Special guest Edward James Olmos was nominated for an Oscar for his riveting portrayal of real-life educator Jaime Escalante. In the ‘80s, Escalante is hired as a math teacher at a high school in a working-class Latino neighborhood whose families expect their kids to work after graduation. Escalante tells them they can achieve anything. When the school’s accreditation is threatened because of low test scores, he decides to show everyone that they can achieve greatness. Eighteen agree to come to school early and stay late to master calculus — they all pass the Advanced Placement test. When they’re accused of cheating, Escalante persuades authorities to let them students retake it to prove they didn’t cheat. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called it “a rousing stand-up-and-cheer movie that wears down the most cynical viewer, much in the way that Escalante wears down his most unreachable students – with humor and ruthless determination.” — Leanne von Mittenwald

Rated: PG