- Grade: A- (Based on a True Story)
- Recommend: 97%
Plot (Non-Spoiling)
This American crime drama focuses on superintendent, Dr. Frank Tassone (played by Hugh Jackman), and assistant superintendent, Pam Gluckin (played by Allison Janney), of Roslyn Union (Public) School District of Long Island in 2002. Tassone and Gluckin are directly involved with the financial spending of their district, and Gluckin carelessly uses her district credit card to pay for numerous personal expenditures. This guilty action is uncovered quickly and the rest of the district, led by Tassone, scrambles to save themselves and their district from the embarrassing public scrutiny. However, the embezzlement is far greater than initially thought, as thousands of shady transactions are discovered by inquisitive high school journalist Rachel Bhargava (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) (real name Rebekah Rombom).
Diversity
All the main characters in this film were real people, so the mostly white main cast (74% white) accurately represents the lack of diversity within Roslyn Union’s school district in 2002. The gender diversity in the film, however, was very even (53% male). Behind the camera, where there is no limit on diversity, the numbers were far less diverse. The director, writers, and producers came out to
92% white and 83% male. But there was a very strong female lead in the film with Bhargava’s investigative and resilient character traits.
Review
This film got crazier and crazier as the story went on, so much so that I would recommend this film to anyone who has attended high school (especially public). It excellently showcases how easy it was to allocate district money to one’s personal life. The only problems with this film are a small error in the film’s historical accuracy regarding Tassone’s personal life and another unanswered question regarding Tassone’s first marriage. But these were not big issues at all, so the overall film was sound. It was entertaining and informative, and I believe many people will enjoy viewing it.
