WALKOUT (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television drama is based on the true story of the 1968 East Los Angeles high school protests. The story begins at the overcrowded Lincoln High School, where idealistic young teacher Sal Castro discovers that the textbooks do not comment on Mexican-Americans' impact on the Civil War or any other significant moments in history. At lunch, students are forbidden from accessing the school bathrooms, and Sal breaks up yet another schoolyard fight. Honors student Paula Crisostomo begs her parents for permission to go on a special retreat to Malibu for high-achieving pupils, though Sal is frustrated when the other teachers, who forbid their Latino students from speaking Spanish in the classroom, seem disinterested in helping low-income pupils to pursue college. Paula and several friends are awed as Sal drives them through upper-class neighborhoods on the way to the beach, and once there, Sal gives them a speech about the importance of graduating and attending college in order to "write their own history" as Chicanos. Paula meets the Brown Berets, an activist group similar to the Black Panthers, though fellow student Moctesuma Esparza encourages her to focus on school instead. Sal recites a moving poem about Chicano history, and the students debate their identities and labels as they celebrate their cultures together.
On the way home, Sal shows Paula another school's much more impressive library, and she decides to write an essay about the unfair disparities. Her father Panfilo seems unimpressed with her discoveries, but Paula gets to work writing her "tale of two schools" essay and soon meets with students from the other four east L.A. schools. They decide to create surveys for the students to voice their concerns, though Brown Beret Carlos suggests a more aggressive course of action, and Paula's new friend Robert gives her a ride home, though she quickly orders him away before Panfilo, who disapproves of her spending time with "agitators," can spot them together. The students are intrigued by the surveys and begin filling them out by the hundreds, demanding bilingual education and an end to corporal punishment for speaking Spanish, among other things, though Sal warns her that they will have to appeal directly to the school leaders to make any changes. The principal reminds Paula that she is set to graduate with honors soon and should not risk her future by making trouble, and when he accuses Sal of inciting agitation, Sal states that the students have taken initiative on their own. When they are ignored at a school board meeting, the students decide to take inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., and stage a "boycott." As public schools receive funding based on attendance, they opt to enact a city-wide walkout to make their points.
One of Paula's friends, Fernie, grows fed up with the school's demeaning policy of janitorial punishments and storms out, meaning that he will likely not graduate. Panfilo suggests that more students should enroll in the American military, though Paula is highly skeptical of the Vietnam War's true aims. Paula then learns that the principals have somehow learned of their walkout plans, and Principal Ingles tells an angry Panfilo and Francis about their involvement with "radicals." Sal assures her that she cannot be expelled for a peaceful protest, but Paula begins to have doubts. One of the schools, Wilson, then jumps the gun and enacts a walkout, and Sal urges the other students to wait a week to properly plan their own actions. They spend several days making signs and discussing their plans, and a nervous Paula finally leads her school in a massive protest. Panfilo and Francis are shocked to see their daughter on television demanding equal education, and Sal soon tells the students that the board has agreed to "consider" their demands, though not everyone is convinced by the promise. Paula and Robert share a victorious kiss, though elsewhere the police learn of their plans for a secondary walkout and make plans to intervene.
Panfilo angrily lectures Paula when she tries to sneak into the house, and Francis urges her daughter to consider the long-term consequences of her choices. When the students attempt to walk out again, they are met by locked gates and a police presence outside, leading to a chaotic scene of violence and several arrests. Everyone is further upset when the news offers scathing reports about the "radical youths," omitting the scenes of obvious police brutality against the students. Undeterred, Paula rallies her classmates yet again, and she is thrilled when her mother appears outside to support her. With the parents' support, the board agrees to a special session, and a jubilant Paula asks Robert to attend prom with her. At the meeting, the students describe their demands for bilingual education, non-prejudiced treatment and open bathrooms, among other things, but as Paula eagerly waits for Robert to pick her up for the dance, a number of the protest leaders, including Sal, are suddenly arrested. Paula is crushed to learn that her friends may be charged with conspiracy, a felony charge with a hefty sentence, though Panfilo, having realized that she is fighting for a good cause, has a change of heart and encourages his daughter to keep fighting.
