BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Pablo Borbon Main II

Golden Country Subd., Alangilan, Batangas City

FILM REVIEW

Group No.: 3 Name of the Group: Cute Angles

Section: BSIT-1101 Math Symbol of the Group: ∠
Date Submitted: 23 August 2019
Group Members:

1. De Padua, Raymund Nevin S. 6. Espiritu, Jeric Johnwell A.

2. Dela Cuesta. Almario C. 7. Evangelista, Jhon Carlo B.
3. Diata, Alex L. 8. Fabellon, Christian Rafael T.
4. Driz , Abegail P. 9. Fundan, Raffy S.
5. Enriquez, Kryzle Rahne H.

Title of the Movie: Stand and Deliver

Cast: Edward James Olmos as Jaime Escalante
Estelle Harris as Secretary
Virginia Paris as Racquel Ortega
Will Gotay as Pancho
Ingrid Oliu as Lupe
Carmen Argenziano as Molina
Rosanna DeSoto as Fabiola Escalante
Vanessa Marquez as Ana Delgado
Lou Diamond Phillips as Angel Guzman
Lydia Nicole as Rafaela Fuentes
James Victor as Ana's Father
Andy García as Ramirez
Music Scorer: Craig Safan
Film Editor: Nancy Richardson
Director of Photography: Tom Richmond
Executive Producer: Lindsay Law
Writer: Ramón Menéndez & Tom Musca
Producer: Tom Musca
Director: Ramón Menéndez

Synopsis / Summary:
Garfield High School — an educational institution that is looked down upon for its
undisciplined and rebellious students. Students who are deemed by the society as hopeless and
unworthy of education that the teachers are more concerned on disciplining rather than educating
them. Jaime Escalante, the new teacher in the school, expecting to teach computer science, is given
a classroom having mostly young delinquents. Escalante never gives up despite the constant threats
and pressure from both the students and the teachers themselves. As the school year progresses,
Escalante manages to improve the class through the use of his Hispanic background and teaching
techniques. The student realizes that teaching by motivation grants anyone the dedication to learn
anything. What more, is that the students learn to love not only the subject, but also the one
teaching it. The performance of the students drastically improved that they were able to pass the
AP Calculus test. However, because of the school's reputation and the students' cultural
background, the Educational Testing Service accused the students of cheating, demanding them to
retake the test. In the end, the ETS is proven wrong as all the students managed to pass the test
once again, making Escalante and his students proud of what they have become and will become,
shall the future lie ahead.

Review:
Although it is understood that the film is not that historically accurate in terms of characters
and series of events, it still told the story of the real-life Jaime Escalante who, against all odds,
succeeded in not only improving his life, but also the life of his students. The film's storytelling
managed to deliver its message, especially to the students who think that they should just stay in
the way the society told them to. The audios and the visuals focused on its changing ambience in
order to give the film an illumination of life. Notice how the film portrayed the setting with a dark
and moody atmosphere compared to the bright and cheery atmosphere in the ending. All in all, the
film can be considered a fine work in its era, not only in terms of the film as a product, but the
message it wanted us to understand.

Questions:

1. Based on the movie you watched, what would be now your own perspective about
Mathematics?

De Padua: The movie made me realize how important Mathematics really is, it may
be hard at first, but at the end of the day, Mathematics is really just Mathematics. We
take it, we learn from it, we may struggle at some point, but in the end we realize how
benificial its is for us. Mathematics helps us to think analytically and have better
reasoning abilities. Learning Mathematics helps us to develop our lifelong learning
skills.

Dela Cuesta: Even though Mathematics is difficult, it can increase the level of
concentration of the students and it can improve their discipline, but only if they work
hard to it.

Diata: Mathematics is a complex puzzle that makes you regret of solving it, but there
is always a passionate teacher that will teach you how to solve it, no matter how
complex the puzzle is.

Driz: Math is very important in everyone's life and for our daily activities. Based on
the movie, Math stands as an great equalizer in our life and in our society. There's no
cultural bias in math. The movie changed my perspective because it taught us that math
 is not that hard and that no students are stupid. As Mr. Escalante said, we students need
'Ganas' or the desire to succeed and also a good teacher to motivate us.

Enriquez: I was really moved deeply and got swayed with the context of the movie as
it tries to unleash the fear and distress that I have in regards to Mathematics. After
watching and by thorough absorption of the movie’s standpoint to the course, my
negative emotional thoughts and feelings about Math were flushed away and got easily
replaced with excitement, optimism and eagerness to pass, understand and learn new
things about the course.

Espritu: It made me realize that no matter how much you hate Mathematics, if there
is always a teacher that can help you show who you are and what you can do in that
particular subject, you will succeed.

Evangelista: After watching the movie, Mathematics can be learned by anyone, even
though you don’t like Math. You need to be determined for you to show your full
potential on Mathematics.

Fabellon: The field of Mathematics is not only taught by means of hour-long painful
lectures and activities, but it is also taught by means of motivation and empowerment
of the students’ capabilities towards Mathematics by how the teacher acknowledges
their strengths and not their weaknesses.

Fundan: I think Mathematics is one of our challenges in life. It may or may not change
our perspective, but we need to face the challenges in our life to get through it.

2. In your own opinion, is Mathematics important in our daily lives? Why? Explain
it very briefly.

De Padua: Yes, Mathematics has been part of our daily lives ever since then.
Mathematics has a number of very useful benefits, it quickens your mind in thinking
and generates practicality.

