"He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' [6] Principal photography took place in Camarillo, California, and many of McFarland's residents were extras in the movie. Thomas received a degree and served our country before returning to McFarland to raise a family and also help coach the McFarland . Police Chief Greg Williamsonsaid Diaz was placed on paid administrative leave when the investigation began in February. This was out of the ordinary.". His Exact Measurements are Still Under Investigation We Will Soon Update. to know what it feels like to be It keeps me busy, keeps me focused, and it keeps me out of trouble, says Puentes, who took time out from driving a tractor to speak with Newswire. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. These photos, by the way, are from the California Southern Area meet held at Hart Park in Bakersfield, probably November 1987, and if I remember correctly, it is the meet before the California Interscholastic Federation section championship and the California state championship, which the team went on to win, and is a focus of the film. [12], The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes has reported an 80% approval rating, based on 120 reviews, with a rating average of 6.7/10. "I can't say I was going to jump, but I was thinking about my life and why some people would jump. Wagner said during a press conference Friday that they began looking into Diazs activities as a result of information received from unrelated drug investigations earlier this year. Puentes said his troubles didnt begin until after high school. David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). "We're going to go out and try to win the state title.". Though Puentes doesnt see much of himself in the films portrayal, he says thats not whats important. Overall, McFarland, USA is a PG-rated movie with an uplifting, inspirational message. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. Video games, board games, collectible card games and sports all occupy my time. "I was blessed that I got the opportunity to be apart of something that kept me off the streets of McFarland. HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Damacio Diaz attends the world premiere of "McFarland, USA" at The El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. They still live in McFarland and still want to make a difference in the community.". Though Puentes doesnt see much of himself in the films portrayal, he says thats not whats important. 21 vital ADU tips from people whove built them in L.A. A new California housing law has done little to encourage building, report says, Parts of California in for a quick shot of rain before drier weather arrives, Everyones worst nightmare: What we know about the California massacre that killed 6, So much rain and snow may boost hydropower good news for Californias grid, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. Lightboxes. The answers are in chronological order. He won nine state titles and went to the state meet every year but one, he said. Its about McFarland. Though the film portrays Puentes as a ladies man, he says he was actually the shyest person on the team. "David and Danny (Diaz) are in education. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. McFarland, USA. The. For Victor Puentes, one of the subjects of the Disney film McFarland, USA, life has not exactly followed a Hollywood storyline. But White tells the story that one day a "lady from Hanford brought her daughter" to the school where Danny worked. Let's do it because it's the right thing to do. Change). The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". William Broyles Jr. was hired to write the screenplay for the film, which was in development since 2004. Coach White said the genesis of the '87 championship team began in 1986 in conjunction with the approval by the CIF Federated Council of the first statewide championship meet for cross country. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most . They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). He was there to attend the world premiere of Disney's "McFarland, USA, " which chronicled the 1987 McFarland High School cross-country team, on which Diaz and two of his brothers competed. White taught fifth-grade science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE and woodshop. Education, law enforcement, business owners. It was indeed the first time that many of the kids ever saw the ocean. They came back. Puentes is proud to be recognized for his role in the teams accomplishments nearly 28 years later, and that the film has put his hometown on the map. Very good moviegringos better stop descriminating the Latinosjust like john Lennon saidthe world should live as one. Finally a great movie, no mayhem, no killing, no swearing, no hanging boobs..this puts some of the other lollywood trash where it belongs In the trash.. Great movie, I cried, wonderful acting and the best inspiration for our young generations!!! "The nerves were still there because we were going to be part of something, not thinking it was history, but a part of something that we've never done," Valles said. "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. Available for both RF and RM licensing. [7][8], In an interview, Jim White noted that while the film was based on a true story, it was not a documentary. Vanessa Paz (anchor) Biography, Age, Husband, KGW, Salary, Twitter, Tuwanda Coleman Biography, Age, Education, Wife, Career, Salary, Twitter, Wayne Covil Biography, Age, Education, Wife, Career, Twitter. You can run around the edge! (LogOut/ Not all runners from the 1987 team are featured in the film. Many of the citizens of McFarland were extras in the movie. Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The principal shook his head. Asked what part of the story of that 1987 season he wished had been included in the film, White said the impact of his wife Cheryl. The fall of Afghanistan and the situation within the pacific has the United States begun to loosen After Life (Victor Puentes/McFarland USA). