The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| ‘Parent power’ film stirs education reform row Posted: 30 Sep 2012 03:34 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept 30 — Education reform film "Won't Back Down" has opened to terrible reviews — and high hopes from activists who expect the movie to inspire parents everywhere to demand big changes in public schools. The drama stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a spirited mother who teams up with a passionate teacher to seize control of their failing neighbourhood school, over the opposition of a self-serving teachers union.  Face of a spirited, union-battling mother: Maggie Gyllenhaal at the gala presentation for the film "Hysteria" at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 15, 2011. — Reuters file pic Private foundations, nonprofit advocacy groups and the US Chamber of Commerce have pumped more than US$2 million (RM6.1 million) into advocacy efforts tied to "Won't Back Down", including 30-second ads, promotional bookmarks, websites, private screenings and a six-month, cross-country discussion tour that will keep the film in circulation long after it leaves cinemas. Their goal: To attract new foot soldiers who will help them fight for legislation that allows parents to seize control of local schools, as dramatised in the film; eliminates tenure protections for veteran teachers; and opens the door for more competition to neighbourhood schools in the form of charters, which are publicly funded but privately run. "This movie has the potential to be one of the most transformative vehicles in the history of education reform," said Ben Austin, a long-time Democratic activist. Austin now runs Parent Revolution, which promotes "parent trigger" laws allowing parents unhappy with struggling schools to take control, fire teachers and bring in private management. His organisation is holding 35 private screenings of "Won't Back Down" in states from Georgia to Utah to New York over the next month to rally more parents to the cause. "This movie is telling a story that's relevant to hundreds of thousands of parents across America," Austin said. Union leaders, for their part, have slammed the movie as a propaganda film that bears little resemblance to reality. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has called it "egregiously misleading" and complained that several scenes seemed designed for "the sole purpose of undermining people's confidence in public education, public school teachers and teacher unions". Parent groups that support teachers' unions have organised protests outside some screenings. And they've been gleefully posting negative reviews of "Won't Back Down" on Facebook and Twitter. Push for charter schools So far, the reform coalition has ignored the bad reviews and pushed ahead with their marketing efforts. The drive to capitalise on the movie grows out of lingering disappointment within the education reform community over the last major film to carry their message, the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'." Produced by Walden Media, which is also behind "Won't Back Down", the documentary chronicled dysfunction in urban schools and the desperation of parents trying to find alternatives for their children. "Waiting for 'Superman' " was well-received and widely viewed, thanks to backing by the Gates Foundation. But activists hoping for a big boost from the film were disappointed. "We didn't feel we captured anyone," said Matt David, a consultant to Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of Washington D.C. public schools and a major figure in the reform movement. Many viewers walked out angry at the public school system, he said, but had no way to channel that emotion into action. This time, Rhee is moving quickly to provide a channel. Her advocacy group, StudentsFirst, has bought 30-second ads to run before showings of "Won't Back Down" in 1,500 cinemas and sponsored marketing efforts to drive viewers to her website. That website has been revamped to feature an "action centre" where people moved by the film can sign up to join StudentsFirst, view short videos about its agenda (including one from comedian and newly appointed board member Bill Cosby), and share their own experiences with public schools. The website of the Centre for Education Reform urges viewers to launch their own charter schools to compete with public schools. "You don't need a PhD or a teaching degree to start a school," the centre advises on its website. "Remember, you can do it now." The most enduring campaign linked to the film may be the six-month "Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity" tour arranged by the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce. Drawing on a US$1.2 million grant from the Daniels Fund, the group plans to stage private screenings and discussion forums for business and civic leaders in cities from Memphis, Tennessee, to El Paso, Texas, to Trenton, New Jersey. The American Federation of Teachers is countering with its own series of town hall meetings and workshops across the country designed to present teachers — and unions — as natural allies of parents seeking to better their schools. — Reuters |
| India’s Oscars entry draws copycat flak Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:35 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept 30 — India's entry for best foreign language film at next year's Oscars has become the latest Bollywood movie to draw flak for allegedly plagiarising foreign hits in a "mash-up" of ripped-off scenes. "Barfi!" has won over critics and cinema-goers for its portrayal of a love triangle between a deaf man named Barfi and two women, one of whom is autistic — not typical subject matter in the prolific Hindi-language film industry. But since its release two weeks ago, several videos have spread through YouTube and social media sites highlighting a number of scenes that appear to draw heavily from international classics. Film buffs spotted stark resemblances with clips from Gene Kelly's hit "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), Jackie Chan's "Project A" (1983), Buster Keaton's "Cops" (1922) and "The Notebook" (2004) starring Ryan Gosling among others.  'Barfi!' has won over critics and cinema-goers for its portrayal of a love triangle between a deaf man named Barfi and two women, one of whom is autistic. — AFP pic One of the clearest sources of inspiration is Charlie Chaplin: one scene shows Barfi dodging a policeman through a sliding door, just as the king of silent film did in 1917's "The Adventurer". "Barfi!" director Anurag Basu has hit back at critics, saying the film is intentionally paying homage to Chaplin in a similar way to "The Artist", the black-and-white silent film that won Best Picture at this year's Oscars. "If I would have changed the shot, twisted things around and made it my own it would have been stealing," Basu told the Indian TV show Headlines Today. "I did shot-to-shot because they are famous iconic shots and scenes from famous masterpieces, every filmmaker knows them." Bollywood has come under fire before for remaking Hollywood flicks in the Hindi language, but "Barfi!" is under particular scrutiny because the movie-mad country is yet to win an Oscar in the foreign film category. "So why would an Oscar jury pick a movie that reminds them of the very many movies they've seen before — and which include films that are now Hollywood legend?" asked online magazine Firstpost. In one of several earlier Bollywood copycat rows, US studio 20th Century Fox submitted a US$1.4 million (RM4.3 million) claim in 2009 against BR Films over "Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai", alleging it was an illegal remake of "My Cousin Vinny". The case was settled out of court. Image consultant Dilip Cherian worried that entering "Barfi!" into the Oscars could cause embarrassment for India in the long-run. "The fact is that critics will start wondering at which stage does plagiarism end in Indian movies and at what stage is it inspiration," he told Headlines Today. Only three Indians films have been shortlisted in the foreign film category at the Oscars: "Mother India" in 1958, "Salaam Bombay!" (Hello Bombay!) in 1989, and "Lagaan" (Land Tax) in 2002. Manju Borah, who chairs India's selection committee, defended the latest choice. "We selected 'Barfi!' because of its treatment and freshness," she told the Hindustan Times. "In any case, every filmmaker is inspired by some cinema." Film critic and curator Meenakshi Shedde said an "affectionate tribute" to world cinema, such as "Barfi!", was not the same as stealing someone's ideas — but she doubted for other reasons whether the film was the best selection. "The criteria the Oscars look for is something uniquely Indian. Something that offers insights into the culture or society," Shedde told AFP. — AFP-Relaxnews |
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