--- title: "McFarland, USA: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mcfarland-usa/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mcfarland-usa" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # McFarland, USA (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 17 reviews: 9 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean positive, with most critics finding warmth and feeling in a familiar inspirational sports story. Praise centres on Kevin Costner’s restrained performance and Niki Caro’s attention to the Mexican-American community, particularly its families, values and relationships. Several critics also single out the young cast and the running sequences, which convey physical effort with clarity. Even favourable reviews tend to acknowledge the predictability; the distinction is whether the characters make it matter less. Reservations cluster around slow pacing, sentimentality and the emphasis on the white coach’s perspective. Some critics find the community sensitively portrayed; others see condescension in the same approach. There is also disagreement about the runners: The Wrap praises the care given to their stories. The AV Club finds the student athletes thinly developed. The spread runs from warm endorsement to dissatisfaction, though familiar formulas trouble considerably more critics than they put off entirely. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 February 2015. Turan finds the familiar inspirational sports story more effective than expected. He praises Niki Caro’s empathy for the community and families, which gives the film its emotional core. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mcfarland-20150220-column.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. Farber finds the familiar sports-movie story engaging and warmly told, despite some syrupy moments and a story that runs long. He especially praises Kevin Costner’s understated performance and the film’s lived-in portrayal of the community. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mcfarland-usa-film-review-770069/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2015. Ebiri finds the film unexpectedly moving and sensitive despite its predictable, sometimes simplistic story. He praises Niki Caro’s warm, thoughtful portrayal of the McFarland community and its characters. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/mcfarland-usa-review.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2015. Freer finds the film predictable but warmly engaging. He praises its feel for Latino life, its likable young cast, and Costner’s gravitas. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mcfarland-review/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. The page identifies this as a review, but the review itself is inaccessible. The available text does not reveal the critic’s verdict or what they praise or criticize. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/mcfarland-usa/5082644.article) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating C+. 19 February 2015. Hassenger finds the film respectable but too formulaic and not genuinely inspiring. He praises Niki Caro’s picturesque, lyrical visuals while criticizing the thin development of the student athletes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/disney-s-mcfarland-usa-is-an-inspirational-sports-movi-1798182802) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2015. The review finds the film rousing and feelgood, but says it risks becoming a glorified fairytale. It praises the story’s underdog appeal while faulting its tendency toward inspirational clichés. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/mcfarland-film-review-kevin-costner-stars-in-a-disneymade-inspirational-yarn-10516136.html) ## Time Out — David Ehrlich Rating 3/5. 17 February 2015. The critic faults the film as another condescendingly inspirational sports movie. It singles out the white protagonist’s lesson about the capabilities of people of other races as part of that formula. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mcfarland-usa) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Rating 2/4. 18 February 2015. Cabin finds the film shallow and overly focused on celebrating its white coach rather than exploring the community’s realities. He praises the racing scenes for conveying the athletes’ physical effort and the demanding landscape. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mcfarland-usa/) ## The Guardian — Jordan Hoffman Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2015. Hoffman finds the film sentimental and formulaic, but says it narrowly avoids condescension and has more going for it than its familiar sports-drama beats. He singles out Kevin Costner’s restrained performance as the film’s strongest element. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/17/mcfarland-usa-review-kevin-costner-mexican-american-cross-country-runners) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. Chang finds the film predictable and uneven, with its outsider perspective making the portrayal of the Latino community feel both compassionate and condescending. He praises Costner’s performance and Caro’s energetic, visually clear handling of the running sequences. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/film-review-mcfarland-usa-1201423326/) ## Radio Times — John Ferguson Rating 2/5. The review views the film as a sympathetic portrayal of a rural community and its unlikely running team. It singles out Kevin Costner as perfectly cast and praises Niki Caro’s understanding of the community’s values. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7qpt1f/mcfarland-usa/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B+. 19 February 2015. The review finds the film heartwarming and unusually culturally specific, with an excellent Kevin Costner performance at its center. It praises Niki Caro’s direction and vivid portrayal of Mexican culture, while criticizing the reduced role of Jim White’s wife. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-disney-sports-movie-mcfarland-usa-starring-kevin-costner-maria-bello-morgan-saylor-20150219/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2015. Hammond recommends the film as an appealing, family-friendly sports story. He praises Kevin Costner’s performance and the true-story premise. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/02/mcfarland-usa-review-kevin-costner-niki-caro-1201375473/) ## Paste — Christian Becker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 February 2015. Becker finds the film a sweet, emotionally engaging variation on familiar Disney sports formulas, despite pacing problems and predictable elements. He especially praises director Niki Caro’s handling of the team’s bonds and the young runners’ performances. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/mcfarland-usa) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. The critic calls the film a feel-good sports drama that earns its uplifting payoff. They praise its care in building the runners’ stories and its clear, beautiful cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mcfarland-usa-kevin-costner-maria-bello-niki-caro/) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2015. Goble finds the film formulaic and slow, but ultimately engaging and heartfelt. He singles out its attention to Mexican-American culture and the coach’s growing emotional investment in the team. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/02/film-review-mcfarland-usa/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mcfarland-usa.md