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Nursery University

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Nursery University (2009)

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:7

Rotten:2

Average Rating:6.8/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Apr 24, 2009 Limited

Synopsis: Set in New York City, the epicenter of a phenomenon cropping up in communities across the United States, Nursery University provides a good-humored look at the oddly competitive environment of... Set in New York City, the epicenter of a phenomenon cropping up in communities across the United States, Nursery University provides a good-humored look at the oddly competitive environment of nursery school admissions. The film tells the story of five families -- each with different backgrounds and economic circumstances -- attempting to place their toddlers in preschool classrooms with limited spaces and high price tags. Nursery University also follows the school directors who must determine which “applicants” to welcome through their doors. Cue the tears, hysterics and breakdowns -- and that’s just the parents.

The New York City preschool scramble officially commences the day after Labor Day when thousands of parents speed dial the schools to request applications for admission. Because demand forces the schools to distribute only a limited number of applications, those who fail to get past a school’s busy signal in the allotted time do not even earn the chance to apply. Parents who do manage to obtain one of the prized applications face long odds because the best schools, which offer priority placement to siblings and legacies, receive an average of 15-20 applicants for each available spot. With a post 9/11 baby boom, the admissions process is considered more competitive than that of the nation’s top Ivy League universities and the demand has driven annual preschool tuitions upwards of $20,000. In a culture driven by the pressure to succeed, parents fear that their children will not gain admission anywhere, let alone the “right” schools -- those feeder schools that send their “graduates” to the top-tier kindergartens -- and then, the notion goes, the finest ongoing schools, high schools, and colleges.

Meet this year’s contestants: Roddy and Heidi Moon and their son Jackson of the West Village, Wyatt and Sneha Kapadia and their daughter Layla of Greenwich Village, Aleta St.James and her twins Gian and Francesca of the Upper West Side, Harlem residents Kim Ashton and Kris Rangooth and their son Kieron, and Tony and Cynthia Pratofiorto and their daughter Juliana of the Upper East Side. The film also features several nursery school directors, including Gabriella Rowe of the Mandell School, Wendy Levey of the Epiphany School, and Jean Rosenberg of the Chelsea Day School.

Nursery University is the first film to gain access into this exclusive environment. In doing so, the film examines inequities in the system, as well as the realities, perceptions, and motivations that have infused the process with so much angst. And while the film raises basic questions about current societal truths that lead to New York’s preschool scramble, the film ultimately conveys the humor, joy and pride associated with the little darlings at the center of all the fuss. --© Official Site [More]

Director: Marc H. Simon

Director: Marc H. Simon
Screenwriter: Marc H. Simon
Producer: Marc H. Simon, Matthew Makar
Composer: Chris Hajian
Studio: Variance Films

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Release:

Jun 30, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • In communities across the United States, competition to get into the best schools is starting early. New York City is at the center of this phenomenon, where nursery schools-homes of finger-painting, building blocks, and naptime-have become the arena where parents jostle for the privilege to place their toddlers on a track that some believe paves the way to the Ivy League.
  • NURSERY UNIVERSITY follows five Manhattan families during the year-long preschool application process, and also gains access into the school admissions departments themselves to reveal the behind-the-scenes antics of this intensely outrageous private school realm. Cue the tears, hysterics and breakdowns-and that’s just the parents! What starts as a race to get their children into the “right” mini-Ivy turns into a reality check when unexpected hiccups arrive that expose both the absurdity of the process and genuine parental anxiety for those wanting the best for their kids. Enjoy the insanity in this sweeter look at the social issues and the little darlings at the center of all the fuss.
  • Source: New Video Group, Inc.
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    Reviews for Nursery University

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    1 - 9 (sorted by date)
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    There's wicked fun in watching the wealthy sweat the small stuff, but this documentary has empathy for parents of all incomes.

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    05/07/09
    Rafer Guzman
    Rafer Guzman
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's difficult to get too worked up as they fret about their Jacksons and Julianas in dining rooms big enough to land a helicopter in. Nor is the film helpful as an insider's guide.

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    04/24/09
    Kyle Smith
    Kyle Smith
    New York Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    In their zippy, informative, ultimately horrifying documentary, directors Marc H. Simon and Matthew Makar put a face on the statistics about (mostly) moneyed parents competing to get their kids one of the few treasured spots in elite Manhattan preschools.

    Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
    04/24/09
    Joe Neumaier
    Joe Neumaier
    New York Daily News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    If you thrill to the sight of a preschool teacher bringing an investment banker to his knees, then Nursery University is for you.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    04/24/09
    Jeannette Catsoulis
    Jeannette Catsoulis
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Despite its behind-the-scenes peeks, the film would have benefited from a deeper examination of how these institutions prosper from parental paranoia run amok.

    Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
    04/22/09
    David Fear
    David Fear
    Time Out New York

    A riveting expose' of what looks an awful lot like child abuse in the name of quality education. What's next, an SAT test for newborns?

    Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
    04/22/09
    Kam Williams
    Kam Williams
    NewsBlaze

    It certainly provides thorough, balanced, often playful evidence of the perverted educational ecosystem that has sprung up to support the toppling egos of Manhattan's upper-crust parents.

    Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
    04/22/09
    Michelle Orange
    Michelle Orange
    Village Voice
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Largely coasts on shots of kids being adorable and parents behaving badly, but the film occasionally, if somewhat accidentally, proves illuminating.

    Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
    04/20/09
    Ed Gonzalez
    Ed Gonzalez
    Slant Magazine

    Watching success-crazed NYC parents in a frenzy to place their toddlers in swank preschools that 'feed' the little darlings into the Ivy League is compelling and scary--like swimming with sharks.

    Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
    04/15/09
    Jennifer Merin
    Jennifer Merin
    About.com
     
     
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