As a paean to the idea that one individual can still make a difference in this world, Stand and Deliver does just that.

I won't tell the end, I'll just say this is a wonderful movie. Olmos is superb, funny, strong; Lou Diamond Phillips makes a terrific wise-guy student But then, everybody's terrific. You come away feeling cheered and hopeful.

Stand and Deliver is a rousing, stand-up-and-cheer movie that wears down the most cynical viewer in much the same manner that Escalante wears down his most unreachable students -- with raucous humor and ruthless determination.

While the commendable exploits are evident, and the real-life basis adds another level of triumph, the by-the-books, straightforward, un-theatrical style and editing – almost as if a documentary – saps tension and entertainment value.