General Education 2012

As the culmination of years of familial obligation draws near, Levi Collins (Chris Sheffield) stands at the precipice of his high school career, bound by a long-standing tradition instilled by his father Rich (Larry Miller). A full scholarship to Forest Wood and an invitation from Arizona State University are the keys to unlocking his academic future, with the latter being summarily dismissed in favor of the former. However, Levi’s world is turned upside down on the eve of graduation when he discovers a crippling blow: his Science grade has been irreparably tarnished.

Desperate to conceal this truth from his proud but controlling father, Levi attempts to grease the wheels by bribing his Science teacher, Ms. Bradford (Elaine Hendrix), with tickets to his sister’s avant-garde mime performance. When this ploy fails, he turns to the school principal in a last-ditch effort to salvage his graduation plans. With the able assistance of his friend Charles (Skylan Brooks), Levi concocts a scheme to deceive the principal, securing permission to participate in the ceremony and avoid sparking his father’s ire.

However, a sudden revelation from his counselor Bebe (Mercedes Masöhn) dashes his hopes: due to his inadequate Science grade, he is technically ineligible for graduation. Undeterred, Levi enrolls himself in a rigorous 10-day summer school program taught by none other than Ms. Bradford herself, sacrificing his plans to accompany friends Sean Przano and Harvey Guillén on a jaunt to Mexico.

As Levi navigates this arduous academic boot camp, he crosses paths with Katie (Maiara Walsh), who finds herself trapped in the same predicament as a result of her mother’s insistence that she complete the course. Samuel Goldstein (Federico Dordei) proves an unwelcome presence before being dispatched by Levi via tetherball. With his spirits lifted, Levi asks Katie out and they attend his sister’s mime show, where it becomes clear that Ms. Bradford is none other than Katie’s mother.

Here’s the rephrased section:

Levi’s creative cover story about a summer job at the local rice cake factory buys him some peace of mind with his parents. His father, however, remains oblivious to Levi’s true intentions, insisting on keeping up tennis lessons despite the risk of missing out on valuable learning time. Meanwhile, Ms. Bradford is breathing down Levi’s neck, reminding him that the final project is just around the corner and he still doesn’t have a topic. That’s when his friend Shady Nick, an aficionado of alternative energy, shows him a revolutionary video online. Convinced by Nick’s enthusiasm, Levi decides to transform his Mercedes into an eco-friendly car running on vegetable oil. Sampson, Nick’s mechanic pal, is skeptical at first but eventually warms up to the idea. As they work tirelessly to convert the car, their hard work pays off - the project is a resounding success, and Levi finally has a topic for his school project. However, his father’s persistence in forcing him to practice tennis causes Levi to miss another day of school, resulting in his expulsion from the class.

The tensions between Levi and his dad come to a head when Samuel, their arch-nemesis on the tennis court, is revealed to have stolen Levi’s prized possession - his car. Feeling betrayed and powerless, Levi lashes out at what he believes to be Samuel’s truck, only to discover it belongs to Officer Bob, landing him in hot water with the law. His mom swoops in to bail him out of jail, listening intently as Levi unloads his frustrations about tennis and his desire to forge a new path. Her words of wisdom draw from their family’s history of farming, where his great-grandfather broke free from tradition to pursue his dreams. Inspired by her counsel, Levi enlists the help of Charles, Katie, and Nick to retrieve his stolen car and get it back to school in time for Ms. Bradford’s review.

As Levi prepares to confront his father about his decision not to play tennis, he’s met with resistance. Undeterred, Levi decides to take matters into his own hands, arriving at school just in the nick of time to present his project to Ms. Bradford. His father has a change of heart, and after speaking with Ms. Bradford, she agrees to give Levi’s project a closer look. In the end, Levi manages to pass the class, finally freeing himself from the tennis racket. With his newfound sense of direction, he decides to leave the sport behind and pursue his dreams at Arizona State University. Katie reveals that she’ll be sticking around for the whole summer, leaving Levi feeling hopeful about the future.