It's just too heavy for Superman to lift

As the father of a now three year old who has already been forced to think about where his kid is going to school, I feel pretty fortunate to have some good options here for Jake in our fair city. The documentary opening up this Friday at a/perture chronicles some kids whose opportunities could be determined by the drop of a ball. Waiting for "Superman" is the latest documentary from Davis Guggenheim, who last got the nation riled up about the environment in An Inconvenient Truth. "Superman" explores the current state of the public education system in the US, and how it is affecting our children.

I had an idea for Jake's future - I was going to head up to Atlantic City, heed Wesley Snipes's advice to always bet on black, but take it a step further because 50/50 odds are too good and put my life savings on 26 (happy birthday Jake!) to determine whether or not he gets the opportunity to make something of himself. Sound preposterous? Apparently Bill Gates and Oprah agree, and Guggenheim shares the story of five kids trying to find their future. Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post probably captures the urgency of the subject matter of the movie better than I do in his review. Watch this trailer and tell me you don't get a little stirred up from just this snippet:

The movie's title came from a Harlem educator's belief that Superman would fix the problems affecting his area, and while the film leaves one with the impression that we're still waiting, the optimist in me believes we're getting closer. But like any good documentary, this one gets you thinking, and kick starts the discussions that we need to be having, so don't be left out in the cold when the rest of this town is talking about this movie.