Synopsis
The true story of one man's mission to give inner city kids of Washington DC something he never had - a future. After being incarcerated for eighteen years, Eugene Brown established the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of. This is his inspirational story.
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Cast
- Cuba Gooding Jr.Eugene Brown
- Malcolm M. MaysTahime
- Kevin HendricksPeanut
- Alani iLongweClifton
- LisaGay HamiltonSheila King
- Dennis HaysbertSearcy
- Rachae Amber ThomasKatrina
- Richard T. JonesPerry
- Paula Jai ParkerGina Sanders
- Jaida - Iman BenjaminRhonda
Recommendations
- 75
Washington Post
The film is an effective, even heartwarming, tale of one man’s commitment to teaching that playing by the rules is more important than winning. - 63
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Gooding brings just enough streetwise credibility to make Brown work. - 60
The New York Times
Mr. Gooding’s performance and his complex charisma are fascinating to watch throughout. - 50
The Dissolve
Life Of A King manages to sustain a hilariously over-the-top tone of naked sincerity from start to finish. - 50
RogerEbert.com
Brown's story is a good one, though, and solid performances — especially from star Cuba Gooding Jr. — elevate the film slightly above the familiar trappings of its genre. - 40
Village Voice
Life of a King isn't setting out to reinvent cinema, or even a genre, but rather just to be a moderately uplifting tale that makes watching chess interesting. - 38
Slant Magazine
Any potential flights of invention or creativity are subordinate to the plain and emphatic delivery of life lessons.
