Private Scores

Cornelia Fuller is a divorced mother of one, living in Manhattan. A casting director, she has her 7-year-old daughter, Olivia (Livvie) enrolled in the elitist prep school she herself attended as a child.The school, under a new headmaster takes the "elitist" concept to frightening heights. Students are being expelled for being just "a little bit behind," one child who has an auditory disorder is shown the door while a third is being expelled ostensibly for not paying attention. It turns out this child is the daughter of a high powered Manhattan judge who will stop at nothing to see that justice is done. Charging into the headmaster's office, the judge demands answers for why her Rachel is being expelled. In demagogic fashion, the headmaster says he is doing an "ethnic sweep" and names several other students he feels aren't up to par. He belittles the children and makes it clear that they don't fit into the "elitist" picture. Enraged, the judge threatens to mobilize her forces and publicly shame the school. The man sounded like he was conducting a pogrom, not running a private school.Other parents become involved and uncover a nasty layer of lies, cruelty and corruption. Olivia Fuller, the second grader who was behind in her reading, finally has a chance to shine. How she takes matters in her own hands and moves forward makes for a very interesting, taut, psychological thriller.