'Two Million Minutes' Film Profiles Charter School

While it may not match a big-budget Hollywood sequel for hoopla, a follow-up documentary to a 2007 film about the challenges facing U.S. schools seems likely to draw broad attention from educators and policymakers, judging from reaction to the first installment.

“Two Million Minutes: A 21st Century Solution” is the sequel to a documentary that presented a critical view of American students’ academic performance and motivation compared with their peers in China and India.

The first film, which offered portraits of the academic and personal backgrounds of students in each of the countries, drew a mix of responses. Some praised it as a clear-eyed assessment of U.S. schools’ shortcomings when held to international standards; others said it overplayed American schools’ weaknesses...