The Whole Gritty City (2013)
Young members of 3 New Orleans school marching bands grow up in America's most musical city, and one of its most dangerous. Their band directors get them ready to perform in the Mardi Gras parades, and teach them to succeed and to survive.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Pretty Good
For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!
Admirable film.
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
How important is the arts for kids? Ask a lot of conservatives, and they'll say not very. They'll say school is all about teaching "practical" subjects like math and English. They need to watch this film.This movie focuses on kids in bad neighborhoods in New Orleans, neighborhoods where people get shot in a way that never happened in the white suburban neighborhood I grew up in. And playing in a marching band isn't just something to do, but something that gives them purpose and pride.There are wonderful, touching scenes, sad moments, and a sort of marching band music that is nothing like the Sousa marches I always associate with marching bands. The movie captures its world beautifully and makes us care about its people. Honestly, I'm not that big on documentaries and wouldn't have watched it if my girlfriend hadn't contributed to its kickstarter, but I'm so glad I saw it.
A wonderful showcase for the discipline and talent of the young musicians and a battle cry to mentors of all kinds. The band leaders, including Derrick Tabb of the 2012 Grammy winning Rebirth Brass Band, serve as inspirations to us all.There are many stories of the city of New Orleans and the effects of Katrina but precious few about the many challenges facing the city's resilient children. I defy you not to fall in love with Jazz, Bear, Scully, Brandon, Kirk and the many other young musicians. It's not always easy to watch this movie, but it's always worth it. I laughed, I cried and I loved the music.