Film Capsule: American Teacher

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Ask anyone from Barack Obama to Arne Duncan to Bill Gates, and they’ll tell you the one component – the only component – that’s been proven to have a significant, long-term impact on a child’s learning potential is the quality of the teachers that child encounters along the way.

How significant is that impact?

Well, according to statistics from the Department of Education, one superior teacher can increase the average student’s lifetime earning potential by as much as $20,000.

That $20,000 per student … per awesome teacher.  Continue reading →

Film Critic F.X. Feeney on Woody Allen

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“His sensitivity to music is key to his success as a filmmaker, because very early on – right from the very first films – he’s got a sense of rhythm; a sense of timing. Rhythm and timing are key to success in comedy, but because he has this other melodic sensitivity, I think it really makes it possible for him to do not only excellent comedy, but it makes it possible for him to be emotional as well.” 

Film Capsule: Return

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Return is a somber war-at-home pic that examines post-traumatic stress from the unraveling perspective of a military mom.

Kelli (Linda Cardellini) is a National Guard supply specialist, who returns from a deployment abroad to a Rust Belt overrun with boarded-up plants, vacant lots, and miles of white pickets, piercing the air like tiny wooden swords.  Continue reading →