Were it not based on a true story, this scholastic against-the-odds drama might be too easily dismissed as just another standard slice of Hollywood inspiration. But with a surplus of honesty and integrity it more or less sidesteps any serious prejudice to become a well crafted, topical crowd pleaser, albeit one perhaps better suited to the less demanding (and, for its intended teen audience, more accessible) format of a made-for-television movie. Edward James Olmos shines in his rather grubby portrayal of an inner city math teacher in an ethnic East Los Angeles high school, who motivates his borderline delinquent class through calculus studies. Cramming for a math test isn't exactly high drama, but the film is more watchable than its scenario would suggest, avoiding cheap sentiment and refusing to pat itself on the back. Noble intentions are, for once, matched by honorable, if unambitious, results.
Review of Stand and Deliver
