Of course it is.

So what?

This guy put in a lot of work, he deserves it.

No, I meant "he" as in the subject of your post - the filmaker.

I find it a bit odd that you, I assume an adult, are saying things like "what he is doing isn't that spectacular" in regards to a nine year old boy.

I don't get why you have so much cynicism toward a nine year old boy but it is not my place to challenge your view.

Simply put, this boy is very creative; that it's relative to some arbitrary set standard threshold level of creativeness does NOT matter to me, I don't care - he's creative. As an adult, I feel it part of my responsibility, and part of the greatness of being a Good human being, to cultivate young minds.

This is what I got from the film - I think it's great. I think this kid is great (again why does his greatness have to be relative to "other kid's greatness") and I think the filmaker put in a lot of work to create value for all involved.

Beautiful story, it brightened up my day, I'm happy. =D

"why does his greatness have to be relative to "other kid's greatness""

What's the point of a trophy if everyone is getting a trophy? Sorry, the generation I was raised in didn't think that way. Awards for being special weren't passed out to everyone. And it was relative to what others have done.

> He is getting the donations as a result of a random meeting with the film maker.

Let me tell you a story.

I'd say this story takes place when I was 11 or 12, around this time I went to a private school. I was transported there by a private bus service. It was a long drive. And the only person I had for company in these (small) buses was the person who happened to be driving it. During this time I grew to appreciate the "brilliant failure" quality that bus drivers seem to have. They knew all sorts of interesting tidbits about the world, and it was usually fun to talk with them on the drive to and from school.

One driver in particular stands out in my mind, a man named Brian. Brian loved those morning radio stations that brought up social issues and asked listeners to comment. I liked them too. So we'd end up talking about these (in many cases esoteric) social issues and I'd present misguided positions. Which Brian would go ahead and tell me didn't make sense. It was fun. I'd always get Brian on the morning drive, rarely in the afternoon. It felt good stepping off the school bus having just had a discussion about the world. Gets you in that learning mood.

This situation persisted for some time. During the intervening period I related my (then) dream of becoming a video game designer and computer programmer. He thought it was funny because he wanted to get into a similar field. Eventually it was the last day of school. While I'd had a great time and knew I'd miss all the staff greatly, it didn't really hit me until I was on the bus home. By chance, that day I had Brian. As I was tearing up, conversation didn't really happen. I had finally realized that this would be the last time I would ever see Brian. It wasn't a comforting thought. Eventually it came time to step off the bus. My mom came home at the same time and got out of the car to greet me.

I knew it was going to sound awkward, but it had to be said, I went up to her crying and the first words out of my mouth were "Mom, I'd like you to meet my bus driver.". It was an odd request, but she did it. In the ensuing conversation I learned that Brian's parent company was about to shutter it's doors and that he'd be out a job. His hope was to attend a trade school and become a sysadmin or some such. We exchanged contact details and he was off.

A month had passed. While I hadn't forgotten him (And the rest of my school experience.) he wasn't exactly the top thing on my mind. My mom walked in with a large package; addressed to me. That was a rare thing but not totally out of the question, my aunt would occasionally send me gifts in the mail. I asked if she knew what my aunt had sent. I was utterly shocked to find out that it hadn't been sent by my aunt. With a modicum of confusion an infusion of excitement and insatiable curiosity I started to tear the package open.

When I finally had it undone the item inside may or may not have produced tears of joy.

It was a copy of Python Programming for the Absolute Beginner. Which I guess you could say is what really got me started on the whole "Program your computer thing.". My mom told me to pen a thank you letter to inform him that I received it. I never got around to it and I have since lost his contact details. I hope to one day track him down and give him the thanks he deserves.

Sure the difference in monetary expense is $60 to over 90K. But the principle is the same.

For all that you do, a successful life relies on the luck and chance of meeting the right person at the right time.

My cynicism is directed at the filmaker who I feel was being more opportunistic than altruistic and had ulterior motives.

I don't see it the same way with your bus driver. He stood nothing to gain from helping you and it was genuine what he did.

The bus driver didn't even get a thank you while the film maker will stand to gain plenty from what he has done (and he knew that when he seized this opportunity).

Nothing is wrong with that of course. It's a smart move.

>The bus driver didn't even get a thank you

I really regret that one. It'll be one of those flashbacks I have when I'm on my deathbed and I'm looking around the room reflecting on my life.

>Nothing is wrong with that of course. It's a smart move.

Well for what it's worth, I think your right. You make very valid points and I'm not going to try and refute them. However:

A story that ends with a starving artist making his career and an imaginative kid getting a college fund doesn't produce any knots in my stomach.

EDIT: Though at the same time, what I said doesn't really have anything to do with how kind the Bus Driver was. (And make no mistake, he was a very kind man.) The moral could be more aptly written as "The random people you meet during your days have an effect on your life, up to and including making or breaking your career. Weather you think that's fair or not." (And in many cases, it's not.)

A more positive way of thinking about it is that a bunch of Internet strangers gave a piece of their wealth in the interest of a young boy's dreams. It's better for it to happen to one than none.

Which in my case backfired. While the story itself may be inspiring, the film making style was cloying and cliched. I couldn't actually watch the whole thing.

I would have been more impressed if the father made the video and it went viral. The slickness was actually what prompted me to make my comments (which as I would expect have been downvoted)