Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) takes a close look at the public-education system in the United States by following five students as they apply to charter schools. The film depicts the moving and poignant struggles of real-life students and their families and the efforts of educators and reformers who are working to find viable solutions within a dysfunctional system.

Growing up, I had the benefit of attending both public and private schools and was fortunate enough to receive a decent education. But without parental support at home, I doubt I would have gotten good grades and been pushed to go to college. I'm sure most teachers will agree that it all starts at home, and they can only do so much during the time they spend with our kids.

That being said, even kids with a good support system at home can't overcome some of the deficiencies in our public-school system. This documentary highlights many of the flaws in our current educational environment, including tenured teachers who have no business being in a classroom, bloated bureaucracies sucking the public coffers dry, and the challenges real reformers face from the "system" and the teachers unions.

Guggenheim admits he doesn't look at both sides of the argument in this movie. Instead, he presents his point of view, and it's one hell of a convincing argument. I have two children in public school, and I see many of the issues he brings to light on a weekly basis. I've seen my fair share of incompetent teachers that only keep their jobs due to the strength of the teachers union and not based on their abilities to teach. Real reformers such as Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada tried to change the system from within but were met with resistance and have since ventured out on their own with StudentsFirst (Rhee) and Harlem's Children's Zone (Canada).

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Realistic color palette
• Solid black levels
• Excellent detail

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Dialog-intensive presentation
• Occasional environmental queues in rear speakers

Documentaries aren't normally ideal for demo purposes, but the video encode here is outstanding. The audio track doesn't bring much to the table, but the dialog is always intelligible and serves its purpose.

Bonus Materials br>

• Four Additional Inspiring Teacher/Student Stories
• The Making of "Shine"
• A Conversation with Director Davis Guggenheim
• $25 DonorsChoose.org Gift Card to help a public school classroom

Everyone in our society has a stake in the success of our public-education system, and I implore you take the time to watch this documentary and see how pathetic and inefficient that system has become. When you look at our test scores compared to those in other countries, it's obvious that the system isn't working and needs to be reformed. I don't have the answer, but Guggenheim makes a very strong case that more money isn't the answer; the educational system needs a fresh start. Highly recommended.

Release Date: February 15, 2011
Studio: Paramount

Movie: 10/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS40 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics