Name: Open Admissions
Genre: Drama
Released: 1988-09-08
Duration: 2 h
Rating: 8.2
Cast: Jane Alexander, Dennis Farina, Estelle Parsons

Wonderfully realistic portrayal of faculty ambitions and stresses

I saw this film only once on Lifetime, but have never been able to forget it. It is probably the most realistic movie I have seen in terms of its portrayal of the inner conflicts and stresses of the life of many college faculty. I have been trying very hard to find a videotape of it to use in my work as editor of The National Teaching and Learning Forum (a national newsletter for college faculty). Excellent film. Perhaps the handling of the minority issues is a touch romantic, but it is symbolically right in that it speaks to the best ambitions on each side, ambitions often confused or thwarted by surrounding circumstances.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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