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Edwin Davies: I agree that this is a solid result for the film, and maybe even a little better than I would have expected given that cross country running isn't exactly a sport proven to get people into theaters. I read some reports prior to release that said the marketing was being geared toward Hispanic audiences, so perhaps targeted marketing combined with Costner's diminished but enduring appeal managed to get out a few different audiences who might not have gone to see a film about running otherwise.

Ryan Kyle: To lift the lyrics of a Garfunkel & Oates comedy song to describe my take on this film's performance, "Your new girlfriend's like a pair of beige curtains/Not good, not bad, just there/I couldn't pick her out of a lineup/She's as special as air."

Kim Hollis: It's a pretty good performance, particularly for a movie that has such a niche sport as cross country as its focus. It's the kind of movie that will be fondly remembered by fans of inspirational sports movies (i'm generally one of them). I do wonder if word-of-mouth may encourage more families to get out and see the film. Variety reports that there was a lot of interest from the Latino community, which I think is further evidence that targeting niche films to that demographic is a wise move by any studio.

David Mumpower: Is there some sort of Kevin Costner autodial service when studios cast sports movies? Unlike Million Dollar Arm and Draft Day, the most recent major sports movie releases, McFarland looked really good. I suspect it's going to have a long life on home video as an instant classic. It's got an A Cinemascore and a 91% audience grade at Rotten Tomatoes. Those are the early indicators of a beloved sports movie. I really like that it's about cross country in that it falls more into the Searching for Bobby Fischer realm of less heralded sports.

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