Denzel Washington’s latest movie, opening December 25, promises to make an excellent debut on screen, especially considering the positive reviews it received before its actual release.  Based on a true story and produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, the movie has already been nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes.

The movie portrays Melvin B. Tolson  (Denzel Washington), who is a professor at the Wiley College in Texas in 1935. The controversial character is a Lincoln University Graduate decided to make history for the Afro-American college and who creates a debate team up to a great challenge: defeat the Harvard reigning team and make way for equally talented Wiley students.

Although sometimes predictable, the movie promises to make a good impression among its viewers, especially considering the cast: Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker (the 2006 winner of a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar for “The Last King of Scotland”), Nate Parker, Gina Ravera and Jurnee Smolett.

The debate team not only faces an historic challenge, but also features a romantic side, a story between a very ambitious young woman of color, dreaming of becoming a lawyer, and her two debate team mates, Henry Lowe and James Jr., the son of the college president, both of which have a crush on Samantha (Jurnee Smolett).

Though most of it is inspired by real people and real stories, some of the details have been changed, to make the story more appealing to the public. Approximately 80 years ago, the Wiley College debate team confronted and won against the University of Southern California, which was changed to Harvard University in the movie.

At the same time, despite their victory, the African-American team could not crown themselves champions in real life, as they weren’t allow to be part of the debate society until after World War II, something the movie omitted to show.

All in all, The Great Debaters is expected to make a successful debut on Christmas day, as everyone awaits to see the collaboration between Oprah and Denzel Washington, in a production that already made its way into the 65th edition of the Golden Globes.