Documentary: American Promise

[Anonymous]

I know this is a departure from the discussion thread and focus on Idris but I was very touched by Seun's story and his struggles with a learning disability, specifically dyslexia, which seemed to go undiagnosed until middle school and culminated in him quietly being asked to leave after graduating from Dalton's middle school. His parents seemed more caring and supportive than Idris' but had their own challenges with four children, and one who died tragically during the filming. Did anyone find out what happened to the Seun's brother who died from an accident at home? I thought it was odd that they never said what happened to him. It had a devastating impact on Seun's high school years as he dropped out for a while or stopped going to classes. I racked my brain trying to figure out what fatal household accident he could have had beyond accidental suicide through ingesting something or playing a game that ended in death. Anyone know? It was so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a departure from the discussion thread and focus on Idris but I was very touched by Seun's story and his struggles with a learning disability, specifically dyslexia, which seemed to go undiagnosed until middle school and culminated in him quietly being asked to leave after graduating from Dalton's middle school. His parents seemed more caring and supportive than Idris' but had their own challenges with four children, and one who died tragically during the filming. Did anyone find out what happened to the Seun's brother who died from an accident at home? I thought it was odd that they never said what happened to him. It had a devastating impact on Seun's high school years as he dropped out for a while or stopped going to classes. I racked my brain trying to figure out what fatal household accident he could have had beyond accidental suicide through ingesting something or playing a game that ended in death. Anyone know? It was so sad.

I was very touched by Seun, too, such a lovely, young man. He was at home and found his younger brother. Remember what Seun said that his brother should have lived because he was the one so full of life and he should have died. We could see Seun's artistic talent early on. I'm glad he was accepted at a few colleges given what he endured junior-senior year. Also, he was afraid that his mom would die from colon cancer. I didn't appreciate his father getting up before the congregation saying what he did. The not giving up on him comment, shaming him, I found it highly disrespectful. There are some things that you don't express before the public, especially about your own child who was living with a lot of emotional pain.

I think the Dalton experience may have affected him very much though he was relieved to get the hell out of there.

[Anonymous]

I missed the part where Seun's father said he did not give up on Seun implying he wanted to at times. I think I was more surprised that Seun got into college than Idris due to the stress Seun was going through with the brother's death and mother's bout with cancer. He called his mom his rock and she truly was for that entire family. Seun was full of sadness and I wonder if he suffered from depression. The part about him as a child brushing his gums so hard they bled because he wanted to make the brown in his gums turn pink like white people was heartbreaking. I pray he will finish college and accomplish his dream of being an artist.

[Anonymous]

I was also very impressed with Seun. He's quiet but strong at the same time. He had such a sweet spirit, but sometimes his eyes seemed so sad. Frankly he and Idris struck me as kids who had extremely dead eyes to be teen boys. I've never seen such melancholy teenage boys in my life.

Like Idris, Seun is also a very impressive young man. He went through a lot and came through it all without making excuses or feeling sorry for himself. He's also extremely intelligent and well-spoken. He'll make some lucky young woman a fine husband some day.

[Anonymous]

I've missed every episode. Anyone know how I can watch? online? on demand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've missed every episode. Anyone know how I can watch? online? on demand?

Link to the 2 hour documentary is posted on page 1 of this thread:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/americanpromise/full.php#disqus_thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've missed every episode. Anyone know how I can watch? online? on demand?

Link to the 2 hour documentary is posted on page 1 of this thread:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/americanpromise/full.php#disqus_thread

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened to Seun's younger brother who died?

I found it very strange that the circumstances around his sudden and unexpected death were not discussed in the movie. Seun's mother's illness was detailed which frankly did not have the same impact on Seun as his little brother's death did and yet we know nothing about it????????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a departure from the discussion thread and focus on Idris but I was very touched by Seun's story and his struggles with a learning disability, specifically dyslexia, which seemed to go undiagnosed until middle school and culminated in him quietly being asked to leave after graduating from Dalton's middle school. His parents seemed more caring and supportive than Idris' but had their own challenges with four children, and one who died tragically during the filming. Did anyone find out what happened to the Seun's brother who died from an accident at home? I thought it was odd that they never said what happened to him. It had a devastating impact on Seun's high school years as he dropped out for a while or stopped going to classes. I racked my brain trying to figure out what fatal household accident he could have had beyond accidental suicide through ingesting something or playing a game that ended in death. Anyone know? It was so sad.

