Waiting for a Superman Review
In David Gugenheim’s compelling documentary Waiting for a Superman the current state of America’s educational system is examined thoroughly. The educational system is clearly broken in many ways; the film not only examines the many areas and implications present in the educational system but also give an insight into the hardships families can face with education. Through an excellent use of personal interviews, frightening statistics and well-focused transitions the film makes it shockingly clear that American educational programs are flawed and a drastic change is needed for improvement.
The film begins with Geoffrey Canada recalling a childhood memory, “One of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me ‘Superman’ did not exist. She thought I was crying …show more content…
The film’s use of interviews gives the audience an emotional attachment to the struggles of students and their families; it also gives the viewer an insight into how the problems of education affect people’s lives. One great example of how the film illustrates the need of educational reform through interviews is when the documentary shows a young single woman traveling great distances to look at potential charter schools for her daughter. The young mother spends a great portion of her day looking for better education for her daughter, but the only option available to her is a lottery in a charter school. In this lottery the opposition is hundreds of other students and failure means her daughter will be forced to go to one of the worst schools in the state. Many of the failing public schools in cities are not paths to success but instead a fast-track to failure. The emotional distress the mother presents shows just how bad education is in her nearby area and by displaying this woman’s struggle in the form of an interview, the audience is more involved in her