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The Hobart Shakespeareans | 
 enlarge | Director: Mel Stuart
Actors: Ian Mckellen, Michael York
Studio: New Video Group
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $24.48
You Save: $2.47 (9%)
New (4) Used (1) from $21.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 16950
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 52
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: NVG-9762
UPC: 767685976234
EAN: 0767685976234
ASIN: B000CRR3GA
Theatrical Release Date: September 6, 2005
Release Date: February 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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Product Description
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 Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 767685976234 Manufacturer No: NVG-9762
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| Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
 In the pursuit of excellence, wonderful things can happen January 6, 2009
Director Mel Stuart has given us a wonderfully observed year in the life of a fifth grade class. Their teacher, Rafe Esquith, has challenged the students to pursue excellence in whatever they do. And one of the many ways they do this is by learning and staging one of Shakespeare's plays. In this year it is "Hamlet." But this is not a "Hey, kids, let's put on a show" story. It's an exploration of what happens when a teacher is willing to challenge his students (and works hard to do so) and the students accept the challenge. And it all takes place in a public school in a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles.
What makes this film special is that it is not a journalist report, heavy on interviews and narration. It is a behavioral documentary that lets us experience the lives of the children. It's terrific.
 Inspirational November 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this video to be very inspirational as far as teaching. This is a teacher we all want to be, and want our children to have. I thought this video would have more practical information about how to get kids to perform Shakespeare but, oh well, inspiration counts for alot!! I would recommend this video to teachers of all grade levels, even if they've never in a million years thought about doing a play in their classroom, much less Shakespeare (yes, you science teachers, I'm talking to you). It's more about a philosophy of guiding young people as they grow up than about putting on a play, but, man, do these kids do a fine job on stage. No wonder this sticks with them forever. Bravo to all.
Much ado about Rafe and the Hobart Shakespeareans October 13, 2008
I've read both of Rafe Esquith's books There are no shortcuts and Teach like your hair is on fire. I was excited to find out that there was also a documentary out on him and his teaching methods and determination entitled "The Hobart Shakespeareans." Upon seeing his teaching style up close, I continue to be awed by this teacher who works 12+ hour days with students from racially mixed backgrounds in an inner city neighborhood. Yet his work pays off-his students typically score in the best 5% of students taking the SATs, and get accepted at both Ivy league and other colleges all over thw world. Rafe's students get to attend national monuments and tours of college campuses due to funds from his private, non-profit organization "Hobart Shakespeareans." At the end of every school year, his students put together a Shakespearean play in which they act, do sets for, music for, etc. It is a moving documentary of the work of the most highly decorated teacher in the history of teaching. It was wonderful to see what his students can do in and out of the classroom, and to see what Rafe seems to really be like. I am in awe of this man, and boy do I wish I had his energy.
My only fault with this documentary is that I wish the entire production of "Hamlet" by the HObart Shakespeareans had been shown as an option on the special features of this DVD. I would have really liked to have seen the entire play that the kids worked so hard on. The clips do not do it justice. That is the only reason I gave this work four stars rather than five.
This DVD will inspire anyone who works with children to push themselves more-it is amazing what one person anywhere accomplishes!
Inspiring, moving October 11, 2008
If only we had more teachers like this truly dedicated man. He has rejected many offers of a "better" position to stay in his same role at the Hobart school teaching 9- and 10-year-olds from a poor district in LA. In the year that was filmed, the kids work up and put on a performance of Hamlet - and these are kids who, when Rafe visited their families, he found that no-one even knew who Shakespeare was! The kids comment how at the beginning of the project they could not understand a word. He worked tirelessly to bring them along to the point where Sir Ian McKellen, visiting, says that they all clearly understand everything they are saying "which is not the case with all Shakespeare actors!"
But the play is really a peg on which to hang Rafe's overarching philosophy, which is one of challenge, of opening minds - trips to Washington and UCLA to light the spark of ambition, for instance. In fact, Hamlet itself does not occupy that much of the time of the film. More attention is paid to Rafe's focus on teaching the children to believe in themselves, to respect each other, to work hard. Yet he is realistic: a possibly surprising moment is when he acknowledges that yes, some children will be left behind and there is not much to be done about it. He knows his class will contain three groups: those will readily "get it," those who may or may not decide to join in, and those who he just won't be able to reach. His hope is to shift many of the second group into the first. Then, with that majority, the tone of the classroom will discourage the "non-participants" from making trouble.
The documentary focuses strongly on the positive. I'm sure there were disheartening scenes that could have been included. But the result is a really heartwarming story, wonderful to watch...and the children are adorable. Think where they come from - and next time someone talks dismissively about "inner-city kids," remember this film.
Great DVD September 26, 2008
I'm glad someone made this on such a great educator. He is very inspirational and I like to read about teachers who really care about their students and the educational process. I hope more get to see this DVD or read his books.
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