The Great Debaters on Oprah

For almost 10 years, Oprah and her Harpo Films team have been working to bring the inspiring true story of The Great Debaters to audiences around the world. Now, just weeks before the release date, Oprah says it was well worth the wait.

"If you love to go to the movies and leave with a feeling of pure joy, of exhilaration, of hope...The Great Debaters is the movie for you," she says. "It's a stand-up-and-cheer kind of thing."

This film, which is set in the 1930s, chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson, a brilliant but volatile debate coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of students into an elite debate team. In their pursuit for excellence, Tolson's debaters, who hail from a small African-American college in Texas, receive a groundbreaking invitation to debate Harvard University's championship team.

Watch a sneak preview of The Great Debaters!

Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington works his magic on screen and behind the scenes. He directs the film and stars as Professor Tolson. "In every breath, in every shot, I can feel [Denzel]," Oprah says. "His choices, his decisions have made this movie what it is."