A Smile as Big as the Moon (2012)

Please don't spend money on this.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

I had really looked forward to seeing this movie as i thought the subject matter was great, but I actually hated it - so superficial and banal and ridiculously sentimental and unbelievable. The acting was pretty awful all around but Louise Linton in particular was horrifyingly bad. She was supposedly a counselor for special education students but I thought she was completely unbelievable as an empathetic person. It seemed to me that her image was the most important thing to her and I could almost picture her directing every shot to make sure it highlighted her best profile. I can't believe she calls herself an actress - let's hope we don't see any more of her. Don't waste your time on this piece of fluff.

I've spent a couple of days trying to figure out how I feel about this movie. I think you'll know from the synopsis if this is your *type* of movie. I found it an interesting story even if the characters were all rather generic types and a little flat. The acting was fine and didn't distract from the story. I found the kids believable and the teachers sympathetic.I wanted the movie to deal in more depth with how the kids were treated at school. As it was written, their treatment was pretty cliché (although it doesn't mean it wasn't accurate). I also wanted more details on special accommodations the kids may have gotten while at camp. And I couldn't help wondering if there wasn't a legal avenue to get special needs children into Space Camp.Overall, I did like the movie. I appreciate that it didn't push too hard for an emotional response.

I shall rate this highly as it deserves it. As far as being realistic, this remains to be seen.We see the supposed conventional special education class with its myriad of problems. Of course, we have the heavy set girl, an African-American named Jamal, fighting, temper tantrums, dyslexia, you name it. What we do have here that we don't find in the vast majority of special education classes-the intrinsic motivation to learn and the required knowledge and ability are all there as well.We have the teacher who never gives up on his pupils along with a wonderful co-teacher. We have the principal who feels that these students are not qualified to go to space camp.Against the odds, the students do go and show everyone up in the process. There is the temper tantrums displayed but in the end our students win all the awards at space graduation.What a wonderful world. The picture is beautifully done. The characters are most sympathetic, but visit an urban school setting and reality takes hold.Interesting scientific information was displayed. Kudos to all!

The movie, which stars John Corbett, is based on the memoir by teacher Mike Kersjes with Joe Layden in the 1980′s. It gives an inside look into the way one educator empowered special needs students who were often bullied by others to find compassion and respect for everyone.[3] In the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, many of the special-ed students were played by young actors who have Down syndrome, autism and learning disabilities. Space Camp is a competitive education program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Even though it's designed for gifted science students, Mike, a special education teacher and football coach at a Michigan high school, decides participating in the science program would do wonders for the self-esteem of his students – especially Ben, a boy with Down syndrome, who dreams of becoming an astronaut.Aided by fellow teacher Robynn McKinney, Mike faces incredible obstacles in trying to make his dream become reality. School administrators oppose the plan as being too expensive. Space Camp officials are skeptical: They've never had special-ed kids apply before.At long last, Mike and his students are given the green light. And then the real challenges begin, over nine months of rigorous teaching, learning, training and fund-raising. The kids are belittled and in some cases bullied by their fellow classmates, but Mike finds a way to keep them on track. He even convinces the school's football team, his other students, to help them prepare for the intense physical challenges of Space Camp. The class finally leaves for Huntsville, Alabama. Will kids with Down syndrome, Tourette's, learning disabilities and emotional problems be able to leave their baggage behind, coalesce into a team, and compete with some of the brightest students from across the country!