The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters is a 2007 American historical drama film directed by Denzel Washington. It is based on the true story of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson at Wiley College, who trained a team of African-American students to compete against Harvard University.
ReleasedDec 25, 2007
Budget$15M
Box Office$30M
Streaming
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Daily Attention Score for The Great Debaters
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Daily Attention Score rankings for The Great Debaters
Today's Most Popular Movies
By Attention Score on August 13, 2026
#5670
The Great Debaters
0.2
Top Cast
By Attention Score on August 13, 2026
1
Denzel Washington
Melvin B. Tolson
6.3
2
Glen Powell
Harvard Debater #1
5.5
3
Forest Whitaker
Dr. James Farmer Sr.
2.1
4
John Heard
Sheriff Dozier
1.8
5
Jurnee Smollett
Samantha Booke
1.5
6
Rhiannon Giddens
Juke Joint Musician #4
0.5
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