Excellent, smart action film.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This film was great because it brought back a lot of memories. It'd been so long that I'd forgotten how much work went into preparing for and attending the many many many tournaments. And it'd been ages since I'd heard someone talk about the "tab room." For folks who are not familiar with competitive debating, the type of debate featured (team debate) is not the only type. Alongside team debate at the same tournaments is Lincoln Douglas debate which involves individuals competing against each other in a far more eloquent manner. No speed reading. No trying to "out flow" the other person. I found Lincoln Douglas debate to be invaluable training for the real world.For parents who see the film, I hope you encourage your kids to try debate. It can be the high pressure competition shown in the film, but it can also be about fun, friendships, and gaining confidence. Most importantly...stay involved! These schools and students need parents to help transport kids to tournaments and to judge competition rounds.

Richard and Louis were awesome! A must watch movie if you are a documentary fan.Debates should be about meaning not words!Thought the social message of the movie was great, and every educator and school should watch this documentary.It made me feel ashamed of the establishment. Also I cannot believe people actually do the meaningless speed talking.Maybe they should stretch the time period beyond 3minutes if kids have to talk that fast.Feels like an auction house.Debates should be about Meaning. And outsmarting your opponent, not just about out talking them.

I was on 2 state championship teams in the early 1970's and while we, too, tried to "spread" our opponents, it was nothing like the pace I saw in this film. The speed-talking and air gulping made the participants nearly incomprehensible and I certainly felt for their opponents and judges who were trying keep their flow-sheets of arguments and counter-arguments straight. It was difficult enough in my day at our pace where the speed of our oratory was only slightly faster than normal speech.Therefore, I thought the "revolutionary" approach by the Long Beach students was a type of appeal for "retro" or "old school" debate where, indeed, the emphasis was on the quality of the arguments and their presentation rather than information overload... although, I must admit that the affirmative case that my partner and I built did have elements of information overload.One other thing I noticed was the giant tubs filled with manila folders that, I presume, contained printouts from the "for pay" research websites. In my day, we used metal file boxes and filled them with 6x9 index cards that we accumulated in summer debate "workshops" or frequent visits to the Emory University library. We had to transcribe all of our research onto the index cards as cutting up library books was generally frowned upon.I really enjoyed the documentary and was particularly fascinated by the Long Beach duo who not only struck as being super smart, but also very capable of thinking "outside the box."

I had the good luck to see this film at the Los Angeles Film Festival. I have to admit that I was not a high school debater and know nothing of the activity, but I am glad that I went to see this film ! It is about so much more. I was completely moved by the students at Long Beach Jordan and their coach. It is a shame the Los Angeles School District does not support educational activities that truly challenge the mind. The students from the well-to-do school in Texas were just as fascinating with their own brand of outlaw mannerisms. I hope that kids from high schools all over the country will have the chance to see this film.Where will it screen next ?