It is ridiculous that this question about Seun's brother's death is out on the many forums and yet no one is addressing it. It had such a huge impact on Seun's life, much more so than his mother's cancer, which was chronicled in the film and yet it remains a total mystery. WHY?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a departure from the discussion thread and focus on Idris but I was very touched by Seun's story and his struggles with a learning disability, specifically dyslexia, which seemed to go undiagnosed until middle school and culminated in him quietly being asked to leave after graduating from Dalton's middle school. His parents seemed more caring and supportive than Idris' but had their own challenges with four children, and one who died tragically during the filming. Did anyone find out what happened to the Seun's brother who died from an accident at home? I thought it was odd that they never said what happened to him. It had a devastating impact on Seun's high school years as he dropped out for a while or stopped going to classes. I racked my brain trying to figure out what fatal household accident he could have had beyond accidental suicide through ingesting something or playing a game that ended in death. Anyone know? It was so sad.

It is ridiculous that this question about Seun's brother's death is out on the many forums and yet no one is addressing it. It had such a huge impact on Seun's life, much more so than his mother's cancer, which was chronicled in the film and yet it remains a total mystery. WHY?

Totally agreed!

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the family wanted it that way. That's what I thought. Does it matter? I respected the filmmakers not divulging details.

Seun's father in church seemed very loving. It didn't bother me, the way he called him out.

I loved both these two boys so, so, so much. Such deep, elegant beings with such different burdens to bear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the family wanted it that way. That's what I thought. Does it matter? I respected the filmmakers not divulging details.

Seun's father in church seemed very loving. It didn't bother me, the way he called him out.

I loved both these two boys so, so, so much. Such deep, elegant beings with such different burdens to bear.

As viewers it would have helped us to honor Seun's depression even more if we had learned the details of his younger brother's death. Being the eldest child who discovered a dead, beloved sibling or being a witness to the fatal accident is a major turning point in a child's life. I'm speaking from experience here, the guilt is tremendous...both of feeling powerless and also feeling that you should have been the one who died, there is a chronic sadness that can linger with you for years. As filmmakers, they could have shared the details of the death while respecting the families wishes. Seun's prospective regarding how he was perceived by his father during the departure from Dalton and his later teen years would have further enriched the quality of storytelling in AP. I wondered if Seun was receiving any outside help in dealing with his grief. I was relieved that he returned to school and was accepted by colleges.
Definitely the impact of both his brother's death and the possible death of his mother were constantly on his mind, emotionally Seun was overloaded. He realized that if he lost his mother things would greatly change for him. My perception of Seun's father "calling him out" at church didn't strike my senses as a loving gesture. It seems that Seun's depression actually started at Dalton when he realized that he's 12 years old in sixth grade and hates school because he doesn't understand anything.

[Anonymous]

I watched this documentary with my husband and his main criticism was that the kids appeared to be from different socioeconomic backgrounds than the majority of Dalton kids. To him, adding financial disadvantages diluted the issue the documentary was seeking to address.
I think the critism about Idris' parents here is unfair. To me the movie showed two different paths to the same goal: getting our kids to college without a major hitch. Both parents achieved that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a departure from the discussion thread and focus on Idris but I was very touched by Seun's story and his struggles with a learning disability, specifically dyslexia, which seemed to go undiagnosed until middle school and culminated in him quietly being asked to leave after graduating from Dalton's middle school. His parents seemed more caring and supportive than Idris' but had their own challenges with four children, and one who died tragically during the filming. Did anyone find out what happened to the Seun's brother who died from an accident at home? I thought it was odd that they never said what happened to him. It had a devastating impact on Seun's high school years as he dropped out for a while or stopped going to classes. I racked my brain trying to figure out what fatal household accident he could have had beyond accidental suicide through ingesting something or playing a game that ended in death. Anyone know? It was so sad.

It is ridiculous that this question about Seun's brother's death is out on the many forums and yet no one is addressing it. It had such a huge impact on Seun's life, much more so than his mother's cancer, which was chronicled in the film and yet it remains a total mystery. WHY?

It was probably the family's wish that the details not be divulged. The film-makers had no choice. Or, the death is a result of something that might be considered negligence on the part of the parents, and if the details were to be divulged, it would distract tremendously from the main point of the movie, because instead of debating Seun and Idris's education, by the 2nd page of this we'd be in a flame war over whether Seun's parents were negligent with his brother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched this documentary with my husband and his main criticism was that the kids appeared to be from different socioeconomic backgrounds than the majority of Dalton kids. To him, adding financial disadvantages diluted the issue the documentary was seeking to address.
I think the critism about Idris' parents here is unfair. To me the movie showed two different paths to the same goal: getting our kids to college without a major hitch. Both parents achieved that.

It's not clear whether or not the Brewsters were financially disadvantaged. Both parents are ivy-league educated professionals and owned two homes.

Seun's family, yes, their financial disadvantage clearly presented an extra stumbling block.