5 films that deal with different types of educational debates, and the many different types of education someone can get…
Ivory Tower…A documentary that attempts to ask the question “Is a college degree still worth it?” It brings up student loan debt, spiraling tuition costs (tuition has gone up more than any other good or service in the last forty years), the true value of an education, online education vs. in persona, a brief history of U.S. colleges, and if we’re headed towards a society where only the rich can afford to go to college. Even though most reviewers have (wrongly) critiqued the movie for being overstuffed, I still wish they’d found a way to really go after for-profit colleges (or “diploma mills” and their lousy graduation rates), and how college seemingly never ends in today’s America, when we’re constantly asked to go back to school or take unpaid internships as post-college jobs. The film is very interesting, but I wish people would stop framing the debate in terms of “should you go to college?” and frame it as “how can we make college cheaper?” Grade: B
Small Time…A scripted comedy-drama that visuals the life experience vs. college debate as a teenager decides he’d rather have a job at his dad’s used car lot than go to college. Christopher Meloni plays his divorced dad, while Bridgette Moynahan plays the worried mother who’s never shaken the fear that her ex-husband is a loser, and married a rich guy for a more secure future. [Dean Norris is Meloni’s sleazy partner and Garcelle Beauvais is under-used as Meloni’s girlfriend, but still luminous in her two scenes.] It’s low-key but sneaks up on you. By the end, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and it resists going the cheap way every time. Everything is just a little bit more intelligent than you’d think. Grade: B+
Ida…A nun is about to take her vows in a convent but her non-religious aunt shows up to offer her an “education” (get it? gotta stick with a theme) into who her parents really were, what happened to them during WWII, and in the ways of the world. The very serious black and white photography is gorgeous, but the idea of a foreign film that deals with Bergman-esque themes and that’s this somber? When a typical American thinks about what a foreign film is (and refuses to go to one) this is what they think of. Grade: C+
Young and Beautiful…A beautiful 17 year old French girl gets a sexual education as she first discovers sex, and then quickly becomes a prostitute. There’s not much psychological depth to this film, and it really does seem like just an excuse to watch a young woman have sex. [And when Americans think of French foreign films, this might be what they imagine as well.] Still, it’s never less than watchable, and Marine Vacth is a breakthrough in the lead role. She’s looks like a young Julia Roberts, and it’s fun to imagine that this is the film that Pretty Woman should have been. Grade: B-
DamNation…Doesn’t directly tie into education, but does do a great job of educating us on why dams are bad news. I can honestly say I’ve never thought much about the environmental impact of dams, but this film lays out a convincing case. And my favorite section just might be a 5 minute long stretch explaining why salmon-fishery-salmon are the inbred cousins that are nothing like wild salmon. I know that sounds dangerously boring, but trust me, it’s not. Grade: A-