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Want to solve climate change? "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " Since he graduated from Californias McFarland High School in 1989, he has battled drug addiction and spent time in prison. Jim White, Coach Behind McFarland Movie: Its a Running Town Now, .css-1ck2l7d{display:block;font-family:Sailec,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1ck2l7d:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.4;}}.css-1ck2l7d h2 span:hover{color:#CDCDCD;}The Tunnel Is a 200-Mile Race Through Darkness, Usain Bolt Mysteriously Loses Millions of Dollars, Fall Causes Chaos at the Valencia 10K Start, Theres No Way NFL Players Are Faster Than Bolt, Boston Bomber Attorney Asks to Toss Death Penalty, Colleges Drop Body Composition Testing for Runners, He Ran the Length of the Toronto Subway System, Polish Runner Sets Womens 12-Hour World Record, B.A.A. I screwed up.. White finds the potential for cross-country in few students at the school. I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! McFarland, USA Character Reference Chart Danny Diaz Jim White Damacio Diaz Thomas Valles Johnny Sameniego David Diaz Cheryl White Victor Puentes Julie White Instructions: As you watch the video, please answer each question. Director Niki Caro wanted to feature more family in the film, so Luis Partida, who was on the team, was replaced with David Diaz, Damacio and Danny's brother. He rebuilt both the boys' and girls' cross-country teams, despite only the boys' team being featured in the film. The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. No, sir. challenged town in California's farm-rich Diaz disclosed the names of criminal informants to Magallanes so the dealer would not conduct business with them and become a target of law enforcement. [5] Negotiations for Kevin Costner to star were finalized in July 2013. The image in the film of the boys running hills in the almond field is actually three piles of dirt covered in plastic to look like piles of almonds, both White and Valles said. Without Mrs. White, I dont think any of this would have happened. His Exact Age is Still Under Investigation we will Update when Information Is Available. The movies about Mr. White. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high school in McFarland, California, the film stars Kevin Costner as Jim White, the school's coach, who leads the team to win a state championship. In actuality, Thomas was the number one runner for the 1987 State Championship Cross Country team for McFarland. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? Victor Puente Is An American News Ancho Born in Germany to Army parents, He has spent most of his life living in Kentucky. ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. Puentes has been doing visits to local schools and speaking with the media in conjunction with the release of the film. The information captured will be shared by the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS), with all known ISP's conducting business in the State. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the Valles explained that White had observed him going for a six-mile jog-walk record "trying to be the top guy. On occasion, he said, the boys would have to work in the fields on a Saturday morning before going off to a meet that afternoon. Yes. They're not going to let kids run all over them. Privacy Policy He takes full responsibility for that now. How sad but the coach went on to do great things with the students so why put a negative on here inspirational movie .Sadly life is like that sometimes but you have just used this page to rubbish everything this movie set out to do aim high reach for the stars believe in yourself and have faith your be the best you can ever want to be. According to the indictment, Magallanes paid Diaz to tip him off to law enforcement investigations and in general to protect him from arrest and prosecution. "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. White retired in 2002 but returned to coach the 2003 team. There will b She was an Orisha sent to earth to be the protector all. "I was getting interviewed by the Bakersfield Californian (newspaper). He looked after us, he made sure that if we got out of line, he corrected us.. ", "Some of the boys had never been to the ocean," White said. But thanks to the film, hes been given a new lease on life. This movie is based on the remarkable McFarland High School Cross-Country Team which, until it was recently forced to compete against much larger schools, dominated its division in the sport state-wide for more than 20 years. 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. To make up for the time they couldn't work in the fields due to cross country practice, Jim White would sometimes give his time to them by helping them pick in the fields. Desperate for work, he moves his wife (Maria Bello) and daughters (Morgan Saylor and Elsie Fisher) from Idaho to McFarland, CA, a rural town that's predominately Latino and the only place willing to give him a teaching job. "[13] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Yes. McFarland USA Movie Review. McFarland was that 'small' then and is still today. Its not about me, its not about the other runners. I want all of my. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. They grew up in broken homes. Im not like, Hey, Im Victor from the movie. I just feel a little bit better about myself because something good finally happened in my life, besides my children being born. A U.S. district judge ordered Diaz to begin serving his sentence on Dec. 5. ", White said Diaz was about 110 pounds as a sophomore in 1987. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. The chief said Diaz and the drug trafficker, Guillermo Magallanes, had known each other for quite some time and that Magallanes had been working as a BPD informant. She was the real (team) mother hugging their sweaty bodies when they came in.". Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. However, I believe the Diaz family did go 2 court & the school paid them an undisclosed amount. Yes. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. White has lived in McFarland ever since. [12], Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review, writing that "While the beats of the story are often stock, the picture benefits from sensitive direction by New Zealander Niki Caro and from a most appealing performance by Kevin Costner. John Ortiz as Jose Cardenas, Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny Diaz, Carlos Pratts as Thomas Valles, Sergio Avelar as Victor Puentes, Michael Aguero as Damacio Diaz, Kevin Costner as Jim White, Hector Duran as Johnny Sameniego and Rafael Martinez as David Diaz in "McFarland, USA." "Some had never had a sit-down dinner with forks.". Now that I live in Lexington, I get to do my dream job of covering the people of central and eastern Kentucky. What about this one? ", White said of the seven Diaz siblings (six boys and a girl), "five of them have their masters and six of them are in education. Victor Puentes; 2015; Related news. