A hilarious editorial in the NY Daily News:

The reviewer doth protest: School documentary gives teachers union chief the horrors

Sunday, September 12th 2010, 4:00 AM

www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/09/12/2010-09-12_the_reviewer_doth_protest.html#ixzz0zJiSGv60

There's a movie opening in two weeks that we can't wait to see. One of the nation's most prominent critics has given it one hell of a notice. One hell of a pan, that is.

Her name is Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, and the film is "Waiting for Superman." It's the latest from the director of "An Inconvenient Truth."

The Oscars would classify "Waiting for Superman" as a documentary about charter-school education in New York, Washington and California. But to Weingarten, it's a horror movie with a message that goes like this:

In too many cases - cover your eyes! - schools fail to serve poor kids. Part of the fault rests with teachers who - look away! - don't measure up, yet can't be fired. And outstanding schools, specifically - aaaaaah! - outstanding charter schools, can transform kids' lives.

In a 1,000-word missive, Weingarten complained that "the film casts several outliers in starring roles, including 'bad' teachers." She put the adjective in quotes and griped that "these caricatures are more fictional than factual."

The critic concluded: "The most effective solutions didn't make it into the film." Such as "developing and supporting great teachers... and insisting on shared responsibility and mutual accountability that hold everyone, not just teachers, responsible for ensuring that all our children receive a great education."

Go see for yourselves. Decide which has the better grip on reality, the movie or the reviewer. And pass the popcorn.