Race to Nowhere
| Race to Nowhere | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Vicki Abeles Jessica Congdon |
| Written by | Maimone Attia |
| Produced by | Vicki Abeles |
| Cinematography | Maimone Attia Sophia E. Constantinou |
| Edited by | Jessica Congdon |
| Music by | Mark Adler |
Production company | Reel Link Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Spanish Mandarin |
Race to Nowhere is a 2009 documentary film written by Maimone Attia and directed by Vicki Abeles and Jessica Congdon.
Background
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2011) |
Director Vicki Abeles made this movie after the pressures of school, homework, tutoring and extracurricular activities made her middle-school daughter physically sick.
Abeles started to make major changes at home, but the problem seemed more systemic. She heard similar stories about the unintended consequences upon kids of today’s education system and culture. The difficulty at first seemed to center on one critical issue: the plight of students driven to acquire the strong performance requirements for selection by top universities for enrollment to ensure rewarding careers. The film recounts the story of a local high school girl who committed suicide under fear of academic failure.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]Race to Nowhere* is a 2009 documentary film that delves into the high-pressure culture of the American education system, examining its impact on students, educators, and families. The film presents a series of personal stories from young people across the United States who have been pushed to their limits by the demands of homework, standardized testing, and the relentless pursuit of academic excellence. These pressures often result in significant emotional, physical, and mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and burnout. In some cases, the consequences are devastating, as illustrated by the story of a high school student who tragically took her own life due to fear of academic failure.
The documentary also highlights the struggles faced by educators, many of whom feel overburdened and constrained by a system that prioritizes test scores and performance metrics over meaningful learning and student well-being. Teachers express concerns about their inability to foster creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning in students within the confines of rigid curricula and standardized assessments. Additionally, the film explores the role of parents, who often find themselves torn between supporting their children's ambitions and protecting them from the harmful effects of an overly competitive educational environment.
Through these narratives, *Race to Nowhere* critiques a system that equates success with academic achievement and argues for a reimagining of education that prioritizes balance, mental health, and the holistic development of students..[2]
Reception
[edit]Since its release in 2010, Race to Nowhere has garnered a wide range of praise and criticism. Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch has called it “a compelling film about the stress that kids today experience.”[citation needed] Trip Gabriel of The New York Times called it “a must-see movie.”[3]
In a review for Slant Magazine, Jesse Cataldo gave the film a rating of two stars out of four and criticised the film's lack of objectivity and "occasional lapses into hysterical worrywarting", but called it "the rare documentary that provides legitimate answers to the questions it raises".[4] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times was critical of the director's attempt to make a "single, clear narrative" out of such a large topic, but praised her compassion.[2] Writing for The Village Voice, Ella Taylor said that the director "sheds little new light" on why many parents, teachers and politicians are in favor of extensive homework and testing of high school students.[5]
Distribution
[edit]Though Abeles has been approached by major distributors offering to place her movie in commercial theaters, the filmmaker has chosen to distribute the film directly. Price of the movie depends on license, which ranges from individual home use to group screening in communities, education organizations, professional associations and civic groups. The individual household license has fixed price and includes a DVD disc, cost of other licenses is negotiated for each screening.[citation needed]
Related developments
[edit]Vicki Abeles continues to explore the theme of school students being overwhelmed by homework and needless pressure.[6]
See also
[edit]- Academically Adrift
- Waiting for "Superman"
- American Teacher
- "Project Happiness"
- The Overachievers
- Kyoiku mama
References
[edit]- ^ "Race to Nowhere". film website.
- ^ a b Catsoulis, Jeannette (September 9, 2010), "The Overscheduled Child", The New York Times, retrieved March 17, 2011
- ^ Gabriel, Trip (2010-12-08). "Parents Embrace Documentary on Pressures of School". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ Cataldo, Jesse (September 6, 2010), "Race to Nowhere", Slant Magazine, retrieved March 17, 2011
- ^ Taylor, Ella (September 8, 2010), "Mom's Mad as Hell and Not Gonna Take It Anymore in Education Doc Race to Nowhere", The Village Voice, Village Voice Media, retrieved March 17, 2011
- ^ "We're destroying our kids -- for nothing: Too much homework, too many tests, too much needless pressure". 31 October 2015.