Tribeca Film Festival 2021: ACCEPTED

Each year, thousands of high school seniors wait on the edge of anticipation to see the fruits of their labor come to life. Years of studies, vulnerable essays of their journeys, and pages of applications have lead them to this moment – the moment of acceptance or denial. With breaths held, dreams are full-filled or vanquished in an instant, the refresh of a page or the size of the mailer envelope planning out the remainder of their academic future. And as hard as they may have tried, there is no certainty of success. But what if there was?

Following the sensationally viral videos of students receiving acceptance to some of the most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States, college predatory school TM Laundry found themselves in the eye of the media and college-bound students as their 100% college admission success rate made headlines. But it was not only the success rate that drew attention, it was the unorthodox methods of teaching its students, facilitating an environment for learning, a support system for success, and encouragement for students to push themselves beyond the statistics. And while it all seemed too good to be true, the entire rise and fall of TM Landry College Preparatory School continue to further highlight not only the continued systemic racism that plagues too many students throughout the country but the need for overall education reform. With Accepted, from director Dan Chen, audiences are given a three-part view into the legacy of TM Landry and the country’s continued disregard for the weight, pressure, and unrealistic expectations we put on students to succeed – at all costs.

Breaking the Bureaucratic Status Quo

There is an immediate feeling of joy and hope as audiences are swept up by the heartwarming feelings that Accepted immediately captures throughout the replaying of the viral videos that put TM Landry on the map, but also through inside video of the school. Student testimonials become the precedence, speaking to the environment and success of the school through the perspectives and personal experiences of each of the students interviewed. Immediately, the understanding of the importance of education becomes an almost family-based value that student, parent and teacher share equally.

As the broken school structure is relayed, there is a hopefulness that maybe there is another way of teaching and facilitating success, almost proving that sometimes the path to success is truly the one less travel.  As Mike Landry – one of the founders of TM Landry – states: The goal is to make sure ever kid goes to college and “I like the pressure”. There is a unified sense of success and goal orientation. Each kid and their journey matters.

The camera stays quietly to the side, a witness to the dawn of change, capturing students as they both study and embrace their growing freedom. The editing is brilliantly constructed, further showing that the dedication to study begins early on, long before high school is on the horizon  – and it does not stop because the day has ended. Further witnessing that this dedication is two-sided, Mike Landry is seen answering calls from students regarding math problems after 11 at night, his commitment mirroring the commitment he asks of in his students. As you see him both being teacher and mentor, you also see him being administrator and janitor, pushing himself as much as he pushes his students.

Yet, as the ACTs draw to a close, as a viewer you will begin to question when is it too much? Students are expected to dedicate 6 days a week to their school and studies, rarely stopping for fun, always with the end goal in mind. Pushing themselves as far as they can, some students begin to appear to be exhibiting signs of depression, seemingly ready to crack at any moment. The camera holds on to these moments, allowing time for contemplation and crafting a platform for conversation. As Mike screams at his students for lacking accountability and pointing at others for their failures, audiences will find them questioning when is it enough? When are we being too hard on students to achieve the success we see for them?

Not a Fairy Tale Ending

It is the editing in Accepted, as well as the carefully crafted layout, that boasts the film’s success. Filled with joy and love, though quietly questioning some of the methods the film has slowly begun to filter in, it is revealed that TM Landry is not without scandal. Released in a 2019 New York Times article, TM Landry’s Mike found himself accused of abuse and falsifying transcripts in order to ensure success. As interviewees relay the shock they felt at the time, as viewers, the film has set you up to feel even the smallest ounce of shock yourself. Creating a sense of empathy in its audience, Accepted dives into the allegations that would forever change TM Landry.

As Mike keeps the documentarians away and out of the school, secretly recorded conversations and increased secrecy seem to lend validity to the allegations. As more information is uncovered about Mike’s past assault allegations and more students step forward – or drop out – there is a sense of betrayal that the film successfully garners through each following testimonial and revelation, proving that we still have yet to find the perfected path to success.

Yet, this is not where the documentary finds its conclusion. It started off with the students, and this is how it bookends its conclusion. While it dives into the College Scandal surrounding Lori Laughlin and Felicity Hoffman, it comes full circle, bringing attention to those students who are fighting for a chance to reach the highest of heights, yet have the odds almost permanently stacked against them. And in the face of this realization of the work we still have on education reform, there is a hopeful nature in the final moments of Accepted. As each of the students embraces their lives without TM Landry and the prospects of Ivy League life, they begin discovering themselves  – who they are and what they truly want. In a moment of rediscovery and acceptance, in an instant it is not about what everyone has declared as the best, but what they find to be the best for themselves.

Conclusion: Accepted

Accepted may be examining the rise and fall of TM Landry, it is also a multilayered examination of the environment children are thrust into. The pressure and weight of expectation they feel to constantly succeed and push forward exists whether it be a public or preparatory school. As a viewer, Accepted challenges you to question the educational system and the increasing pressure on students – which in today’s society goes beyond just getting accepted but paying for it. One of the quotes from the film that really stuck with me became the overarching examinational synopsis that perfectly encapsulates the perspective of Accepted: “No parent would send their kid into the ocean unless they knew how to swim. That’s what we do to kids in today’s education system.” We throw them in hoping one day they will be able to swim.

Yet, in the face of criticism, Accepted finds hope in the resilience of youth. Many of these students needed to change their expectations following the fallout of TM Landry in the New York Times. They needed to rediscover themselves outside of the structure of expectations that had been set for them. And for each, they carved out their own definition of success and continued to embrace their future – how they saw fit.

Accepted is currently available on-demand on Tribeca at Home until June 23rd.