The actor-director brings the energy and rhythms of a sports flick to a little-known bit of American history in his deeply enjoyable film The Great Debaters dvd. The real trick is determining where Washington is more proficient - in front or behind the camera. All of this unfolds with such predictability, the title might as well be The Great Foregone Conclusion. This fact-based drama is well-intentioned but gets a little bogged down in the details. Its ultimately less a movie than a high-gloss civics lesson. As director, Washington makes speechifying as exciting as a touchdown run!