Stand and Deliver

Stand and Deliver (Ramón Menéndez, 1988)

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Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

High School, Los Angeles, Biopic, Empowerment, Discrimination

This is a feel-good movie in the same vein as To Sir With Love and Dangerous Minds--a great teacher that transforms his students. In this case it is 1980s Los Angeles, the majority of students are Hispanic, and the subject that transforms is calculus. A really inspiring story that made me feel a little more hopeful about the problems we face today in the education world--there are devoted and determined people out there that deeply care about young people and their future. I know they still exist and will keep making a difference...despite the rule-makers.

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Ready Player One

Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Future, Dystopian, Games

I enjoyed this film...more than I expected, actually. The only thing that disappointed me, really, was that there wasn't more back story about reality 2045. It would have been fun, too, to dive even deeper into the world of Oasis. For an obviously visually-focused film--full of action, color, special effects--it has a surprisingly solid script with fairly good acting, too. I'm sure it's partly because it's based on a book and...Steven Spieldberg. Great film for young adults, gamers, pop culture fans, dreamers, and action/fantasy film lovers.

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Working Girl

Working Girl (Mike Nichols, 1988)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Drama, Romance, Work, Class, 1980s

This was a fun one--those hairstyles! I feel this is one of the better romantic comedies out there--it balances things well and Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford is certainly a good combo. I'm sure we've all had the urge to take revenge and/or to break the rules like Tess does in this story. I like watching schemes unfold.

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Sleepless in Seattle

Sleepless in Seattle (Nora Ephron, 1993)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Romance, Drama, Coping

For some reason, I had never seen this film all the way through. I distinctly remember seeing it on the airplane flight my family took to Hawaii (that was 1993, the year it was released), but I don't think I really watched or understood anything. This is great writing and good acting, overall. While Romantic Comedy/Chick Flick isn't my genre of choice, I do occasionally like a lovely little romantic fantasy story that makes you feel good.

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