2 Million Minutes

1. Who is sending this message and what is the author’s purpose?

The purpose of the film is to show the differences between the educational systems of the US and Asia. The producer of the film is a venture capitalist who has a large interest in where the best ideas will come from in the future. He may also intend to show how flexible the American education system is, and how strict it is for students in other educational systems. They also face more difficult odds of success.

2) What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

In part of the film, they used computer animation that mimicked a computer game. It broke up the format of the film and ensured that viewers stayed attentive. They also included surprising statistics that are interesting to see. Contrasting parts of the students’ lives are also interesting to see, and it was good to know how the story ends as well, with the outcome of their different paths.

3) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in this message?

Asian students in the film are focused solely on their studies and long-term career goals. They have a well-mapped plan for the future and strive to follow it closely. They also spend more time with their families despite their long study hours. The students had a point of view that they would need to try their very hardest to achieve success. They were very focused individuals with a lot of discipline.

Students in the United States were not home as much. They have more social freedom and time to spend with friends. The producer made a point of showing that they study in front of the tv and were not always aware of what would be covered on the tests or in class. They spent a lot of time developing a diverse background of study, including clubs and sports. We didn’t see this as much from the Asian students. We could see from one US student that he was interested in the environment.

4) How might different people interpret this message differently?

Everyone will take away something different from this film. Even though the US system is “broken,” Americans will be proud of this film because of their self-confidence as the film mentioned. I think it would be viewed positively by them because both of the American students profiled got into the universities where they applied. They might feel sorry for the students in Asia who spent so much time studying and didn’t get into the university they chose.

Students in Asia might be encouraged by the students who did make it into the universities after their hard work. They might also be surprised at how easy students in the US are studying, and feel like they have a very good chance at a career here after they have had more studies at an Asian or European university. Asian students have more ambitious career goals, and the film shows that they will have a strong competitive edge against their American counterparts.

5) What is omitted from this message?

There is no explicit comparison between the material studied in the US and the material covered in Asian schools. We didn’t really see what the differences are in the class material. The film follows students to their college acceptance notices, but we don’t see the end result of the courses of study selected. I’d like to see what kinds of salaries result from the different paths chosen by all six students. Did the disproportionate amount of study result in a better quality of life? I also believe that the four Asian students they chose were not average students. I think many typical students participate in sports, art and clubs like in the US. The American students participated in many extra-curricular activities. The producer chose typical American students and unusually studious Asian students.