Customer Reviews

Nursery University

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a documentary, but almost all of the characters are laughable shells of human beings. It's an anthropological study, a highly entertaining, hilarious one.

It's all surface agitation. Little introspection. No wisdom. Just yuppies doing what they see their peers doing. Monkey see monkey do. No critical ability. Ants and rats, going to and fro.

Lots of the people featured are first generation largely white newcomers to Manhattan/NYC, and seem unaware that they to an extent chose to enter a highly insular, regimented social milieu with its own arbitrary rules. They do not recognize that there are million other legitimate ways to live and educate children.

All the parents are reading the one book in print re nursery schools in NYC (by Victoria Goldman) and none of them seem to have thought that there are hundreds of perfectly good schools in other neighborhoods but are completely omitted from this book.

Rent it on Netflix; no need to buy. You won't want to watch it again. It's not artsy or timeless. It's more like social farce lite.

This film is uproariously hilarious on many levels. Sources of laughter include the grammatical errors made by wealthy Manhattan parents and the directors of pricey ($20K per year) nursery schools, the unrelieved seriousness with which they take themselves, and their rock-solid certainty that NYC is the center of the universe.

the kids were great. the parents, with the exception of one or two,were much more sympathetic than i expected. it must have a lot to do with money. the girl who got into all the schools her parents applied to was clearly from the wealthiest family. she's on her way to harvard. worth watching.

Wow...from the "drunk with power" admissions advisers to the "crazy look in her eye" stepford mom, to the sexually confused super anal dad, this doc is a fun ride beginning to end. These folks approach the nursery school admissions process with the same vigor as a deluded stalker. The most fun was watching the the admissions rip the parents to shreds in the decision making process. This precarious situation gives these teachers some power and they lord it over these foamy mouthed parents with cruel delight. I wish they would have included more footage of this and let it get really nasty. Like any good doc, there are a few redeemable parents and teachers who come across as sympathetic to balance the insanity.

The parents believe that a good nursery school with lead to a good pre-school, etc, etc, until the child eventually makes it to Harvard. I do think we live in a society that places a value on credentials. I would be interested in a follow-up with these children or a poll of recent ivy league graduates' nursery schools. I went to a private liberal arts college and this actually reminded me a lot of the Frat/Sorority rushing process. The rationale being that if you made it into the right sorority you would have good contacts and get the right job, etc. Is the notion of contacts a ridiculous idea? I don't think think so, but I personally think there are other things that are much more important to success. Gives one something to think about.

I've watched this "documentary" several times on cable. The children are adorable. This is like Sex and the City Married with Children because the adults are doing things that make no sense to the rest of us, spending too much money to do it and why the heck are they living in Manhattan, anyway? The film is like watching a really weird three-legged, potato sack, egg in a spoon relay race that is going on only in the MINDS of the participants. It's weird but again, the children are ADORABLE.

I have seen NURSERY UNIVERSITY on cable several times...I watched it with fascination in spite of myself. Years ago, when I was in my early 20's, I took a break from college and lived and worked in Manhattan...surely the epicenter of the universe, I thought...the place where IT all happened...a place of endless possibilities...provided one had sufficient funds to enjoy it all. My experience there provided part of my fascination with this movie, which is exceptionally well produced and edited. While the subject matter isn't going to appeal to a wide audience, it has a universality which is compelling...we all want our kids to have every advantage possible, to do whatever we can as parents to give them the education that will propel them ahead and into successful adulthood. What Nursery University does is examine a minuscule segment of the population that is in the 99th percentile in terms of income and advantage, as a group of parents voluntarily ratchet up their already high stress levels in pursuit of what they have convinced themselves is the "magic key" to unlimited possibilities for their offspring. While the saga is engaging and very entertaining, the longer I watched it, the more I kept asking myself: "what will happen to all those children that DIDN'T make the cut..are they doomed to the periphery?
Furthermore, do these parents REALLY BELIEVE getting a spot in the top play school is going to make that much difference in 20 years? What about, if after thousands of dollars spent on tuition to all the best schools, smart little Judy or Johnny finds out being at the top of the heap just isn't what it was cracked up to be.... When the movie ended, I found myself reflecting on what a successful life looks like, and if in the years to come, everyone will think this scramble was honestly worth it...can you "buy" success for your child? One mother whose child didn't get in to their first choice school commented, "I'm not used to having to settle for second best anything..." Was the chase worth it to her? What do you think she should be able to learn from her "failure"...and will she?

I watched this out of curiosity and it was very interesting, but it's not for the faint of heart, especially if you are looking for a preschool in Manhattan. The anxiety level is through the roof.

If you like to almost voyeuristically enjoy self-involved parents' emotional ups and downs hanging on their toddlers' placement in preschool, this documentary is for you. Of course all the stories are human and touching, but at almost every turn the viewer is jolted into a more realistic perspective as the parents lose theirs (you could argue they never had any to begin with). One almost feels a bit sorry for these parents who single-mindedly believe or want to believe in the "feeder school" system and that preschool is the beginning of a chain reaction that leads to proper university and success in life. If life were only that formulaic...

This film is incredibly entertaining! I was it at a screening last night and was blown away, as was the entire audience. The film really takes the viewer through an intense emotional ride that is very rewarding and interesting. It works very well as a date movie but just as well as a movie for families and friends to enjoy whether or not they have children. It has true universal appeal. I highly recommend it, but go see it soon some of the shows are selling out!!

Also, this film should be REQUIRED VIEWING FOR ALL NEW PARENTS as the film works as a great educational tool as well!