts and his two fiery performances this year, both counterbalancing concepts of good and evil, are worth mention. While they were not Oscar worthy as yesterday's nominations showed, Denzel is a serious actor that takes great pride in his every on-screen strut. Melvin B. Tolson is no Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman's most uninhibited role in Lean On Me), but when it comes to putting away the bats and getting out the logic gloves, this teacher scores a KO. Grade:B