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(More customer reviews)THis documentary (and I hate to use that word, as it sounds so dreary) is set in a high school in a particularly awful Southern California community -- Compton. The only good thing about the school is the basketball team (one of the players goes directly to the Chicago Bulls after graduation) and the students tend to get pregnant (the girls) or get shot (the boys). A couple of idealistic teachers decide that it's time to try putting on a play -- something that hasn't happened in ages (if at all) at this high school. They pick Our Town, which is perhaps an odd choice given how middle America Our Town is, and how -- diverse -- the students at Dominguez H.S. in Compton are (Hispanic and African American). The students think a play sounds like fun but then they think they don't like the play and what if no-one comes to see them, etc. The teachers have trouble with students coming to rehearsal and memorizing their lines. The high school has no stage (great gym, however).
I won't tell you how the play turns out -- I was concerned myself the closer they got to opening day and couldn't imagine what it was like for the teachers.
I wish movies like this were more widely distributed. For one thing, getting to know the student actors in this movie helped you see the real diversity in Compton -- how different but real each student was, how in some ways the stereotype was true (violence is a big problem in Compton and the students aren't self-disciplined and bring quite a lot of baggage to class) and yet they have potential, talent, and their own stories to tell.
I highly recommend this movie.
Click Here to see more reviews about: OT:OUR TOWN. A Famous American Play in an Infamous American Town
Against all odds, the first theatrical production in over 20 years at Dominguez High School is going to be Thornton Wilder's American classic "Our Town." The kids at this Compton school are about to experience more than a culture clash, as they embark on a rich journey and discover the educational and social value of theater. OT: our town tells the story of human spirit and its strength against the cliches attempting to hold them down. Where Wilder wrote about little Grover's Corners, this documentary exemplifies how Our Town is every town, Our Town is Compton.Winner - Best Documentary - Los Angeles FF.Winner - Palm Springs Int'l Festival.Nominated - Best Documentary - Independent Spirit Awards.Official Selection - Toronto, South by Southwest and Tribeca Film Festivals.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
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