It doesn't matter whether or not you have a kid, or what you think about the education system in America, Waiting for "Superman" will outrage you when you start to realize how many young children in the land of the free, home of the brave and one of the richest countries on the planet rely on the lucky bounce of a lottery ping pong ball to ensure they will have a better life.
How did we get here?
In this documentary, director Davis Guggenheim takes one of the most complex subjects on the planet (the educational system in America), presents experts, interviews educators, and unearths all of the data you can ever imagine about the problem. However, what makes Waiting for "Superman" a movie that will enrage you, sadden you and kick you in the gut are the moments our director tells the story of education reform through the eyes, hopes and dreams of young children and their parents, who want the kids to have a chance at success.
In one of the most nail-biting climaxes of the year, Guggenheim has the audience on the edge of their seats as we watch the lottery for each profiled child. We care because Guggenheim has let us see the lives the kids lead, get to know their struggles, and meet their families. It's intimate and revealing.
Yes, he has let us see the efforts of reformers like NY's Geoffrey Canada and DC's Michelle Rhee to change what doesn't appear to be working for every child, along with those who disagree with those efforts, and teachers caught in the middle, as well as enough numbers to make you think you fell into the middle of a doctoral thesis, but the director has compelled the audience to become emotionally invested in those kids, their stories and the parents desperately doing whatever they can as the youngsters hang on the cusp of a new life, or might be stuck in schools that will not be able to prepare them for the future.
Some might call Guggenheim's style an attempt at emotional blackmail, but emotion is what makes a movie great, not facts and figures. It's great storytelling.
3 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Waiting for "Superman" is rated PG for some thematic material, mild language and incidental smoking.
In one of the most nail-biting climaxes of the year, Guggenheim has the audience on the edge of their seats as we watch the lottery for each profiled child. We care because Guggenheim has let us see the lives the kids lead, get to know their struggles, and meet their families. It's intimate and revealing.
Yes, he has let us see the efforts of reformers like NY's Geoffrey Canada and DC's Michelle Rhee to change what doesn't appear to be working for every child, along with those who disagree with those efforts, and teachers caught in the middle, as well as enough numbers to make you think you fell into the middle of a doctoral thesis, but the director has compelled the audience to become emotionally invested in those kids, their stories and the parents desperately doing whatever they can as the youngsters hang on the cusp of a new life, or might be stuck in schools that will not be able to prepare them for the future.
Some might call Guggenheim's style an attempt at emotional blackmail, but emotion is what makes a movie great, not facts and figures. It's great storytelling.
3 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Waiting for "Superman" is rated PG for some thematic material, mild language and incidental smoking.
