Waiting for "Superman"
Documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim explores the tragic ways in which the American public education system is failing our nation's children, and explores the roles that charter schools and education reformers could play in offering hope for the future. We see the statistics every day -- students dropping out, science and math scores falling, and schools closing due to lack of funding. What we don't see are the names and faces of the children whose entire futures are at stake due to our own inability to enact change. There was a time when the American public education system was a model admired by the entire world. Today other countries are surpassing us in every respect, and the slogan "No Child Left Behind" has become a cynical punch line. Bianca, Emily, Anthony, Daisy, and Francisco are five students who deserve better. By investigating how the current system is actually obstructing their education instead of bolstering it, Guggenheim opens the door to considering possible options for transformation and improvement. more..
Director: Davis Guggenheim
It's an apt title. As divisive as the issue has become, it's hard to deny the power of Guggenheim's lingering shots on these children, waiting on a superhero who isn't going to come.
This is a time when urgent issues are often explored in polemic documentaries, as well as a fateful moment when the future of public education is being debated with unprecedented intensity. Waiting for 'Superman' makes an invaluable addition to the debate.
Powerful, passionate, and potentially revolution-inducing documentary.
By showing how fiercely dedicated idealists are making a difference, it is a call to arms.
Much of the film is told compellingly and heartbreakingly through the wide-eyed innocence of five children.
AFI Awards (2011)
Best Edited Documentary
American Cinema Editors (2011)
Best Documentary
Black Reel Awards (2011)
Best Documentary Feature
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2011)
Best Documentary
Central Ohio Film Critics Association (2011)
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