As a salute to the unsung heroes who manage to run the school while making sure that we Xaverians actually have something between our ears, Stallion has decided to forego of featuring the up and coming flicks for movies that celebrate teachers and teaching.

     Happy Appreciation day, everyone!

• Dead Poets Society
• Mona Lisa Smile
• Mr. Holland's Opus

DEAD POETS SOCIETY
Mark Lua, High 4D
Tagasulat ng Lathalain ng Stallion

    Ipinalabas noong 1989, ang pelikulang “Dead Poets Society.”   Tinalakay sa pelikulang ito ang kakaibang pagkakaibigang mamuo sa pagitan ng ilang mga lalaking mag-aaral ng Welton Academy , isang pribadong paaralan sa Vermont, at ng kanilang bagong guro sa Ingles na si Mr. Keating.  Pinagtuunan ng pansin sa nasabing pelikula ang mga kakaibang paraang ginamit ni Mr. Keating upang pukawin ang sigla ng kanyang mga estudyante.  Gamit ang iba't ibang mga tula bilang inspirasyon, sinikap ng gurong ito na maibahagi sa kaniyang mga mag-aaral ang kahalagahan ng pagyapos sa buhay.

      Sa direksyon ni Peter Weir , binatay and pelikula sa isang nobela ni Kleinbaum. Kabilang sina Robin Williams , Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen sa mga gumanap sa pelikula.  Bukod dito, marami ring natamong nominasyon at karangalan ang pelikulang ito tulad ng:  Best Picture, Best Actor para kay Robin Williams , at Best Original Screenplay mula sa Academy Awards.

      “ Make your life extraordinary. Find other points of view but keep your own one.  No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”  Iilan lamang ang mga ito sa mga salitang makapupulutan nga aral ng sinumang makapapanood ng pelikulang ito.  Kung titingnang mabuti, naaangkop ang mga pangaral ni Mr. Keating sa kasalukuyang panahon sapagkat ninais niyang ipaunawa sa mga estudyante niya na kailangan nilang gawin ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang mabuhay sila nang ganay ayon sa taglay na kakayahan.

      Bukod pa rito, ipinakita ng pelikula a ng kahu say an n g isang na guro h indi lamang batay sa taglay n iyang kaalaman ukol sa kanyang mga itinuturo, kundi pati na rin sa kakayanan niyang makisalamuha sa kaniyang mga estudyante.  Tunay na nagising niya ang damdamin ng kanyang mga estudyante sa hangaring ma ibigay nila ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya, nang sa gayo'y lubusan silang mabuhay bilang mga natatanging indibidwal.  Samakatwid, tunay ring ipinapahayag ng pelikula ang mga bagay-bagay na nagagawa ng isang guro para sa kapakanan ng kanyang mga estudyante.  Si Mr. Keating ay tunay na isang modelo sa pagturo ng pinakamahalagang aral na maituturo: ang kabuluhan ng buhay.

      Sa madaling salita, gaya ng ating mga guro, si Mr. Keating ang siyang nagtulak sa kaniyang mga estudyante upang yakapin at isabuhay ang mga salitang “Carpe Diem” o Seize the day!”

MONA LISA SMILE
Basil Go, H4C
Tagasulat ng Lathalain ng Stallion


     “I thought I was headed to a place that would turn out tomorrow's leaders, not their wives.” These were the words of Katherine Watson, when she was outraged by the type of attitude her students had towards life.

     “Mona Lisa Smile,” directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco), and shown last February 4, 2003, clearly manifested the traditional female roles in 1950s society.  As it displayed the patriarchal society then which limited women to the home, it infused the ideological revolution at that time, when women were beginning to realize who they really are and who they can really be.

      The movie revolves around Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), who plays a revolutionary Art History teacher at Wellesley College in 1953, and her students.  The college is an all-women school that nurtures perfection and skillful academics, but something is missing:   the school is run by its alumnae who believe that though women should receive education, they could only do nothing but be housewives after marriage. Thus, this becomes the clashing point between Katherine's and the college's opposing values.

      The movie focuses on a number of her students.  Joan (Julia Stiles), who recently got engaged, has already decided to become a typical housewife, yet Katherine continuously urges her to pursue her dream of continuing her education at Yale Law School.  Betty (Kirsten Dundst), on the other hand, uses her column in the school paper to drive a wedge between the professor and the stuffy faculty.  While Betty puts on a happily married face, her hostility towards Katherine is actually misplaced anger stemming from her miserable marriage with a cheating charlatan.

      From here, the plot grows as Katherine decides not follow the school's curriculum and instead teaches modern art; bringing her students to a journey towards self actualization and fulfillment.

      From the charismatic Julia Roberts to the fun-loving Kirsten Dunst, this movie is all about women empowerment.  Yet behind all of this is the dedication of a teacher who believed, encouraged and challenged her students towards the fullness of their abilities by opening their minds to a different perspective of how the world can be.

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MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS
Jeremiah Limsico, H4H
Tagasulat ng Lathalain ng Stallion


      Hollywood 's perennial definition of a good film has always been one with a lot of special effects, glitz and glamour.  We rarely find a movie that truly delves into the profound depths of one's soul, but once in a while, a jewel of a film, one that is made with painstaking effort and art, surfaces. In 1995, such a movie appeared on the silver screen. It had neither much publicity nor a well-known cast, but to this day, it is still considered one of the most inspiring movies ever made.

      Mr. Holland's Opus is a true story that revolves around the life of Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss), an aspiring musician and composer who takes a job as a teacher at a local high school in order to pay the bills during the day, while creating what he deems his personal legacy during evenings in the form of a musical composition.  Inevitably, however, he discovers that his job is so much more than just teaching lessons to his students; it also involves showing to the students the way to a better place in life while in the process also discovering for himself that some things in life can just never be planned for.

      What makes Mr. Holland's Opus immensely brilliant is that it effortlessly depicts and conveys how one's undying passion in life can become one's strength.  Apart from the seamless cinematography and superb acting which provided Richard Dreyfuss an Oscar nomination, the genius of the movie is in its expression of how the human spirit, paired with the virtues of patience and love, is capable of influencing the lives of others.

      Directed by Stephen Herek, Mr. Holland's Opus is a truly charming and moving story that will certainly provide anyone the right amount of motivation and inspiration to exact changes in his or her own life.

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