I saw this film as part of an hour-long program "African-American Short Films" on the My Network station.
Mr. Wilcox is a white English teacher at a high school in a bad neighborhood. He grew up nearby, and he considered his neighborhood to be tough, but what he experienced was nothing like what African-American kids nearby are going through.
Michael is a bright African-American student from the rough section of the city on the other side of the school from where Mr. Wilcox grew up. Although his grades are good, he has been reluctant to take full advantage of what he has because that's just not what kids from his part of the world do.
Both Mr. Wilcox and Michael have brought guns to school. Mr. Wilcox is now afraid to be without one. So is Michael. Surprisingly, they seem to get along very well considering we were probably expecting them to point guns at each other. In fact, they learn a lot about each other in a short time, each striving to understand what the other has to say.
There is a lot of potential for improvement in Michael's life. Unfortunately, the ending makes it unlikely that all the hard work done by the two main participants will amount to anything.
Both actors here do a fine job, with good writing. I would recommend this to high school students, especially in neighborhoods where there seems to be little hope. A lot takes place in just a few minutes. Where Michael and Mr. Wilcox might not fully realize their goals, this film represents a good starting place for others.
