Book, 2008 by John CarlinAfter being released from prison and winning South Africa's first free election, Nelson Mandela presided over a country still deeply divided by fifty years of apartheid. His plan was ambitious if not far-fetched: Use the national rugby team, the Springboks-long an embodiment of white supremacist rule-to embody and engage a new South Africa as they prepared to host the 1995 World Cup. The string of wins that followed not only defied the odds, but capped Mandela's miraculous effort to bring South Africans together in a hard-won, enduring bond.
Movie, 2009 directed by Clint EastwoodFeatures: Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman
Tagline: His people needed a leader. He gave them a champion.
Awards: Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes for their roles but they didn't win.
Have you read the book or seen the movie?
