WAITING FOR SUPERMAN DVD: 4 STARS
The premise of “Waiting for Superman,” the new documentary from “An Inconvenient Truth” Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim, isn’t a new idea. We’ve heard for years that America’s public school system is broken, letting down the very people it was designed to help—the kids. It sounds standard, yet what Guggenheim reveals is anything but.
His unflinching camera follows a number of students as they navigate their way through the landmine ridden terrain of a school year. His careful analysis of the state of education reveals some disturbing truths by putting a human face on it. By and large he leaves out the politics and allows the stories of the children to become the focus leading up to a climax—a lottery system to win a place at a better school—that will have you on the edge of your seat.
“Waiting for Superman” is riveting stuff, and for Canadians, a cautionary tale.
