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Try Harder!

Seniors at one the best public high schools in the country face the pressure of applying to elite colleges.

Director

Debbie Lum

Year

Genre

Box Office

$32,432

Production

ITVS,Center for Asian American Media (CAAM),California Humanites,XTR,Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Awards

4 nominations total

Homepage

https://www.tryharderfilm.com/

Cast information not available.

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Explore 467 Clips

[tennis racket whacking] - Try Harder!

[tennis racket whacking]

I'm also co-president of
Lowell Build On. - Try Harder!

I'm also co-president of Lowell Build On.

I'm the editor of the
school newspaper too. - Try Harder!

I'm the editor of the school newspaper too.

College is just a huge goal for
a lot of immigrant families. - Try Harder!

College is just a huge goal for a lot of immigrant families.

Everything you do should
be to help you - Try Harder!

Everything you do should be to help you

And then also copy me on
your calendar, - Try Harder!

And then also copy me on your calendar,

As I-- - Try Harder!

The girl across the table - Try Harder!

The girl across the table

And she said, "Well, what
ethnicity is your mom?" - Try Harder!

And she said, "Well, what ethnicity is your mom?"

And she said, "That's so
weird because I didn't expect - Try Harder!

And she said, "That's so weird because I didn'...

- Now, I'm a true believer - Try Harder!

- Now, I'm a true believer

- I think one of my scores
came back on the PSAT - Try Harder!

- I think one of my scores came back on the PSAT

But my mom's like,"I knew
it, I knew it all along." - Try Harder!

But my mom's like,"I knew it, I knew it all along....

- All right, so, - Try Harder!

- All right, so,

There's a lot, you know, - Try Harder!

There's a lot, you know,

You know, we all know what
the Ivy League schools are, - Try Harder!

You know, we all know what the Ivy League schools are,

We all have a perceptual
pecking order of the UCs. - Try Harder!

We all have a perceptual pecking order of the UCs.

But the thing to remember
is you are not too good - Try Harder!

But the thing to remember is you are not too good

I've become a voice to tell
kids look away from Stanford. - Try Harder!

I've become a voice to tell kids look away from Stanfor...

You know, you look at you
know, the Ivy League schools - Try Harder!

You know, you look at you know, the Ivy League schools

And that in many cases has to do - Try Harder!

And that in many cases has to do

[students laughing] - Try Harder!

[students laughing]

- I did root instead
of squares, and then I-- - Try Harder!

- I did root instead of squares, and then I--

- I'll have to go through that-- - Try Harder!

- I'll have to go through that--

[both chuckling] - Try Harder!

[both chuckling]

- Take the textbook, - Try Harder!

- Take the textbook,

And then stay up till
three in the morning, - Try Harder!

And then stay up till three in the morning,

- If we looked at the
blue particles as being - Try Harder!

- If we looked at the blue particles as being

Each is a different distance
R from the axis of rotation, - Try Harder!

Each is a different distance R from the axis of rotation,

There's just something
about the personality - Try Harder!

There's just something about the personality

So, I mean, going to a school - Try Harder!

So, I mean, going to a school

It's like a school of other
Asian me's. - Try Harder!

It's like a school of other Asian me's.

The career path that I
want to pursue, - Try Harder!

The career path that I want to pursue,

So I want to be in a position
where I feel like I'm helping. - Try Harder!

So I want to be in a position where I feel like I'm hel...

So I'm trying to pursue
alternative energies, - Try Harder!

So I'm trying to pursue alternative energies,

- I'm going to the Stanford
college presentation. - Try Harder!

- I'm going to the Stanford college presentation.

I'm actually applying early
for Stanford. - Try Harder!

I'm actually applying early for Stanford.

What I've heard about Lowell
students getting into Stanford - Try Harder!

What I've heard about Lowell students getting into Stan...

- Like what's special
about Stanford's - Try Harder!

- Like what's special about Stanford's

- I guess it's because
they just think - Try Harder!

- I guess it's because they just think

- Maybe he doesn't have like
personalities that we want. - Try Harder!

- Maybe he doesn't have like personalities that we want...

- But you did not even
have to major - Try Harder!

- But you did not even have to major

[upbeat music] - Try Harder!

And then someone else
raises their hand - Try Harder!

