An idealistic teacher movie starring Chandler is on TNT tonight. It is pretty lame though based on a true story; more power to the real guy who made a difference in an inner city school. My sister took the Welcome Back Kotter route and went back to her high school in the Bronx, but it wasn't quite idealism -- she went back to school to get her teaching degree and it was the job she was offered.
Rather go somewhere closer to her home in the suburbs (which corrupted her so much she votes Republican -- luckily the other one balances things out), but more power to her all the same. It's not quite "inner city," but it is not exactly the place you really want to send your teenager to school. In fact, it was the main reason ... not religious idealism ... why I was not sent there when my time came around. Anyway, hard to believe the real hero at issue here was that lame.
Yeah, starting to sound like one of the girls in his seventh grade class. OTOH, there is the approach taken by the junior high teacher in Half Nelson -- go off the curriculum, and teach history as if you are speaking to some graduate students interested (or who could understand) dialetics -- contrasts, opposing forces ... Hegelian stuff, as if I actually studied the guy. Intellectual history was never really my thing though I know just enough (and can look up some of the rest) to sort of know what people are talking about when they delve into that stuff.
Anyway, when not doing that, coaching basketball and caring about his students, he is doing drugs. This whole package might be why he bounds with a student, whose brother is in jail for drug sales, and whose only real other father figure is the local dealer who wants her to become one of his couriers. Uplifting story, you know? It was a good movie, the leads powerful and hitting home -- you care about these people and they ring true. Or, so they say ... I (luckily) had no direct involvement with drug addicts.
The quality of the film is probably why the first showing was sold out. Thus, it was a good time to go to the nearby Barnes and Nobles megastore. There are probably around a half of dozen megastore book stores in Manhattan and it's a good way to kill time, even if you don't go get an overpriced coffee. I saw an amusing young adult book, another book underling religion is not just for conservatives (noting in part the johnny come lately anti-abortion tendencies of Southern Baptists), and various bargain books. And more.
A few weeks back, I went to a reading at another smaller B&N some two miles away, opposite side of Manhattan. Earlier, I saw the comedian Lewis Black there, but the crowd was much larger for him. This is so even though he was not a former stripper. While there, I picked up one of those bargain books -- a good way to pick up something that might cost over $20 for less than $10 -- feeling less guilty especially when buying hard cover fiction. It was a historical look at the understanding of religious freedom in this country with assorted excerpts of essays, books, and cases. Mixed bag, but not a bad find.
Anyway, I even found a cute pair of magnet/clips for holding notes on the refrigerator and stuff in the subway. You know, while I was eating a snack of mixed fruit and nuts -- the food that they might feed to monkeys at the zoo or something is actually not always bad. Seriously, twinkie level junk food leaves something to be desired as does candy often enough. I tend to like some substance to my snacks, though sure, good cookies and stuff hit the spot. Talking snacks, two tasty morsels to pick up at street vendors are pretzels and those roasted peanuts. The latter might actually still cost you a $1, while pretzels often go for up to $2 these days.
Last night movie at the relatives (one went on vacation -- stuff for me!). I think a good simple romance (that wasn't quite it) is due to come out. Seriously, a quick check suggests that I saw some with a twist, but (the Sandra Bullock one looked too corny) just run of the mill, that's a toughie. Really, though it doesn't quite fit, Walk the Line is probably the closest one I saw in the movies for some time.
Good movie.