KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog

Set on the South Side of Chicago; against a layered backdrop of systemic inequality, the documentary explores a community’s unique embrace of the possibilities of early education through the eyes of its first graduates who are now approaching young adulthood. The film reunites three present-day high school seniors who started out in Educare Preschool’s first  class, exploring the effects of early childhood education as they navigate their way through difficult circumstances. While today the Educare Early Education Center is going strong, the documentary shows its utterly harrowing, yet remarkable early stages as “The Beethoven Project” located within “Forgotonia” – a name the film’s Portia Kennel uses to describe what was at the time the largest housing project in the world.​ Exploring the contrast of promises kept against a pervasive backdrop of promises broken, Tomorrow’s Hope celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. Produced by The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, Tomorrow’s Hope is “genuinely uplifting and inspiring in ways that even ‘feel-good’ fictional stories can’t often achieve” (Film Threat).

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “A film that will fill you with positivity and gratitude and inspire you to tackle all your challenges with tenacity, Tomorrow’s Hope is a wonderful experience for viewers of all ages.” See his full review and interview with director Thomas A. Morgan, below.  

Tomorrow’s Hope
By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17

A film that will fill you with positivity and gratitude and inspire you to tackle all your challenges with tenacity, Tomorrow’s Hope is a wonderful experience for viewers of all ages.

Tomorrow’s Hope tells the story of three high school seniors who all started their academic journeys as the first class of the Educare Early Education Center. Educare is one of the few early education centers in the violence-ridden South Side of Chicago. The organization’s journey from “The Beethoven Project,” located in the projects, to a pile of rubble, and now to one of the most successful early education programs, preparing kids for a future of success, is documented with a clear-cut narrative structure.

Every individual interviewed for this film speaks their heart and tells their story in the raw, real manner it was meant to be told. Their stories, the light and dark moments alike, carry great weight and truly make the film what it is. The interviews in the film do not just touch your heart but also educate you about a reality many might not know: the story of “Forgotonia,” the moniker given to the Chicago projects as they underwent gentrification, and the people of the South Side. The film represents black voices well, as most, if not all, of the characters, are African-American. The individual interviews are stitched together with ample historical and live b-roll to form a concise but detailed 45-minute story. I especially love how Jacqueline, who works at Educare, and the spotlighted seniors interact in the shots together; their attachment to and warmth toward one another is palpable.

Tomorrow’s Hope promotes keeping your hopes up and persevering even against broken promises and catastrophes. Each of the subjects of the film has seen gun violence or gang violence take away those closest to them—it’s clear that it would be easy to fall into these traps. But they kept at it; all three went to college and made their families proud. As far as parental advisories go, there are mentions of death and violence.

I give Tomorrow’s Hope 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Tomorrow’s Hope is available on VOD and digital beginning March 21, 2023.

The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, “The Mandalorian is back for Season 3 and coming in hot! Episode 3 just dropped and it’s one huge plot-twist to what The Mandalorian fans have come to expect from the series. The creative team behind the show, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, are known to deliver huge surprises in past seasons and fans can expect the same mind-blowing shockers with this new season.” See her full review below.

The Mandalorian: Season 3
By Tiana Sirmans, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

The Mandalorian is back for Season 3 and coming in hot! Episode 3 just dropped and it’s one huge plot-twist to what The Mandalorian fans have come to expect from the series. The creative team behind the show, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, are known to deliver huge surprises in past seasons and fans can expect the same mind-blowing shockers with this new season.

The Mandalorian: Season 3, Episode 3 (Chapter 19: The Convert) starts with Mando (Pedro Pascal), Grogu and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) at the end of their journey to locate water on Mandalor so Mando may be forgiven for his transgressions and become a Mandalorian again. Surprisingly, this episode takes a turn and focuses more on Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) as he works in the New Republic trying to adapt to the new lifestyle while he is constantly asked questions about his life experiences. His plans of a new experiment were practically going to be destroyed, which impacts him a lot. At the same time, he is also joined by one of his coworkers, Elia Kane (Katy O’Brian), who also appears in “Episode 3.”

I enjoyed the break in the series to learn more about Dr. Pershing. I look forward to seeing how this episode connects to the others and all the storytelling possibilities and characters that come from it. The special effects, character designs and the CGI universe continue to wow viewers. This episode is a little slower and less action-packed than the others since it focuses more on Dr. Pershing, but it is still entertaining. It still has intense fight and chase scenes. Fun fact: This is actually the longest episode in the entire series. The storytelling, though not what fans are used to, still takes you on a seamless journey from the previous episode. 

This episode expands on the messages from the previous episodes and really touches on redemption and trust. Friendships are tested and true characters are revealed. Who people think are their friends may really not be in some cases and others are able to seek opportunities to redeem themselves and seek forgiveness.

The Mandalorian, Season 3: Episode 3 gets 4 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. May the force be with you as you check out this eight-episode season currently running on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday.