Skip to main content
Documentary backdrop image for Resolved (2007)
91 minPGdocumentaryWorth an evening
7.2/ 10(4 ratings)• TMDB
Deep Dive
Watch later

Synopsis

12 to 18 percent of students at Jordan High School in Long Beach, California, go on to a four-year college, contrasting sharply with their peers at Highland Park High School.

Go deeper
Deep Dive

Why Watch

  • See the contrasting worlds of Texas and California debate teams.
  • Meet the underdog team that challenges debate norms.
  • Find out how Freire's ideas influence debate strategies.

Did You Know

  • Resolved won the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 23, 2007.
  • The documentary received two Emmy nominations in 2009 for Best Documentary and Editing.
  • Jordan High's debate team had only 12-18% of its students going to a four-year college.
  • The film made its television debut on HBO in the summer of 2008.
  • The documentary features commentary from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

Perfect For

High school debate enthusiastsEducation reform advocatesDocumentary film fans
Read full Deep Dive →
Frequently Asked Questions

Who directed the documentary Resolved?

Resolved was written and directed by Greg Whiteley.

What award did Resolved win at its debut?

Resolved captured the Audience Award at its debut on June 23, 2007, at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Which two teams are primarily focused on in Resolved?

The documentary focuses on the debate teams from Highland Park High School and Jordan High School.

Awards & Festivals

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia (2017)
29m

Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia

2017•29m•★10.0

In Halifax, a group of Black students confronts racism in their predominantly white high school by forming a Cultural Awareness Youth Group to promote pride and self-esteem.

Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia
2017
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Worth seeking out
2h54m

Hoop Dreams

1994•2h54m•★7.6

William Gates and Arthur Agee navigate the challenges of high school basketball at St. Joseph High School in Illinois while pursuing their dreams of professional careers.

Hoop Dreams
1994
Undefeated (2011)
Worth seeking out
1h53m

Undefeated

2011•1h53m•★7.4

More than 500 hours of footage were recorded to document the Manassas Tigers' attempts to achieve a winning season in high school football.

Undefeated
2011
More than a Game (2008)
Worth an evening
1h45m

More than a Game

2008•1h45m•★7.3

Five young basketball players from Akron, Ohio, rise to prominence as they compete for a state championship during the late 1990s.

More than a Game
2008
Private vs. Public School: Surviving The American Education System (2024)
2h14m

Private vs. Public School: Surviving The American Education System

2024•2h14m

Two boys navigate the contrasting worlds of private and public schools in the U.S., highlighting the challenges and opportunities within the education system.

Private vs. Public School: Surviving The American Education System
2024
One Texas High School's Efforts to Help Students Graduate (2026)
1h53m

One Texas High School's Efforts to Help Students Graduate

2026•1h53m

Sharpstown High School in Houston implemented innovative strategies to support at-risk students, showcasing the dedication of educators in combating dropout rates.

One Texas High School's Efforts to Help Students Graduate
2026
Decades After Brown v. Board, Revisit 'Separate and Unequal' (2024)
29m

Decades After Brown v. Board, Revisit 'Separate and Unequal'

2024•29m

School segregation in America resurges decades after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, highlighting ongoing racial divides and community efforts for separate schooling.

Decades After Brown v. Board, Revisit 'Separate and Unequal'
2024
Being a White Student at a Historically Black College (2018)
25m

Being a White Student at a Historically Black College

2018•25m

Morehouse College graduates the most African-American men in the world each May, while facing challenges from recruiting non-black students like Tiago.

Being a White Student at a Historically Black College
2018
This 13-Year-Old is TEACHING His Fellow Students (2026)
28m

This 13-Year-Old is TEACHING His Fellow Students

2026•28m

In Shanghai, the top-ranked city in the PISA assessments, students experience rigorous education focused on science and foreign languages to excel globally.

This 13-Year-Old is TEACHING His Fellow Students
2026
Broken City Poets (2015)
30m

Broken City Poets

2015•30m

A citywide slam poetry competition in Stockton, California, prompts high school students to express their experiences with violence and community through workshops.

Broken City Poets
2015

Explore Resolved

TrailerCast & CrewAwardsDeep DiveFAQStream

Where else to watch

American High (2000)
22m

American High

2000•22m•★6.0

Fourteen students at Highland Park High School in Illinois share their experiences of adolescence in this Emmy Award-winning series.

American High
2000
Try Harder! (2021)
Worth a watch
1h25m

Try Harder!

2021•1h25m•★8.6

At Lowell High School in San Francisco, seniors navigate the intense pressures of college admissions while balancing their diverse backgrounds and aspirations.

Try Harder!
2021
Most Likely to Succeed (2015)
Worth an evening
1h26m

Most Likely to Succeed

2015•1h26m•★8.1

A 50-state tour followed the film's premiere, screening it for learning communities across the country to discuss educational reform.

Most Likely to Succeed
2015
High School II (1994)
3h40m

High School II

1994•3h40m•★6.5

85-95% of graduates from Central Park East Secondary School go on to attend four-year colleges.

High School II
1994
The Bad Kids (2016)
Worth seeking out
1h41m

The Bad Kids

2016•1h41m•★7.2

Three at-risk students face challenges at Black Rock Continuation High School in Yucca Valley, California, as they work toward graduation.

The Bad Kids
2016
Wrestle (2018)
Worth a watch
1h36m

Wrestle

2018•1h36m•★8.3

Four young wrestlers from J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville, Alabama, face challenges including emotional breakdowns and racial profiling as they aim for the State Championships.

Wrestle
2018

Browse more like this

Immutable (2025)
1h35m

Immutable

2025•1h35m•★10.0

A group of students from the Washington Urban Debate League participates in a summer debate camp during the final days of the COVID pandemic.

Immutable
2025
Speak. (2025)
1h44m

Speak.

2025•1h44m•★10.0

Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year preparing for one of the world's largest public speaking competitions.

Speak.
2025
Innocence. (2021)
23m

Innocence.

2021•23m•★10.0

A group of women activists in San José, California, works to remove police from local schools, advocating for safer educational environments.

Innocence.
2021
Personal Statement (2018)
1h27m

Personal Statement

2018•1h27m•★10.0

Three high school seniors work as peer college counselors to help their classmates apply for college and strive to be the first in their families to attend.

Personal Statement
2018

Related Films

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →