Whiz Kids Hollywood Documentary Movie (2010)
Cast And Crew
Cast: Not Available
Director:Tina DiFeliciantonio,Tom Shepard
Production:Elizabeth Zox Friedman,
Michael Duca,Tom Shepard,
Tina DiFeliciantonio,Philipe Carvalho,Greg Little
Writer: Jane C. Wagner
Cinematographer:Tina DiFeliciantonio
Music:Laura Karpman
Sound:Jane C. Wagner
Theatrical Release: 6/4/2010
Runtime:1 hr 22 mins
Genres:Documentary,Education,
Science,& technology, Culture & society
Official Website: WhizKidsmovie.com
Synopsis:
America was once the world's leader in scientific and technological research, but at the dawn of the 21st Century, the nation's standing had begun to slip, and as cuts in school funding and a lack of emphasis on science under the George W. Bush administration took their toll, an international study revealed that students in 25 major nations consistently scored higher in math and science than their counterparts in the United States. As American schools strive to reprioritize science and math, the nationwide competition the Science Talent Search seeks to find and nurture the most promising science students in America's high schools. Offering a grand prize of $100,000, the Science Talent Search is the oldest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the United States, and filmmakers Tina DiFeliciantonio and Tom Shepard follow three gifted teens who have made it into the STS finals in the documentary Whiz Kids. Ana Cisneros attends a school in Long Island, New York with a primarily Latino and African-American student body, but while people of color have been poorly represented in the STS, ambitious Ana has become one of the top botany students in the state and is determined to prove the stereotypes are wrong.
At a time when American teens lag far behind other countries in math and science, WHIZ KIDS tells a coming-of-age story of three remarkably different yet equally passionate 17-year-old scientists who vie to compete in the nation's oldest, most prestigious science competition. Win or lose, these ‘whiz kids’ raise questions about class, courage, personal sacrifice, success and failure, and in the process, learn as much about themselves as they do about science.
Over the past decade, countries like China and India vastly increased support for research and development, while U.S. funding remained largely stagnant. Government appropriations for agencies such as the National Institutes of Health decreased and scientists around the country almost uniformly complained that this lack of support led to a stifling of innovation. Not surprisingly, U.S. teens now rank 24th in the world in math and science. As global economies become increasingly competitive, America's future rests on the shoulders of our next generation. The main characters in WHIZ KIDS demonstrate that American students can meet that challenge.
The Story:
Harmain Khan is the son of a immigrant couple who came to New York City with almost nothing and sometimes were forced to survive on food stamps and by collecting bottles and cans. Harmain, has shown a striking talent in paleontology, and drives himself to achieve a success that has eluded most of his family. And Kelydra Welcker has won awards for her research into the effects of chemicals dumped into the rivers in her West Virginia community. But while Kelydra is convinced she's doing the right thing for her home town and the environment, her project threatens to shut down one of the county's largest employer -- the same company that provides her father a paycheck and pension. Whiz Kids received its premiere as a special preview at the 2009 Cinequest Film Festival.
Movie Reviews:
You can’t dis the pursuit of excellence—especially when it’s bright-eyed high-schoolers doing the pursuing. So even though the science fair was something your other classmates did while you mastered Pitfall!, the sights in Whiz Kids will no doubt stir you.
At the documentary’s heart is the Intel-sponsored annual Science Talent Search; far from a mere gymnasium affair, it carries a hefty top prize of $100,000. And the work that competes in it (only 40 projects get chosen) has the power to change the world, such as a West Virginian’s chemical cleanup process that poses a serious threat to local giant DuPont.
Director Tom Shepard, once a finalist himself, adopts the typical structure seen in Spellbound and Wordplay, where adorable dorks ramp up their excitement via respectful competition. And the three contestants he chooses to follow are certainly magnetic: winningly verbal and strange. (Young Kelydra, the West Virginian, deserves her own Parks and Recreation.) But from a brilliant mind, you expect more depth; rarely does Shepard’s film address what these teens might be missing out on in their bullish pursuits. Sure, they go to Washington and shake hands with Obama. Yet though the Ivies beckon, you can’t help but wonder if the real world much occurs to them. Still: So much better than The Hills.—Joshua Rothkopf
Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/film/86184/whiz-kids-film-review#ixzz0q7QCp4NI
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