Stand and Deliver (1988)

The art is affected by confronting the powers to survive and their total domination. In new modern world and various arts, cinema found unique and important position. Now these days could be said that films are the most important tool in theorizing and managing the public opinion. In contemporary world history, cinema has played a main role in political, economic and cultural evolutions. This role was apparently observable in cold ware that was one the most important changes in contemporary history. The aggressive policy of United States against Union of Soviet in cold war was military threats, economic sanctions, cultural, scientific and social conflicts. In this way, Hollywood helped the American politicians in many ways. One the confrontation area between these two governments was space exploration. Americans started to make wide advertisements on walking on the moon in the way of using public diplomacy, they triggered Russian society. After a while there was whispers that pictures of walking on the moon was not true. This doubt has been continued until nowadays, which are not responded by NASA specialists. Based on this introduction, a distinctive review on the film of Stand and Deliver by Ramón Menéndez that is produced by Warner Bros. Co. is offered. This is a drama film with a simple story. It could be said that using the politics for art is the main strategy of this company and this film showed that this company has capability of narrating a story to confront the political threats, even in field of telling a simple story. Although the film was based on a true story, these companies could change a fantasy to a real one by their powerful tools. The cinema power and Hollywood claim that we will make anything that men can imagine. Escalante becomes a math teacher in Garfield high school where other teachers fail in forcing students to study. Students are way below their grade level and do not show any positive reaction to the new method of instructions. Nobody show this new teacher an agreeable reaction and it seems that his presence is an additional problem. Peer groups have formed based on the similarity in each class. They have same viewpoint to the school and class as previous and cannot accept the changes that Escalante want to help them. However, the special character of him make them change and they are attracted to him. They are encouraged to learn math. This process continues until Escalante ask school to participate in a difficult national test in calculus. He insisted on it and after the school agreed to participate, he start to prepare his students. The student worked very hard, in one of the parts of the film when he teaches the students in summer school in a very bad condition in the locker room of the school without any air conditioner, Escalante says that: "you think I want to do this, Japanese pay me to do this, they are tired of making everything, they want you guys to pull your own way, so they can go and take vacation." so it could be said that getting to better America and beating all of the world powers of that time, is one of the most self-motivations of him. So they got a wonderful result. The Educational Testing Service questions the success of the students, suggests the students cheated. Escalante defends his students but The Educational Testing Service did not accept the defenses and the only option is to retake the test. They have just one day to prepare. Escalante collect his students one more time and they prepare for second test. The second test is held and the same results is obtained. In this time, the representatives of the Educational Testing Service were present and the test was confirmed by them. Escalante is succeeded and in final scene, he is walking to the exit corridor that is shining. He step down to proof of the success of other part of American society. It could be men traveling to the moon! Edward James Olmos portrayed different characters as well as Escalante in his playing history. He is originally Mexican, he is also served as an ambassador for UNICEF and in his life he really emphasizes the role and value of education, the risks of gang life. He received an Academy Award nomination for playing as Best Actor in a Leading Role of Stand and Deliver. Unlike the simple story and normal play of leading and supporting roles, the trump card of this film was its music. Craig Safan composed one of his best music for the film. After three decades, his music has been used in different TV programs and attractive for audiences. In critical viewpoint, it need to be mentioned that this music is not fitted with this film. It was beyond the film of Stand and Deliver. Camera working and special effects of this film was so simple without any complexity. It made audience to feel just looking into a memorial book of a math teacher. He entered a school and discuss with other teachers, and he observed some problems among his students. He tried to help those students using new methods. His angry and happiness was so simple. Beside all of this it has to be noticed that the movie won 11 Awards and has nominations for 7 more. Finally, it could be mentioned that Menéndez introduce an American society as a capable, hopeful and with perseverance by narrating a simple story as well as increasing the morale and confidence of American audience. This society is not afraid of blames and in way of getting successful; they are ready to accept any difficulties. This definition can guarantee any society against his enemies. Menéndez give a self – confidence to his people and make them ready for cold war. In a war that science and knowledge seems to be meaningful tools, Menéndez could offer a simple pattern of achieving this goal in 1988 before ending the cold war.

Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) quits his computer job to become a teacher. He is brought in to teach at James A. Garfield High School in east L.A. except they don't have any computers. It's a lower class Hispanic neighborhood and the school is failing the kids. He teaches math to unresponsive kids and his car is broken into on the first day. He uses unconventional methods to push his kids to pass the AP Calculus exam. Then they are accused of cheating.This is one of those inspirational teacher movie. EJO is terrific. The kids are mostly unknown with a young Lou Diamond Phillips in the mix. The formula is simple and the movie follows it faithfully. There are probably some dispute about the facts of the real story but that is a minor consideration. It's a great inspirational movie.

Stand and Deliver is a 1988, Ramon Menendez movie staring Edward James Olmos. Olmos depicts an eager teacher, Jaime Escalante, who has given up a high paying job to go back to teaching with the hope of making a difference. He is appointed to a school were almost all students are of a Hispanic origin. Having the encouragement and a great deal of patience to deal with his students' shall we call, rudeness and lack of interest in interacting with anything related to education and studying, he actually becomes successful in gaining their attention and trust. What is significant to his method for the students-and the viewer for that matter- is that he connects wit the students in their own level, using examples of their own lives and even using words out of their jargon. The students who have finally found someone who believes in them and does not look down onto them, show a great deal of perseverance and spending a great deal of effort they all pass the very difficult exam successfully. The movie tries to show in detail the different aspects of a minority group's life in the 80s America. Mr.Escalante an educated man with a job at a corporation feels something lacking and so quits his job to do something for his society. He has to fight for his place at the school, and to be taken seriously for what unique work he wants done. The life of the students and what they are struggling with, however in short, passing scenes has been shown perfectly. Most of them are from families with low income, a number of siblings, parents working shifts round the clock. Absorbed in the social conventions and highly accepted stereotypes no one in the community and among the young people themselves imagines a different scenario. According to Mr.Escalante the students have stopped trying because they are treated as inferior. It has been a presumption that they are lazy, or are not smart enough to receive a good or high level of education. The pattern has been repeated for so long that the students themselves have actually believed and internalised the situation. To remember the historical context, the 80s is usually remembered as America's flourishing years, the years which showed what America was meant to, and was going to be. After the uneasy days of the 60s, with struggles for civil rights and reaching a considerable amount of the goals; after the 70s and putting behind the economic problems and recession, 80s was considered a time that people could pursue more personal interests rather than trying to solve the general problems of the public. This is visible in the culture of the decade, TV shows showing "happy days", the revolting rock music of the 70s was now changed to folk music, and computers became available to the public. But as seen in the movie, it is not the case for all. The group presented in the movie, still struggles with economic problems, has issues with inferior treatment from the majority because of race, cannot gain access to computers at school let alone having personal computers, and so does not find the time or chance to get involved with the new culture developing in the country. The situation depicted in the movie can be explained to a good deal according to the standpoint theory, which is assumes people's experiences, knowledge and opinions are shaped by the social groups to which they belong. To draw and example from the movie, one can observe easily the different meaning various concepts have for the people, for example a boy sees future success in being able to repair and fix cars rather than studying. Or that the role of the female in the society is suggested to be one who has a skill and therefore a minor job and will marry and bear and rear children. In the end, I think the movie has done a splendid job in showing to the core what a minority group went through trying to survive the pressures and difficulties imposed on it. The human factor shown through the connection between Mr.Escalante and his students, however sentimental, showed a great deal can be done through mutual understanding and effort.

The frequent attacks on teachers by anti-public education ideologues make Ramon Menendez's "Stand and Deliver" all the more important. Edward James Olmos plays Jaime Escalante, who became a math teacher in an east LA high school. The students were viewed as lost causes, but Escalante refused to give up on them. In addition to showing what Escalante himself set out to accomplish, the movie makes the point that teachers do their best to teach, but are often put in nearly impossible settings. Indeed, opinions of students are often formed by their race, as Escalante realizes with the investigations.But the point is that "Stand and Deliver" is a real inspiration. It does just what the title says! Everyone should see it.