like good enough to buy the dvd? I don't have Showtime and wondering if I'll regret buying the dvd if I buy it.
shareMeh... Not bad, but basically goes through the motions of a "Remember the Friday Night Lights on Glory Road while the Bad News Bears play Dodgeball" movie. Rent it instead.
shareI suggest that you rent it- I did. This movie adheres to the classic "change in the classroom" genre. A radical outsider hero character enters a troubled school and inspires a group of kids to better their lives. The kids resist at first but are changed forever by the inspiring, wonderful teacher who cared when others would or could not. Other movies (though not all) like Edge of America that belong to this genre include:
1. To Sir With Love- the first of this genre and arguably the greatest
2. Knights of the South Bronx- the teacher encourages the kids to become chess players
3. Coach Carter
4. Dangerous Minds
5. Born Into Brothels (this is a documentary.)
6. Mr. Holland's Opus
7. Dead Poet's Society (an interesting twist but the same thing)
8. Great Teacher Onizuka (a Japanese manga and a series)
9. Kindergarten Cop
10. Mad Hot Ballroom
11. Kids In America
Most of these films are based on true stories. The teacher is a gifted individual who is thrust into an environment where they don't belong. Most commonly this teacher is a different race than the students or belongs to a different socio-economic background. In nearly all of the previously listed films, this is so.
And there are many others. It's a good genre, but an interesting one because they all fit within a certain formula.
Most of these movies include these archetypes:
1. A "ringleader" student- the bad boy who influences the rest of the kids to underachieve. Once he is turned academic, the rest of the class can be turned.
2. The pregnant girl- If the movie is a teen one, a pregnant girl can often show up. If she isn't pregnant, than she is in some way physically manifesting the negative influences in her society.
3. The dropout- can be either male or female. This kid is either pulled out of school by a wayward parent or leaves themselves.
4. The tragic genius- the kid who is the smartest or most gifted of them all, who is involved in the most twisted situation. Sometimes this student actually is "the dropout".
5. the gateway student- this student is very "behind the scenes" introvert and when all the other students resist the teacher's efforts- they are the first to offer advice on how to get the students to trust the teacher.
6. The administrator- the higher up in the school who dissaproves of the teacher's "unorthodox methods", but at the same time can do nothing when the students begin improving. Secretly they want the best for the kids.
7. the helpful teacher- a peer of the teacher who often becomes a love interest, this character provides the teacher with endless amounts of assistance. This teacher is usually well respected by the students. Irene Bedard plays this character in Edge of America.
"The Family Guy" actually made a parody of these films, but there are other parodies as well. It's a very popular genre.
This is a simplistic review, because the movie makes it obvious that it's the TEACHER who is most changed by the interaction.
The movie was good, but not outstanding. It definitely deserves a viewing.
The other reviewers are correct in their analysis to a point, but what makes this movie different and worth owning is the Indian issues and setting. If you are a student of Indianculture as I am then this movie is worth the cost of purchase just for the metaphors and symbolism the director employs. Remember, if you aren't happy with your purchase, you can always put it up for sale on E-Bay.
Anger is the breeze that blows out the lamp of the mind
To me, any film about contemporary American Indians is worth buying. But that's just me.
shareI just watched it.
I loved it.
along the lines as mentioned earlier..
but well done...
likeable cast...
any movie with Wes Studi is worth watching.
I give this a 7.