Dela Cuesta: Yes, because we use Mathematics in everyday life, even in simple
situation and it balances many things in this world, and if Mathematics doesn't exist,
maybe the world is full of confusion.

Diata: Mathematics is an important part of our daily lives because it serves as an

instrument to know how many/much objects are, just like buying toys and shoes.

Driz: Math is important in our life because we use it every day, even in different and
simple tasks, and it helps us think more precisely, analytically and have better reasoning
ability.

Enriquez: Mathematics is an essential to be acquired because it develops so much

things with regards to our behavior, and skills through the help of different
 mathematical learnings and concepts. This course helps our brain to function and
develop various cognitive tasks well like decision making and problem solving that we
usually stumble upon in our everyday lives.

Espritu: Yes, because it helps us everywhere and in whatever we are doing, like buying
foods, gadgets, and other things.

Evangelista: Yes, because whenever we go, we use math. Mathematics can help us
think critically and build us with better decision making. We also use math for buying,
on the clock, counting your savings and many more.

Fabellon: Everyone can say that Mathematics is not relevant since most of the complex
formulas are, but just stop for a moment and look around, there are Mathematics all
around you; how many friends are still true to you?

Fundan: Mathematics is important in our daily lives because math is used all the time
anywhere, and it would be a great idea if the math tutor realizes that the students
understand how math is useful in our daily life, even if you don't like math or aren't
good at it.

3. How are you going to relate Mathematics in your life after watching the movie?
Explain your answer as brief as possible.

De Padua: I can relate Mathematics in my own life because as a student I also

experience on having problems with school, in the house and with friends, but I always
find a solution for it.

Dela Cuesta: We all know that Mathematics is hard just like human's way of living,
and I use Mathematics more often in many situations every single day, and maybe it
can improve my discipline and increase the level of my concentration.

Diata: I am not good in Mathematics, myself, but in every classroom, there is always
a passionate and courageous Mathematics teacher that will guide us to learn, not only
in the subject, but also in my personal life.

Driz: Like a problem, sometimes, we think that we cannot solved it nor we can't surpass
hard problems that comes to our life, and we also need a good people in our lives who
motivates and guide us through hard times.

Enriquez: Just like this course, life throws us rocks that made it tough and hard for us
to deal with, but as we grew longer and understand better, we are slowly dealing and
coping above it by just simply not giving up and giving our best. Mathematics helped
the students to understand more things, while in life, we were given so much problems
not to oppress and torture us but to give us more meaningful life experiences.
 Espritu: I’m not good in Mathematics and I hate it, but you can never hate it if there's
a teacher that will never leave his student until they understand the lessons.

Evangelista: I’m not good on solving any mathematical problems, but I can learn
Mathematics if I strive hard enough and accept Mathematics as a whole.

Fabellon: Life and Mathematics are both a collection of complex processes which
requires its challengers not to rush everything in an instance, but to believe in what
he/she can do, therefore having it in his/her own unique ways to solve it.

Fundan: Even though I hate math and I’m not good at it, if there will be a teacher to
teach us and to guide us in math willingly, we will learn it.

4. What lesson have you learned after seeing the movie?

De Padua: The lesson that I’ve learned from the movie is about being a model of
change. If you want to make something happen and you know that many people will
benefit from it, then make a stand. Every great dreams begins with a dreamer. Always
remember that you have within you the strength, patience, and passion to reach for the
stars and change the world.

Dela Cuesta: I learned that Mathematics isn't just a subject. For me, it is also a builder;
a builder who can build or change the student's discipline from worse to better, and it
can enhance our concentration, especially when we pay attention to it.

Diata: If you want to achieve your goals, accept challenges. Accepting helps, and more
importantly, brings upon encouragement that will help you boost your confidence to
strive more for your dreams.

Driz: After watching the movie, I learned that studying may not be easy. There are
trials and obstacles that you may face, but try to find the courage and motivate yourself.
The only competition is within yourself. You need to fight to gain what you want. Math
may be hard for some students, but if you are eager to pursue your goals, nothing is
hard for you.

Enriquez: In the movie, wherein a high school teacher took those hopeless and
unmotivated students who were then called as potential dropouts of the university, but
has never thought of giving the class up even though he was the only person who
believes that the impossible is possible. I can correlate myself from those students who
have fought and tried so hard many times, but still stumble upon and failed. But upon
watching, I have then realized that I shouldn’t give up my dreams just like how the
students did with Mathematics and with the help of their instructor. Despite all the
hindrances and hardships that keeps me apart from reaching what I wanted, I’d still
give hundreds and thousands of tries until I succeed because everything is possible with
the help and support of the people that surrounds me and just because I can do things
with eagerness, perseverance and faith that everything will fall into place.
Espritu: I learned that no matter how good or bad you think about Mathematics, you
just need to be a good listener. Even in real life, just open your mind to understand your
weaknesses.

Evangelista: I learned that even though I hate math, it is just an obstacle for me to pass.
I need to give my best to learn math. Just like the movie, there were full of reasons for
the students not to study math, but the teacher didn't give up on the students and
everyone passed the exams. Now, I know that I can do it too.

Fabellon: I have learned that it was not you who was the problem all along. It was the
way you were interpreting it. Life and Mathematics is hard because the people around
you wanted to make you perceive it was hard, but never look down, lift your head, look
forward, think straight, and realize, “Wait, it really is hard.”, but never give up, because
one day, everything will be over.

Fundan: I learned that, even I hate math, there's always a way to get through. We know
that math is hard but you just have to understand it and be good listener.