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Special Features
- Filmmaker interview
- Filmmaker biography
Editorial Reviews
The Hobart Shakespeareans is a delightful profile of one phenomenal teacher and his eager students who together touchingly demonstrate the power of education.
What happens in Rafe Esquith’s classroom defies the odds. With genuine passion and ironclad conviction, Esquith turns the Asian-American and Latino children of a violence-stricken central Los Angeles neighborhood on to the wonders of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and mathematics. The Hobart Boulevard Elementary fifth-graders respond heartily, rattling off the names of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays or doing rapid-fire arithmetic in their heads. The children are refreshingly engaged as Esquith takes them to Washington, D.C. to visit national monuments, leads them on tours of college campuses, and implores them to work hard and believe in their own self-worth. At the end of the semester they pull together--with a little help from famous actors Ian McKellen and Michael York--their final triumph: a student production of Hamlet. Through tears and laughter, this endearing troupe casts aside the conventional wisdom about the failures of education in the United States.
Academy Award-nominated director Mel Stuart deftly probes the secrets of Esquith’s winning strategy in a story as inspiring and rewarding as it is exceptional.
DVD Features: Filmmaker Interview; Filmmaker Biography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection
What happens in Rafe Esquith’s classroom defies the odds. With genuine passion and ironclad conviction, Esquith turns the Asian-American and Latino children of a violence-stricken central Los Angeles neighborhood on to the wonders of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and mathematics. The Hobart Boulevard Elementary fifth-graders respond heartily, rattling off the names of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays or doing rapid-fire arithmetic in their heads. The children are refreshingly engaged as Esquith takes them to Washington, D.C. to visit national monuments, leads them on tours of college campuses, and implores them to work hard and believe in their own self-worth. At the end of the semester they pull together--with a little help from famous actors Ian McKellen and Michael York--their final triumph: a student production of Hamlet. Through tears and laughter, this endearing troupe casts aside the conventional wisdom about the failures of education in the United States.
Academy Award-nominated director Mel Stuart deftly probes the secrets of Esquith’s winning strategy in a story as inspiring and rewarding as it is exceptional.
DVD Features: Filmmaker Interview; Filmmaker Biography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Miss
Format:VHS Tape
This documentary was remarkable--moving and inspiring. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were more teachers like Rafe Asquith! Not many are willing or able to take the time out of their personal lives that he does, but it's obvious that spending those Saturdays and taking those trips with his students are more important to him than spending free time at home. It's obvious, too, that he teaches not only facts, but values and life lessons. He CARES. I just loved him.
And "guest speakers" to his classroom weren't shabby--Michael York and Ian McKellen, who said that being there made him want to cry because the students felt the same way he does about Shakespeare.
The camera work was excellent, capturing the expressions on those kids' faces--the tears, the joy, the comprehension, the pride. A scene that particularly impressed me was the one when Asquith was reading from Huckleberry Finn. The camera focused on the face of one boy and as he listened, tears rolled down his cheeks. Others, equally moved, were also shown. It's amazing that the teacher made them FEEL that story so deeply and that these ten-year-old children grasped and empathized with the Huck's inner conflict at the thought of turning in his slave friend, Jim.
Some of the Amazon reviewers of Rafe Asquith's book were critical. Some of the teachers in his own school shunned him. I'm sure it was hard for them to compete. I taught in public schools, and I can understand how they felt. In all honesty, I was not dedicated to the degree that he is. I had children of my own and could not give that kind of extra time and effort to my career even though I loved teaching. But it's still inspiring to see the true story of such a remarkable teacher, and I think anyone could learn something from his approach to teaching.
And "guest speakers" to his classroom weren't shabby--Michael York and Ian McKellen, who said that being there made him want to cry because the students felt the same way he does about Shakespeare.
