Closes October 31!

Dinner and a Movie special at Indie Food and Wine available at 5:00pm and 8:00pm screenings, Monday – Thursday!

Spanning 12 years in the lives of two families, American Promise provides a rare look into black middle class life while exploring the common hopes and hurdles of parents navigating their children’s educational journey.

The film begins in 1999, when filmmakers Joe and Michèle turned their cameras on their son and his best friend, as the boys entered kindergarten at the prestigious Dalton School. Over the years, the boys struggle with stereotypes and identity, and ultimately take divergent paths on the road to graduation. Meanwhile, the parents wrestle with doubts and angst over their sons’ future, as they juggle their high expectations with the cultural and social obstacles their sons face.

Through the intimate experiences of these two families, the documentary reveals complicated truths about parenting, while challenging commonly held assumptions about educational access in the 21st century. Ultimately, it asks each of us: What is the American Promise?

2013 Sundance Film Festival
2013 Venice International Film Festival
2013 Toronto International Film Festival
2013 New York Film Festival

“American Promise is documentary at its best.” —Albert Maysles

“A moving document…inspiring and engrossing.” —Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter

“Riveting” —Geoff Berkshire, Variety

“Compelling…Revelatory as an embedded report from the front lines of parenting.” —Jennifer Dworkin, Film Comment