And then someone else raises their hand

[indistinct chatter] - Try Harder!

[indistinct chatter]

- And, I don't know if,
you know, how that plays - Try Harder!

- And, I don't know if, you know, how that plays

[indistinct chattering] - Try Harder!

[indistinct chattering]

It's a beautiful day up here - Try Harder!

It's a beautiful day up here

And we got some great
announcements for you today - Try Harder!

And we got some great announcements for you today

- So like right now the
senior class - Try Harder!

- So like right now the senior class

Right now is the time to get
all the recs, - Try Harder!

Right now is the time to get all the recs,

[keyboard clicking] - Try Harder!

[keyboard clicking]

- That's why you got
to diversify, - Try Harder!

- That's why you got to diversify,

[students cheering] - Try Harder!

[students cheering]

It's not all about GPA's and
SAT scores. - Try Harder!

It's not all about GPA's and SAT scores.

There's no formula for
success anymore. - Try Harder!

There's no formula for success anymore.

And what matters is that
each child visualizes - Try Harder!

And what matters is that each child visualizes

We need to learn about cultural
sensitivity, its obvious-- - Try Harder!

We need to learn about cultural sensitivity, its obvious--

I found I actually do like
writing stories - Try Harder!

I found I actually do like writing stories

[indistinct chatter] - Try Harder!

[indistinct chatter]

No, all right, this is too much. - Try Harder!

No, all right, this is too much.

[paper rustling] - Try Harder!

[paper rustling]

This lighter skinned hand
is supposed to represent - Try Harder!

This lighter skinned hand is supposed to represent

My mom, she goes by the rule - Try Harder!

My mom, she goes by the rule

It goes totally against
that story - Try Harder!

It goes totally against that story

So I do feel uncomfortable
putting it down - Try Harder!

So I do feel uncomfortable putting it down

I'm a admissions officer at MIT, - Try Harder!

I'm a admissions officer at MIT,

So it's always a good
idea to be nice to me - Try Harder!

So it's always a good idea to be nice to me

[laughing] - Try Harder!

- But we saw your mom
there and dad. - Try Harder!

- But we saw your mom there and dad.

Did you know they're
going to go? - Try Harder!

Did you know they're going to go?

Like they go, they only
tell me after they go. - Try Harder!

Like they go, they only tell me after they go.

- We do have multiple
choices, that's all right too. - Try Harder!

- We do have multiple choices, that's all right too.

And my mom's kind of
like the steering wheel. - Try Harder!

And my mom's kind of like the steering wheel.

[audience applauding] - Try Harder!

[audience applauding]

[students clapping] - Try Harder!

[students clapping]

[indistinct chattering] - Try Harder!

[indistinct chattering]

As I grow older, the
box will expand, right? - Try Harder!

As I grow older, the box will expand, right?

Until finally there's like
no more box anymore, right? - Try Harder!

Until finally there's like no more box anymore, right?

And I'll be able to do my
own things, - Try Harder!

And I'll be able to do my own things,

But for now,
I'm still in a little box - Try Harder!

But for now, I'm still in a little box

[upbeat music] - Try Harder!

Can you check them off
and I'll work - Try Harder!

Can you check them off and I'll work

Are you sure we have enough
time to finish by tonight? - Try Harder!

Are you sure we have enough time to finish by tonight?

When she says, "What if you
could get into Stanford?" - Try Harder!

When she says, "What if you could get into Stanford?&qu...

But I still can't help, - Try Harder!

But I still can't help,

I wanna do something for
her to make her happy - Try Harder!

I wanna do something for her to make her happy

- Next semester like-- - Try Harder!

- Next semester like--

My mom wanted me to
finish on Saturday night - Try Harder!

My mom wanted me to finish on Saturday night

I do feel a little bit of
relief knowing - Try Harder!

I do feel a little bit of relief knowing

Try Harder! poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Seniors at one the best public high schools in the country face the pressure of applying to elite colleges.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Debbie Lum

Writer: Spencer Nakasako

Production: ITVS,Center for Asian American Media (CAAM),California Humanites,XTR,Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Genre: documentary

Year: 2021

MetaScore: 75/100

ImdbRating: 7.2

BoxOffice: $32,432

Released: 20 Mar 2023

Awards: 4 nominations total

Homepage: https://www.tryharderfilm.com/