It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This was a moving film and which I familiarized,through Latinos in the Pacific Northwest, and purposely finish acquiring a copy. Quite hidden wisdom about Hispanic-Latinos & Chicanos that their new generations should know. Strongly recommended it for all the Hispanic-Latinos and Chicanos.I once had the opportunity to greet Edward James Olmos at Portland State University and gave me a very good impression. Since the mid-eighties that I follow Mr.Olmos and always amazes his great work as an actor and writer who has mostly been to educate new generations of Hispanic-Latinos. I also wish to thank Michael Peña for his great performance and who did not get a chance to meet but we were at a dinner in December,2015.

The film opens with a melancholy and haunting song as a young student walks in what seems like a totally different country. As she walks, she reaches what looks like a school hall and the screams of young Latino students as they run past the girl break the somber peace set by the soundtrack. The camera pans to show what the students run from: police violently beating the students who can't run fast enough. This is not a different country, after all. The movie helpfully clarifies: this is "Lincoln High school. Los Angeles 1968." This is a movie about the Latino struggle.Walkout is a film from 2006 directed by Edward James Olmos. Olmos also directed American Me (1992), a story about a Mexican-American mafia kingpin in Southern California, so it's clear Olmos is interested in his Mexican descent and his birthplace, Los Angeles. With the producer, Moctesuma Esparza, who was one of the people who took part in the walkout of 1968, on which the film is based, Walkout promises to be an exploration of Mexican-American struggle in Los Angeles made by people who truly care. The walkout of 1968, for those who don't already know, was an organized student protest against the bad conditions in their school. High school students in Los Angeles left the school before attendance was taken. Since public schools are funded based on attendance numbers, this was a way to force the school board to listen to the students and some staff by pushing against them financially. The students met with physical violence by police, and some protesters were arrested.The documentary-like drama follows the previously mentioned history with main character Paula Crisostomo, played by Alex Vega. Paula inspires her poorly treated classmates to walkout with her to try and start a reform. Fighting against both her father, who believes it is better not to cause waves, the oppression of the police and school board and the indifferent media, who at first chooses not to cover the police attacks on the students, Paula takes on the heavy burden of leading the students and her community to fight for the change they deserve.Having seen this movie in high school, Paula was a true inspiration for me. Both strong and brave, she is human, she occasionally falters and questions her choices when things turn out badly. The film depicts her as one of the forces behind uniting the Latino community and inspiring them to use their voice. She is not only a great young female character but a great character in general. I am willing to bet that anyone who watches this movie will find him- or herself rooting for Paula.During her struggle, through her dad's reactions, it is clear that the Latino community before her was divided. Similar stories are told in the book Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzalez, where Gonzalez recounts the mistreatment of Latin American immigrant children, who are stripped of their mother tongue and whose immigrant parents do not want to make waves. The story of Walkout, on the other hand is about making waves, the children of immigrants fighting for their heritage and language in ways those before them feared to do. The moment, which may at first strike the viewer as a little clichéd, when Paula's dad, Panfilo Crisostomo, played by Yancey Arias, finally joins his daughter's side and roots for her, goes deeper than just the older generation not understanding the new generation. It can be seen as symbolizing the intergenerational union of the Latino community and the change from the assimilationist tradition of throwing out one's culture to be allowed to be a true American to a proud community fighting for multiculturalism's place in America.I love the movie and would recommend it to anyone interested in movies about minority struggles or Latino history in America. It is a compelling retelling of an important turning point in Latino treatment in America. Having a movie willing to represent Latino voices, using the story of young students no less, is an inspiration to many people who still face problems of discrimination in America today. With people like Donald Trump treating Mexican Americans and other minorities with such disrespect, this movie is a good reminder that fighting for your rights as a community is the only way America listens to its people. It is not a perfect movie– the sort of romance Paula had with one of the characters wasn't great, for example. But overall, the movie was entertaining, dramatic, inspiring and also includes a good soundtrack. I would recommend this movie to just about anyone: you won't regret the decision to watch it.

I had watched this movie a while back when it came out and I cried. very good movie I recommend it this is something they left out the text books in school.In schools they usually talk about the segregation of blacks and whites and the way the school system was for black Americans. But in this case no one taught us about the ways latinos were treated in the school system. We would only hear the stories from our parents and grandparents about the struggle they also had. Thanks to the orginaztions we have now such as LULAC lets us now of the things that happened in the past so we can further fix the problems we have now and the future.

One of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Would love to own a copy of the movie. It is a movie I could watch over and over again. The message is strong and could teach people a lot. I think it would be good to be shown in school, especially to teach a more accurate history. With all the things going on with immigration today, it would be really good timing. As soon as I can find a copy of the movie, I plan on having my children watch it and even write a commentary about what they think. The stars in the movie were awesome. I learned so much history that I had never known before. I would like to thank the people who put the movie together in order to help educate the people more.