Welcome to another edition of the “The Valero Verdict” movie review. In this I will give you a quick movie review with a couple of bullet points of which I either liked or disliked. I will end the review with rating of the movie and a short overall thoughts.

On the docket today: A documentary about a Judge who started a running club on the L.A.’s skid row, Skid Row Marathon.

• Plot: A criminal court judge starts a running club on L.A.’s skid row, where he trains a motley group of homeless people to run international marathons.

• “One horrendous act does not define a person in his/her entirety.” Judge Mitchell
  
  When he said that, I stopped the movie and listened to it maybe 4-5 more times.
  
  We often times get lost in the idea that when someone makes a mistake, they should be chained to that mistake for the rest of their lives. This thinking is what causes addiction, this thinking is what causes relapses and sometimes even suicide.
  
  These people get stuck, they apply for jobs and are turned away because of the one mistake they made. They are frowned upon in society and we as a collective group send them right back to where it all started. It’s easier for a lot of these folks to turn back to the habits that bring them comfort instead of moving forward because they aren’t getting the help they need.

• Judge Mitchell is someone we need more of in this world. He has helped hundreds of individuals feel worthy again.
  
  Not only does he revitalize these men and women, he runs with them weekly, he helps change their lives, he helps them overcome their past and free them of the chains that hold them back in the world.
  
  Watching Judge Mitchell help the likes of Rafael was inspiring, he just didn’t stop helping when he was told no about taking him out the country for the marathon, he pushed forward and made sure he would be good on his word.

• My favorite thing about this documentary is it showed the good and the bad.
  
  We saw the dark side of some of these individuals and how it isn’t always the first time which someone turns that corner, it might be the second, third or tenth time.
  
  You can’t force someone to stay on the straight and narrow but you can still show up for these people, the same way Judge Mitchell kept showing up for each one of these individuals.
  
  The depths of courage of one man saved the lives of countless. What can you do to help those around you?

The Verdict:

***** out ***** gavels

This is one of those documentaries that everyone needs to watch. It needs to be shown in jails, prisons, schools, everywhere.

It’s an in-depth look at the ugly that stems from mistakes, it’s also a story of a man trying to help people overcome the mistakes of their past and give them a second chance on life.

If we had more people like Judge Mitchell, the world would be a much better place.

Should You See It?: Absolutely. Skid Row Marathon tells a story of second chance, and how we should never judge a person by their first chapter.

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