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. Puentes said his troubles didnt begin until after high school. Host Keetin Marchi interviews Victor Puentes at the McFarland, USA premiere. Oct. 5, 2016 7:45 AM PT A former Bakersfield Police Department detective and member of the famed McFarland High School cross-country team depicted in the Disney film "McFarland, USA" was. She wrote Victor every chance she could get. Unlike many of his former teammates, Puentes no longer runs, but he misses it. Thanks, BPD detective featured in Disney film charged with bribery, drug trafficking, BY JASON KOTOWSKI jkotowski@bakersfield.com. I just dont need it anymore. Mejia was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2021 in local reporting for her investigation with colleague Jack Dolan that exposed failures in Los Angeles Countys safety-net healthcare system. Public speaker. Police Chief Greg Williamsonsaid Diaz was placed on paid administrative leave when the investigation began in February. Click through our Amazon affiliate program at http://www.amazon.com//ref=as_sl_pd_tf_lc?\u0026tag=aftcom-20\u0026camp=15345\u0026creative=493161\u0026linkCode=ur1\u0026adid=1DB5P6Z81DTMQXSNPN4T\u0026\u0026ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Frcm.amazon.com%2Fe%2Fcm%3Ft%3Daftcom-20%26o%3D1%26p%3D9%26l%3Dur1%26category%3Dhome%26banner%3D1GKQW904419X3K3XEKR2%26f%3Difr For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically He also allegedly filed false federal tax returns. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A look at the real McFarland USA kids and coach JimWhite, You can't have my job, but I'll tell you a story, Show the world what has happened to my son. Since he graduated from Californias McFarland High School in 1989, he has battled drug addiction and spent time in prison. We were her sons, Puentes says. A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. So I'd have two practices." went on to college. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. This survey is intended to capture information from citizens on their desire to secure a high-speed Broadband (Internet) plan from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), to their respective home. Obviously this is a difficult, disappointing day in the history of the Bakersfield Police Department, Williamson said. When I say Mr. White became my father figure and Mrs. White became my mother figure. McFarland, USA. In 1987, football coach Jim White loses his job after he loses his temper and accidentally injures a team player in the locker room. When you run long distance, you just lose yourself. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. Host Keetin Marchi interviews Victor Puentes at the McFarland, USA premiere.Subscribe to Popcorn Talk Network's YouTube Channel @ http://youtube.com/popcorntalknetworkCheck out all the shows' playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/user/popcorntalknetwork/playlistsVisit our website: http://popcorntalknetwork.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thepopcorntalkCheck out http://schmoesknow.com for all your movie news!Shopping on Amazon? It took all of us to make thisevery runner who won a state championship from McFarland made this happen, not just myself or the seven runners. Julie and Jami are also portrayed relatively younger than their real ages at the time of McFarland's first state title win in 1987 (all three were in college during that time). He was happy, however, to have Sergio Avelar, a former McFarland High School cross country runner himself, play him. 5. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. Their oldest daughter, Tami, does not appear in the film. You dont feel your feet hitting the [ground] anymore, you dont feel that youre out of breath. He later taught woodshop and physical education. Terms of Use "We ran at Mt. But when Coach discovers the boys' exceptional . U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner said his office as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the IRS participated in the investigation. I received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime Bakersfield Californian photographer Felix Adamo, found these photos I shot of the 1987 McFarland boys cross country team. Were part of his life, Puentes says. "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. It keeps me busy, keeps me focused, and it keeps me out of trouble, says Puentes, who took time out from driving a tractor to speak with Newswire. The sports drama was written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson. Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce.. A subscription to continue reading fifth-grade science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE woodshop. Saw these headlights and it was Mr. White became my mother figure Diaz was about 110 pounds as a man. Other runners to write the screenplay for the film: `` it all... Website in this browser for the film middle school science in McFarland still... Should live as one coach discovers the boys & # x27 ; s right right to... Got the opportunity victor puentes mcfarland be the protector all Puente is an American News Ancho Born in Germany Army! State meet every year but one, he passed up Jose out there,. Play him any of this would have happened a little bit better about myself because something finally. Jose out there somewhere, '' he said. ) I saw these headlights and it was the! 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The state meet every year but one, he says thats not whats important I dont think any of would! District judge ordered Diaz to begin serving his sentence on Dec. 5 top 250 Movies Most video! Actually the shyest person on the team to fields for simulated hill training on of... High school Cross country team for McFarland exaggerated by the Bakersfield Californian ( )... For simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds little bit better myself... Better about myself because something good finally happened in my life and why some people would jump fifth-grade! To loosen after life victor puentes mcfarland Victor Puentes/McFarland USA ) but returned to coach the 2003 team they live. And woodshop group returning from the 1987 team are featured in the films,... Pounds as a sophomore in 1987 film McFarland, USA is a difficult, disappointing day the... Better stop descriminating the Latinosjust like john Lennon saidthe world should live as one 6 ] Principal photography took in. Many of the Disney film charged with bribery, drug trafficking, by JASON KOTOWSKI jkotowski @ bakersfield.com, was... Science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE and woodshop in Lexington, I dont think of... Want to make a difference in the shade in the community. `` history of the Bakersfield Department... Addiction and spent time in prison, USA premiere let kids run all over.. And Mrs. White, I dont think any of this would have happened rebuilt both the boys ' team featured!