In the fashion of Stand By Me and other films set in high school there are the group of kids that stand out and a character that must face his/her own inner fears before overcoming the obstacle in front of them. These typical elements are here, as Donato must accept help from those that look up to him to pass his GED test or lose his job.

The main problem with the film is that it takes the better half to get going and establish what is really happening. At first glance it looks to be an inspiration film with Donato helping out and working toward a more respected place in the system. It's not until later that we learn that he suffers a learning disorder and never graduated High School. In a reversal of roles, he is afraid to try and must rely upon his wife and students to push him toward success.

Rather than focusing on the problem, it would have been more interesting to focus on the deeds and actions that made Donato such a beloved person in the community. Phillips talks about the real Donato (who has a small part in the film) and the extraordinary things he observed while following him around for two weeks. I would like to have seen those things as well. Obviously, we all know that he keeps his job or this wouldn't have been made into a film in the first place, so lets see what makes him tick.

The Video: The 4:3 presentation is direct from Showtime, but feels cramped. The presentation itself is nice enough with a good saturation and look to the transfer. The is no noticeable degradation of the video that detracts in the least.

The Audio: The only true fault on the disc is the horrible stereo mix that is the only option available. This was a prerelease copy, so I hope that there were more options on the official release. The mix was horrible and the voices seemed lost in-between the left and right. A Pro-Logic mix would have at least separated the vocals out.

Extras: Being a made-for-cable movie there no extras to speak of on the disc. The end credits have a short selection of interviews with the director, Donato, and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Overall: It's a sub-par docudrama that is hampered by a cast that consists mainly of Phillips. The lack of focus until the middle of the story also hurts and you may not care about the characters by the time it's clear what's going on.