The camera work was excellent, capturing the expressions on those kids' faces--the tears, the joy, the comprehension, the pride. A scene that particularly impressed me was the one when Asquith was reading from Huckleberry Finn. The camera focused on the face of one boy and as he listened, tears rolled down his cheeks. Others, equally moved, were also shown. It's amazing that the teacher made them FEEL that story so deeply and that these ten-year-old children grasped and empathized with the Huck's inner conflict at the thought of turning in his slave friend, Jim.
Some of the Amazon reviewers of Rafe Asquith's book were critical. Some of the teachers in his own school shunned him. I'm sure it was hard for them to compete. I taught in public schools, and I can understand how they felt. In all honesty, I was not dedicated to the degree that he is. I had children of my own and could not give that kind of extra time and effort to my career even though I loved teaching. But it's still inspiring to see the true story of such a remarkable teacher, and I think anyone could learn something from his approach to teaching.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
One teacher takes a group of kids from the roughest neighborhoods and not only gets them to put on a production of Hamlet each year but teaches them to learn, grow and believe in themselves, day in, day out. It isn't easy and the challenges are shown in detail but this teacher also shares his philosophy - and what a philosophy it is! He admits that he failed in his first years of teaching, watching as his former students failed in middle school.
But somehow he recreated his teaching method and, in the process, has inspired countless children, gotten actors like Ian McKellan and Michael York to visit his classroom (!) and taught children who'd had teachers give up on them that they were not doomed to failure. If more teachers were like this one, what a future generation we'd have!
Great family film....great film, period.
But somehow he recreated his teaching method and, in the process, has inspired countless children, gotten actors like Ian McKellan and Michael York to visit his classroom (!) and taught children who'd had teachers give up on them that they were not doomed to failure. If more teachers were like this one, what a future generation we'd have!
Great family film....great film, period.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By S. Golden
Format:DVD
This PBS film should be viewed by everyone. It is motivational and inspiring. It truely defeats the "what can I do I'm only one person?" attitude. Makes you wish that all people had the same attitude as Rafe Esquith; the world would be a better place.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid
All of the books that Rafe has written are wonderful. I am doing classroom economics because I read about it in one of his books. Read more
Published 4 months ago by MS FACS teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars
quality of product
The DVD was in excellent condition. I have been very pleased with 'Movie Mars'. It was mailed quickly with great care. Read more
Published 18 months ago by cautious shopper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Artists should be ashamed of themselves...
...if they have not distributed copies of this DVD to their family, friends, and legislators.
"The Hobart Shakespeareans" does a very good job of illustrating that... Read more
"The Hobart Shakespeareans" does a very good job of illustrating that... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mark Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great message
This is a wonderful, thought-provoking book that educators and future teachers should read. It is inspiring, compassionate, and discusses how to give students the resources and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by BR
5.0 out of 5 stars
liberate natural curiosity
There Are No Shortcuts, Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 author Rafe Esquith earns $40,000/year teaching 9 year olds in 2000 student Hobart... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Sakuteiki
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational!
This documenatary was recommended by a parent/teacher. I am a fifth grade teacher and I teach a unit on Shakespeare each year. Read more
Published on May 7, 2011 by M. Eckrich
3.0 out of 5 stars
Take with a grain of salt
There are many important principles about excellence in teaching that are demonstrated by this film. For example, that "EXPECTATIONS is all" (to bend a phrase from Hamlet). Read more
Published on February 27, 2011 by KAM
5.0 out of 5 stars
the best teacher I never had
The best teacher I never had, and you have never seen King Lear played like this. I defy anyone to remain unmoved when those kids are reading Huck Finn out loud, and start crying... Read more
Published on November 25, 2010 by Dana Stabenow
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good teacher documentary
The main point of this documentary that really had an impact was how much a teacher can accomplish with his or her students when they really care about their students and take the... Read more
Published on September 7, 2010 by Beeka
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great conversation starter
"The Hobart Shakespeareans" was the best thing I've found in years for opening the conversation with teachers about raising the bar in classrooms. Read more
Published on February 21, 2009 by J. Massie
