Better Luck Tomorrow Review - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Despite the fact that the film is an ensemble, the action that goes on in the film centers on Ben, who is in his last year in high school. He does everything that would give him an impressive identity when applying for college. This means that he has to get several honors and awards that he is not interested in, such as employee of the month award, athletic and student committee honors. He spends his time with friends who are equally gifted, but bored. They engage in shoplifting activities in computer stores and sell exam answers to other students. One day one of them draws a gun at a school Neanderthal, and they become respected by their peers for their notoriety (Huang 99). The main theme of the film comes up with regard to the question as to why teenagers would resort to crime. The film has not featured the parents of these teenagers in the activities that go on. This suggests that there might be parental neglect perhaps because they think that their children are innocent and cannot do anything wrong. It could also be because parents think that their children are not smart to figure out certain things on their own. The children could also be engaging in these activities because of the many expectations that their Parents have put on them (Huang 100). The movie has been directed in the right atmosphere that creates the energy and intrigue that drives the film. These are mixed with humor and suspense that make the film interesting. The realistic performances by the young and energetic actors is crucial because it fits in when the audience has to suspend disbelief that the young actors are doing things that one would never suspect of them. Despite the fact that the cast has been created from the Asian American atmosphere, the theme cuts across. The theme might be resonant in the Asian American context where parenting is not as important as education (Huang 100). Morality and justice in the film seem mostly absent. The teenagers engage in immoral and activities that could be categorized as crime but they are not punished. They engage in these activities in a manner that suggests that no one is interested in discouraging from doing them. In fact, when one of them draws a gun in school, the other students do not care to report them to the school authorities. Instead, they respect them for their notoriety. The teenagers are free to do anything they please. This shows an identity crisis in a society where there is the lack of role models. The young cannot emulate their parents because their parents are busy doing other things to an extent that they have no time to check on what their children could be doing. The parents have also become careless to an extent that they assume that their children are a responsible lot who cannot engage in any crime or wrong activities. Therefore, they live them at the hands of their educators. Education does not help to model the teenagers into responsible human beings. Instead, the education emphasizes on awards, honors and better grades rather than molding the character of the young students. For instance, entrance into college requires that the students must have scored highly in academics and acquired awards and honors in certain activities. The measure of character is not provided for in those applications. Young people have been left to identify with immorality and prowess in doing wrong and committing crimes. This provides a wakeup call to the audience that ...Download file to see next pagesRead More