Film Review Of The Film 'Waiting For Superman'

In the writing Fremont High School by Jonathan Kozol he discusses the reality of urban schools and how they are unable to obtain the proper education. At Fremont High School children are not always able to eat during their lunch period, the proper education needed for college is not obtained, the school reflects institutional discrimination, and the building is overcrowded limiting course offerings for children.

In 2010, Davis Guggenheim released one of the years most talked about documentaries, Waiting for Superman. His film was an eye opening, to many, look at the failings of the U.S. school system. The film follows five students across the U.S., who range in grade level from kindergarten to eighth grade, as they try and escape the public school system through a lottery for a chance admission to a charter school. Guggenheim lays the blame for the failing public education system at the feet of the various teachers unions, and makes a plea for the public in general to get involved in reforming the system. By analyzing Waiting for Superman through a sociological perspective, issues of inequality will be explained using the theoretical approach

At Hazelwood High School, they do things differently than at my school. At Hazelwood, most of the people worry about themselves and nobody else. Most of the school doesn’t get good grades and the school does not do anything about it. One day in English class Andy walked out when they were reading Macbeth because it was too emotional for Andy to handle. His friends were concerned and told the school counselor. They said, “But… but… it seems like… like… he needs help or somethin’.” Then the counselor said, “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you boys this, but he is getting some outside counseling… So you boys can relax and be assured that he is getting whatever help he needs”(100). At Harrisburg High School, if someone had an issue like that, the counselors and teachers would be concerned, even if the person was getting outside help. Another thing about education that is different than mine is the school. In Ronda’s English homework, she wrote, “Our school building must have been built about a million years ago, because it was brown and tall and raggedy-looking, but it fit right in with the rest of the day”(16). At my high school, we are very fortunate to have a very new building to learn inside of. At Hazelwood High, they were not fortunate enough to have a new high school be built. Culture and education are very important pieces of people’s

Over the last few years public school systems have been slowly decreasing in their effectiveness, causing there to be many students, especially those whose families are struggling financially, to be left behind; while others, who have the ability to enter charter schools, are receiving a better education and are succeeding. The documentary Waiting for Superman, directed by David Guggenheim, is focused on this disheartening truth about the American Education System. Through the use of rhetorical strategies such as pathos, logos, and music, it attracts the audience to the plot and leaves them with an unsettling feeling about schooling that will hopefully cause them to want to take

“One of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me Superman didn’t exist... I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us.” Just as many children look up to fictional characters such as Superman, parents rich or poor, look up to our school system to educate their children. However, too many of these parents are beginning to realize that proper education, like Superman, is nonexistent. In Waiting for “Superman,” Davis Guggenheim addresses the teachers union about the failing public school system in America. Through the use of ethos, anecdotes, statistics and visual and audio elements, Guggenheim attacks a problem too precious to let slip through our fingers.

For my entire life of schooling, both my parents and I would agree that I constantly complained about the educational systems in which I was enrolled. But when I actually take the time to think about everything I have been through, I realize that I have indeed had an excellent education. My schooling was full of opportunities and experiences, all of which contributed to the person I am today; adequate education has been an indispensable facet of my being. Sadly, not everyone has had this same privilege. And now as a college student, I am becoming even more aware of this sad fact. Looking around me in such a diverse city as Chicago, I find myself being more and more grateful. When I read Jonathan Kozol's Fremont High School, this these

The educational problem presented on the documentary “Waiting for Superman” shows how the educative public system is in the United States. In our state, it is a right to have an education and the government provides it. The way our state works when it comes to public school has stopped parent’s from looking into others schools to get their kids into, and this

In Waiting for Superman, David Guggenheim’s documentary about America's school systems, he asks a multitude of very important questions that many people have been asking for a while now. Such as the question of if our teachers are essential to the well performance of a school, how can we, the everyday people, resolve poor performance within the school systems with an oftentimes uncritical view of teachers? In addition to that it raises the question on whether bad schools only exist in slums or other places as well. It also brings up the question can children excel in school if they are brought up in poverty.

All of the facts point to one prevailing conclusion; America’s school system is failing. No film makes this clearer than “Waiting for Superman,” directed by Davis Guggenheim. In the film, Guggenheim does not hold back in his onslaught of surprising, yet true, facts. Guggenheim points out that Americans are failing compared to the world in major areas of study, such as math and science. However, there is one place American children lead the world; Confidence. Guggenheim says that there is a simple way to fix this prevalent problem, especially for urban youth. The solution, he says, are charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded, but privately owned schools that do not have to follow curriculum guidelines like

Through out the movie you see difficulties that the students are trying to finally fit to be part of the system but they still may not be accepted because of their classes. With low achieving school, have a suspicious amount of high test scores the reliability and dependability are questioned. Conflict theory is used that the struggle in society and schools between the haves and have nots. For example, not funding for computer, not having computers, no air conditioning for summer and less opportunities for students in general. The school is portrayed as a place where students do not want to be or care about being in school. The staff don’t care about the students especially they gave up on them. There is a quote that I got from the movie, that Mr. Escalante was asking the math department for calculus

The political documentary, Waiting for Superman investigates and criticizes the American public education system. Directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Lesley Chilcott in 2010, the goal of this artifact is to look at the role of charter schools in comparison to different educational reforms. The film connects how these factors are producing results that may change the future of education for students within the United States. The plot of this documentary focuses in on the stories of 5 regular public education students Bianca, Emily, Anthony, Daisy, and Francisco who are from across the country and all strive to be accepted into a charter school system. Through the perspectives of the 5 children and their families, the audience observes how they each individually struggle to succeed under various circumstances. Guggenheim introduces the different and difficult options that he believes contains the hope to change the American education system and its repercussions.

After watching Waiting for Superman, I realize I haven’t given the schools I attended the credit they deserve when I have spoken of them before. I had no idea other schools in America could be failing worse than the elementary and high school I previously attended. Waiting for Superman gives a diverse view of how hard it is to actually get the free, public, education that every student is entitled to and deserving of. The documentary showcases five students along with their families trying to get into schools that guarantee them a better future. Because free, public, schools are failing the students by not giving them a proper education, these five students are left to look at private institutions with few spaces available.

The film opens with Kendall reflecting on his life and recognizes his anger hinders him and gets in the way of how he communicates with others. The greatest impact and current worry is being kicked out of his current high school. Kendall feels labelled and we begin to see how your socio-economic class, gender and race plays a role in how teachers respond to Kendell. As Kendell reflects his teacher’s view of him he feels hurt and dismissed. Although Kendell feels angry, he is determined to rise above these roadblocks, Kendell is very insightful and recognizes some of his challenges, but is motivated to stay on the right path.

The movie that I am writing this paper about it quite a common movie, and the audience usually watches it for enjoyment, but explaining this movie in the way it represents ethical theories makes you view this movie in a different way. Superman, or as the most recent movie calls him, ‘The man of Steel,’ is known for his moral character he plays. He is the most powerful human being on earth, yet he uses his powers to protect the earth and the people who live in it. You would think someone with all that power would use it toward his own desires. However, superman does the exact opposite.

The concept of superheroes has taken our nation. In movies, we believe that heroes have the highest standards of morality and virtues, and that nothing they do is malicious. In Batman vs Superman, Superman was given a choice to either kill Batman and save his mom, or leave Batman alone and let his mom die.The question he has to decide is then who to save. Some might say because Batman is also a hero in his own ways, it is important to save him. However, I am arguing that Superman’s action to save his mother was the virtuous choice because he made his decision based on how virtue ethics deals with relationships.