College apps: they’re the most stressful part of high school. For me, it was A) college apps, B) math, and C) talking to girls. “Try Harder!,” the Sundance award-winning documentary about a high school in San Francisco, is one of the most damning and entertaining documents of that stress. It is the most vital high school movie since “American Teen,” masterfully made and one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. From moment to moment, “Try Harder!” veers from exciting to troubling to inspiring, and it’s never anything less than whipsmart.
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It’s the perfect match between subject and filmmaker. Debbie Lum previously directed “Seeking Asian Female,” a shocking, hilarious doc about a man who tries to find a match on Tinder and the woman he falls in love with. Lum also attended Brown University, which is famous for its diversity and impossibly high expectations (if you don’t get an A, you might as well be Spicoli). She brings a thoughtful, clear-eyed approach to “Try Harder!,” and as the film unfolds, you can feel her own experience informing her love and sympathy for these students.
Lowell High is a school where everyone is smart, and most are Asian. The film follows five students who go through what can only be described as Nerd Boot Camp over a year. Most of these kids have Stanford as their #1, Harvard as their #2. One student has Yale as their safety. They all spend 10 hours a day doing homework, three hours a day doing college apps, and roughly 30-minutes a day arguing with their parents, all of whom think Harvard is realistic. You will not be surprised that hopes are dashed, pens are smashed, moms are hugged, and tears are wiped. But there are also moments of joy as well.
At first, things seem impossible for anyone who wants to apply to a top-tier college. But all five subjects are remarkably—and lovably—optimistic, especially Alvan, a senior who dances and dabs his way through class, and Ian, an Oxford-commit who doesn’t take school all that seriously. Then there’s Rachel, the only biracial student at Lowell, who faces anti-Black prejudice from her fellow classmates, many of whom think her college acceptances and educational achievements are primarily attributed to her race. Curiously, she responds with a nod: “I wish Asians got the same opportunities as I do.” Even though Lowell faces a unique set of challenges, most of which are race-related, the college application process is hard for everyone.
While “Try Harder!” is an important tribute to these kids and their work, it’s also a rebuke of college apps in general. With over 100,000 people applying to a school like UCLA, this generation is under more pressure than ever. “15 years ago, if you went to Lowell and had a good, solid B-average, you got into Berkeley,” Richard tells his students. “Now, you don’t.” Lum’s film is about the struggles these kids go through as a reflection of the time and place they inhabit, but it’s also about the struggles everyone goes through as a response to society’s work, work, work mindset. Hopefully, “Try Harder!” brings awareness to their situation. All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy. [B+]