Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

thejcowboy22 Personally I had visions of Grandeur wanting to be an architect my chosen future profession. On the other hand the Math Department at Elmont Memorial High was only concerned with completing the curriculum on time before the state regent exams in June. Another words, rush or cram the material through and forget about getting the math right! My plans for my future were dashed and the dreams I had designing buildings were quashed. Geometry stood in my way like a brick wall. Barely made it through the year with a low passing grade. I wish my teacher was as enthusiastic as Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) but then I wondered if I could keep up with his students and pass the AP Calculus exam with the extra ganas, (desire) provided by the colorful persistent instructor. Mr. Escalante or as he's known in his inner circle "Kemo" by his Latin students works extra hours before and after school in preparation for that big day. The story isn't only about the exam, but how each student has certain obstacles in their lives and balancing Calculus prep,regular school, family issues. Here we focus on one of the students Angel Guzman (Lou Diamond Phillips) who in the beginning was a typical East L.A. gang member running around town and getting harassed by the police, found his way in Kemo's class, (late as usual throughout the movie), prospered despite missing a day of class in a medical clinic accompanying his sickly Abuelita. Another student tells Kemo that he can make huge money driving a fork lift but the experienced Math teacher explains that in life you only see the turns but you don't see the road ahead! Another instance, a soft spoken bespectacled female Latin student who takes to the material in Kemo's class. Kemo feels she has a future in mathematics and industry. Our four eye sweety tells Kemo that her Dad is apposed to her attending college. Kemo takes his wife to her parents Mexican restaurant. Kemo promotes his daughter telling the stubborn Father she should go to college and pursue a career and not end up as a waitress in his establishment for the rest of her years. These 18 Latin students follow Kemo's road to success with some bumps in the road. Grade scores and cheating are questioned. Andy Garcia as the State representative questioned the grade scores and the classic confrontation as a ballistic Kemo threatened to beat the S--t out of the stunned Garcia. This movie wasn't sugarcoated and really showed the long hours and study needed to pass this intricate calculus exam. Kemo was demanding as he reiterated doing everything step by step. The Great inventor Thomas Edison once said,"One percent inspiration, Ninety-nine percent perspiration.

Saeed Mohammadi Set in East Los Angeles, 1982, Stand and Deliver tells the story of Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos), an enthusiastic mathematics teacher, who facing difficulties and racial discrimination, decides to teach his class Calculus and prepare his students for one of the toughest nationwide college credit exams, which only 2% of students can pass. The pivotal element helping the creation of documentary-like style of the film and bringing the challenging essence of it to the real life, is the remarkable actor in the center of the film: Edward James Olmos. Olmos, a professional actor with previous experiences on the silver screen of cinema and glass screen of TV utilizes his potentials as a Hispanic-American and also as an actor who knows the medium to give the role what it takes to look real for the audience. Ramon Menendez, director and co-writer of the film with Tom Musca, are both of Hispanic origins and they grew up in the same East L. A. area where the film takes place. They have done a great job preparing Olmos with back story and additional information on how to act. Keeping in mind that Stand and Deliver is a drama where the dramatic situation is created between characters, not between characters and environment, an organization etc., there is a huge amount of concentration on the students. In this aspect, fortunately, the roles are played delicately by young actors and actresses, all like Olmos and the director, from Hispanic origins. They all bring their characters to life, smoothly and profoundly believable. The core of student pole in the film is Angel Guzman (Lou Diamond Phillips). He is a rebellious teenager, a gang member and wears sunglasses and hair net in the class. Only after his teacher threatens them about their scary future as an uneducated minority in American society, he decides to change his attitude gradually and study, and later in the film shows a great potential in solving difficult math problems. Diamond Phillips, being 26 at the time of making the film, balances his act with 41 year old Olmos, a true professional. This counterpoint gives the film a true sense of tension at one time and stable equilibrium at another. The screenplay fails at developing side characters and this failure is intensified with the low budget of this project. Musca and Menendez decide to deepen the perspective on lives of the students attending Escalante's class, their problems and how they deal with them. This, derails the story from its main path, which is the concentration and effort Escalante and his students put to the calculus exam. Each and every time the story develops a situation about one side character it disturbs the narrative of a group facing a problem. As a matter of fact, film suffers greatly from a bi-polar situation: one pole focuses on the relationship between a teacher and his students, the other pole focuses on a group, consisting of an inspiring teacher and young rebellious students, encountering a tough and hard exam, and the film fails to concentrate on one of these poles at the same time. The film is never in peace and always en route between these two poles. This, has caused the film to be torn up in two separate and unfortunately not-so-well matched pieces. On the other hand, the low budget has affected the film negatively. Menendez could limit its film more to interiors rather than exteriors, but what we see is that in addition to a variety of exteriors, there are numerous interiors showed in the film. Menendez started his career as a film director with Stand and Deliver and the blame could go to his lack of experience. But the film disappoints audiences with showing real life; it seems that it wants to show real life situations but shows poorly designed and executed versions of real life. The worst and not acceptable scenes are ones dealing with Angel's gangster friend. When they go to sabotage a store, it is expected to show in details how they get the job done, but instead in a long shot and a with a modest panning camera, absolutely inappropriate for an action scene, the event is portrayed, completely unable to imply the tension embodied in the current act. What the film toils to discuss is the future of the Hispanic minority in an utterly unjust society, where you are blamed and questioned, even if you have tried your best and you have gained righteously. And Hispanics in this film are representative for all minorities and immigrants who live righteously and always there is a kind of suspicion about them. They are all unwanted people and no one can tolerate their success. In scene we can see that the teacher says "If this were Beverly Hills High, they wouldn't have sent you two to investigate". Stand and Deliver depicts the current situation and explains the problems and obstacles and the solution it suggests is to fight the system from within. In this film's view, the only way is, to become part of the system and gradually change it, until it is not unjust anymore. The only option is studying and becoming accepted by the rest of society, because grades are race-less and speak for themselves. Passing an exam will open doors, but many people who are already in the system want them to be closed to minorities. That's why Escalante wears his students out; he sees no bright future for them as a neglected and ignored minority, unless they prove themselves. Escalante uses various methods to inspire his students varying from reverse psychology to entertaining them by bringing a butcher knife and apples to teach them the concept of division and percentage. By all means Escalante wants to make one point: to waken their potentials and prepare them to be themselves. It is the greatest lesson he gives them all. Actually this was one big lesson for all minorities.

gavin6942 The story of Jaime Escalante (John Combover), a high school teacher who successfully inspired his dropout prone students to learn calculus.You might not think a story about math and calculus would be that interesting, but actually this is pretty good. Not as dramatic or intense as "Dangerous Minds", but shows us what is possible with the right teacher and students who believe in themselves. (Exactly how true it is I have no idea, but at least the general concept is true.) I would have liked to see more or the students. The home life seemed a bit silly at times, as though the students wanted more and the parents wanted them to fail. Is that right? I suppose it could be, but something seemed very two-dimensional about it.

callanvass (Plot) This is a true story about a teacher named Jamie Escalante, a high school teacher who manages to defeat the odds, to teach a bunch of unmotivated students Calculus, and change Garfield High School foreverThis movie really hit home with me. I struggled to stay interested in school, because my teachers weren't very interesting. I just wasn't very motivated at times. Jamie Escalante gave me newfound hope that teachers actually do care about giving their students a memorable education. He was a courageous and pugnacious man who would stop at nothing to make sure his students knew the value of education. Edward James Olmos's portrayal of Jamie Escalante gives Jamie the justice he deserves. It really is a magnificent performance. He manages to maintain Jamie's tenacity, and never give up attitude. He made me fully believe that he really was Jamie Escalante. I can't praise his performance enough. All of the students in this movie had something interesting about them, but Lou Diamond Phillips (Angel Guzman) stuck out like a sore thumb for me. I find the man to be rather dull in a lot of things, but he really impressed me in this movie, with his performance. I dug his conflicted character. His interactions with Edward James Olmos were a treat to watch. I'd have to say this is Edward James Olmos's show. He runs with it, and never looks back. If you don't feel inspired or happy when this movie ends, I don't know what to tell you. It just goes to show you. Even if the world is against you because of your race, your reputation, etc. Hard work and determination can take you to new heights you've never dreamed of. I wish I had a teacher like Jamie Escalante. Final Thoughts: It's a really moving film that should inspire students around the world. If I saw this back in high school, I would strive to get better. This movie comes highly recommended by yours truly8.5/10