Young Plato

The bright sparks and troubled souls of the classroom make for lively, sometimes heartrending company in a film that successfully links individual stories to a broader perspective.

The school is no more dysfunctional than any other institution and a lot more intelligent and self-questioning than many. A very engaging film.

If the Northern Irish are still learning from the ancient Greeks, maybe the rest of us should give them a listen, too.

Young Plato is a fascinating, sometimes funny and often touching film. It’s easy to see why the directors were drawn to McArevey and his school.

One wishes that the directors would have devoted more time to his past, how he came to be interested in Philosophy, and how he came to harness it as a tool useful in conflict resolution. Even still, McAverey and his staff’s love for the children comes through clearly.