Whatever It Takes: Born Into Hardship, Rising to Excellence 2009
Produced by Zebediah Smith, Jilian Elizabeth O'Connor, W. Scott Lyon
Directed by Christopher Wong
DVD, color, 92 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
African American Studies, Education
Date Entered: 03/22/2013
Reviewed by Eric Kofi Acree, Director, John Henrik Clarke Africana Library, Cornell UniversityThis film provides a glimpse into the life of a newly appointed high school principal, Edward Tom, and Sharifea Baskerville, a talented but troubled ninth-grade girl. Cameras follow Tom and others around as it tries to give voice to what takes place in a school where teachers struggle to prepare students for life after school, and students try to live up to exceptions that Tom outlines. Tom is shown supporting students and teachers alike. We see Tom as the hands-on administrator, but it would have been more powerful if we saw Tom collaborating more with other teachers. The special thing about this film is that it shows an administrator and teachers who care about the welfare of student’s education in a trouble community in the Bronx, New York. The film takes the viewer into meetings which include teachers, students and parents. It also highlights a few students with regard to their home life. What is missing in the film is the voice of a seasoned educator or an analysis of what everyone in the film is going through.