Paula rallies her remaining friends and organizes a large protest outside the police station to demand the release of the "East L.A. 13," and while there, she is shocked to find that Robert is actually an undercover policeman and has been informing on their actions all along. He attempts to apologize for the betrayal, but she rejects him and continues the protest. When Sal is released on bail, the protesters shout their thanks for his bravery, and the other twelve are soon freed as well. The film concludes by revealing that UCLA and other local colleges saw a great increase in Chicano attendance as a result of the walkouts, and the East L.A. 13's cases were thrown out on appeal sometime later. The real Saul, Paula, Moctesuma, Carlos and others offers comments about their memories of the 1968 walkouts, stating that they discovered pride in their cultural through their communal efforts.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: March 18, 2006 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:50:36
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:89083
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Hispanic Collection - Drama; Drama, historical; Student movements; Los Angeles
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 2006
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Moctesuma Esparza … Executive Producer
- Robert Katz … Executive Producer
- Robert M. Young … Co-Executive Producer
- Edward James Olmos … Co-Executive Producer, Director
- Lisa Bruce … Producer
- Félix Enríquez Alcalá … Co-Producer
- Marty Eli Schwartz … Co-Producer
- Ligiah Villalobos … Co-Producer
- Tonantzin Esparza … Associate Producer
- Greg Spence … Associate Producer
- Bodie Olmos … Associate Producer
- Reid Burns … Visual Effects Producer
- Victor Villaseñor … Writer
- Marcus DeLeon … Writer
- Ernie Contreras … Writer
- Timothy J. Sexton … Writer
- Rosino Serrano … Music by
- Alexa Vega … Cast, Paula Crisostomo
- Michael Peña … Cast, Sal Castro
- Yancey Arias … Cast, Panfilo Crisostomo
- Laura Harring … Cast, Francis Crisostomo
- Efren Ramirez … Cast, Bobby Verdugo
- David Warshofsky … Cast, Lloyd Hurley
- Holmes Osbourne … Cast, Principal Ingles
- Tim DeKay … Cast, Mr. Peck
- Tonantzin Esparza … Cast, Vickie Castro
- Bodie Olmos … Cast, Moctesuma Esparza
- Veronica A. Diaz … Cast, Yoli Rios
- Jeremy Ray Valdez … Cast, Robert Avila
- Jonathan Hernandez … Cast, Fernie Flores
- Fidel Gomez … Cast, Carlos Montes
- Douglas Spain … Cast, David Sanchez
- Marisol Crisostomo-Romo … Cast, Mita Cuaron
- Germaine de Leon … Cast, Harry Gamboa
- Carmen Corral … Cast, Tanya Mount
- David Devora … Cast, John Ortiz
- Jesse Garcia … Cast, Armando Lopez
- Pablo Santos … Cast, Mickey Fernandez
- Bruce French … Cast, Chief Tom Reddin
- Francisco Arago … Cast, Arrested Brown Beret
- Bernando Badillo … Cast, Lincoln Student
- Ivar Broggar … Cast, Principal Murphy
- P.J. Byrne … Cast, Teacher with Paddle
- Iliana Carter-Ramirez … Cast, Susan Racho
- Analysa Chavez … Cast, Mariachi Singer
- Luis Chávez … Cast, Payaso
- Jeannine Cota … Cast, UMAS Member
- Rick Dano … Cast, Police Commander
- Greg Gastelum … Cast, Chicano Policeman
- Larry Goodhue … Cast, L.A.P.D. Officer
- Danny Haro … Cast, Undercover Cop #1
- Jerry Hernandez … Cast, Ray Chapa
- Nicholas Hormann … Cast, Commentator Earl Brown
- Michael Keenan … Cast, J.C. Chambers
- Daniel Ray Lujan … Cast, Chato
- Ken Madlock … Cast, Commander Cody
- Austin Noah Marques … Cast, Jimmy Crisostomo
- Fabian Nunez … Cast, Officer at Roosevelt
- Edward James Olmos … Cast, Julian Nava
- Robert Overmyer … Cast, Police Officer
- Walter Perez … Cast, Al Crisostomo
- John Prosky … Cast, Principal Dyer
- Lorna Raver … Cast, Georgina Hardy
- Steve Ryan … Cast, Commander at Roosevelt
- Tom Schmid … Cast, News Reporter
- Chuck Sloan … Cast, Principal Skinner
- Gabriel Torres … Cast, Bobby's Little Brother
- Diego Torres … Cast, Robert Rodriguez
- Steve Wilcox … Cast, Undercover Cop #2
- Jacqueline Wright … Cast, Belmont Teacher