Edward James Olmos stars as Jaime Escalante in this inspirational true story about a teacher and the unmotivated East Los Angeles high school students who he inspires, badgers, threatens and humors into learning the most demanding of all math sciences--calculus. But the accomplishment is so utterly fantastic that the students are accused of cheating. Given a choice to accept the allegation or retake an extremely demanding examination to prove themselves, the students decide to Stand And Deliver.
Ramon Menendez
Tom Musca, Lindsay Law
Ramon Menendez, Tom Musca
Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rosana De Soto, Andy Garcia, Estelle Harris, Mark Phelan, Mark Eliot, Virginia Paris
© 1988 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Critics Consensus: Stand and Deliver pulls off the unlikely feat of making math class the stuff of underdog drama -- and pays rousing tribute to a real-life inspirational figure in the bargain.
Sheila Benson
You could remain, mesmerized, in Jaime Escalante's high-school math class forever, the way you remain under the spell of Escalante himself as "Stand and Deliver" unfolds.
People Staff
Olmos provides plenty to stand up and cheer about even when the film is not delivering much else in the way of substance.
An unexpected triumph.
A pretty good TV movie, smoothly directed by Cuban-born Ramon Menendez, a graduate of UCLA film school, and blessed with a charismatic lead performance by Edward James Olmos.
As the tough math teacher, Olmos delivers a strong, Oscar-nominated performance in this rather simple but uplifting melodrama.
Ellen MacKay
Intensely watchable movie based on a true story.
Derek Adams
It's hard to believe this really happened, but Escalante is apparently still performing the same miracle. The ensemble acting is excellent.
MetroActive
Richard von Busack
"The greatest John G. Avildsen movie John G. Avidlsen never made. Olmos is far more understated than the average tough-teacher is in this kind of film."
Math teacher inspires in powerful fact-based drama.
Parents need to know that Stand and Deliver is a 1988 movie based on the true story of an inspiring math teacher in a struggling inner-city Los Angeles high school who, through his hard work and tireless dedication, helps his students live up to their full potential and succeed at AP calculus. Gangs threaten violence, and there's a scene in which students are chased through the hallways of the school by someone trying to hit them with a chain. While the film shows what can be achieved when a tough but fair teacher brings out the best in his students -- students who are shown struggling with the difficulties of their neighborhoods, family life, and the pains of adolescence -- there are some scenes in which some of what the teacher says would be seen as inappropriate by today's standards, including a scene in which a girl with a reputation for being "easy" is slut-shamed by the teacher. While she does stand up for herself, the teacher experiences no repercussions for his remarks or even an awareness that what he said was highly inappropriate. There is also some profanity -- Spanish slang for "a--hole" and "fat girl" mixed in with English curse words.
Release Date:March 11, 1988
To Sir, with Love II
Madame Sousatzka
The Marva Collins Story
High School High
The Man Without A Face
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)