The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school and he is determined to improve by any and all means.
Director:
John G. Avildsen
Stars:
Morgan Freeman,
Beverly Todd,
Robert Guillaume
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
A man makes his way from Mexico to L.A. in the 1920s, gets married and raises a big family there. The movie follows the children until they, too, get married and have children in the 1960s.
Director:
Gregory Nava
Stars:
Jimmy Smits,
Esai Morales,
Edward James Olmos
The true story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart topping albums on the Latin music charts.
Director:
Gregory Nava
Stars:
Jennifer Lopez,
Edward James Olmos,
Jon Seda
Kid brother Chuco (Danny De La Paz) is a sullen low-rider still caught up in the life. Despite their differences, their family bond is strong. But that bond is violently tested when rivals ... See full summary »
Director:
Michael Pressman
Stars:
Richard Yniguez,
Danny De La Paz,
Marta DuBois
Mousie and Sad Girl are childhood best friends in a contemporary Los Angeles poor Hispanic neighborhood. But when Sad Girl becomes pregnant by Mousie's boyfriend, a drug dealer named ... See full summary »
Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher in a school in a Hispanic neighbourhood. Convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods help gang members and no-hopers pass the rigorous Advanced Placement exam in calculus.Written by
Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>
Although they have no scenes together in this film, Rosana DeSoto and Lou Diamond Phillips appeared together as mother and son in La Bamba the year before. Phillips portrayed rock icon Ritchie Valens, and DeSoto his mother, Connie. See more »
Goofs
When Edward James Olmos is taking out the garbage and makes a comment to his neighbor about how good his boat looks, the boat registration numbers are an Iowa registration not California where the story takes place. See more »
Quotes
Jaime Escalante:
[to his students]
... There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion. Because of those two strikes, there are some people in this world who will assume that you know less than you do. *Math* is the great equalizer... When you go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your problems; ergo, neither do I. You're going to work harder here than you've ever worked anywhere else. And the only thing I ask from you ...
[...] See more »
"Stand and Deliver" is a strong film which is based on a true story. Edward James Olmos received an Oscar nomination as Jaime Escalante, a man who has decided to teach in a Los Angeles school after quitting a high-paying technological job. Escalante is a man who could be described as a "Patton of the classroom". He will do anything and everything to teach his Hispanic students the complicated mathematics of Calculus so they can pass a test which will give them college credit. This is Olmos' show all the way. He proved to be a dominant actor here and it is he who makes the film believable and overall exceptional. The supporting cast is good, led by a young Lou Diamond Phillips. A solid screenplay and smart direction make "Stand and Deliver" a forgotten winner from the 1980s. 4 stars out of 5.
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"Stand and Deliver" is a strong film which is based on a true story. Edward James Olmos received an Oscar nomination as Jaime Escalante, a man who has decided to teach in a Los Angeles school after quitting a high-paying technological job. Escalante is a man who could be described as a "Patton of the classroom". He will do anything and everything to teach his Hispanic students the complicated mathematics of Calculus so they can pass a test which will give them college credit. This is Olmos' show all the way. He proved to be a dominant actor here and it is he who makes the film believable and overall exceptional. The supporting cast is good, led by a young Lou Diamond Phillips. A solid screenplay and smart direction make "Stand and Deliver" a forgotten winner from the 1980s. 4 stars out of 5.