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What Students Are Saying About Hometown Pride, Pandemic Dreams and a Mysterious Photo

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What Students Are Saying About Hometown Pride, Pandemic Dreams and a Mysterious Photo

Green Bay is huge on football and cheese. I love the culture there, and the people. Everyone there is great people, and we all love the same things, and end up creating a great community in the town. I miss my hometown, and I’m excited every time I visit there.

— Andrew, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC

As a person who grew up in Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, I am extremely proud of where I’m from. From its rich history to its delicious cheesesteak, there are many things to be proud of. The thing I personally love the most about Philadelphia is its American history. It is known to be one of the original thirteen colonies; and where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. All of these facts make me understand the importance of Philadelphia, and how special it is to America’s history.

— Yang, J.R Masterman Philadelphia, PA

For me I am proud of where I’m from and my home country, I’m proud to be a Filipina. To some others when they think of the Philippines the words poor or litter. But to me, I think of home, a country that has a place in my heart. Besides the cons of the Philippines there’s actually so much beauty there. The nature and wildlife such as the white sand beaches, luscious green jungles and forests, islands and the beautiful waterfalls. Not to mention the delicious food, treats and snacks they have to offer. Some of my favorites being pork sisig, shrimp sinigang, halo halo, taho, puto, piattos, canton, sampalok, pastillas and yema. The mangos that grow there are nothing to laugh at either. The fun activities you can do there like island hopping, swimming with whale-sharks and canyoneering etc. And if you visit at the right times you can even witness and experience the sinulog, a type of parade they have in the Philippines. The vibrant colors of the costumes, the smiles, the music, the vibe all in all is just addictive; you can’t help but have fun …

— Ella, King Kekaulike High School

I’m from Chicago and yes, I am proud of where I come from. I’m proud of my city. We’re known for having better pizza than New York, Blues music, Hot dogs, Michael Jordan, and hating Aaron Rodgers. We celebrate all types of cultures and are welcoming to all. We’re famous for Michael Jordan, Abe Lincoln, winning the 2016 world series, and much more. PIZZA, deep-dish pizza is where it’s at.

— Jack, Chicago

My hometown of Miami Beach is infamous for what we would call in Spanish “pachanga”. It is hard to directly translate into English, but it roughly aligns with a carefree spirit that always parties. We are a city known for our pristine beaches, which attract a fair share of visitors year-round. We are a city where tourism is thought to be our lifeline, with swanky condominiums lining up the shores of the Atlantic along South Beach. We are a city where our most pressing political issues is whether to ban alcohol sales at 2 AM in the morning or not. Perhaps most notably, we are the city that makes national headlines once every year during the same week in an exhausting cycle: spring break. Every spring break, this reputation attracts adults to our nightclubs, beaches, and our streets where cases of violence occur yearly. They see Miami Beach as a city unlike any other, a city where the mentality is not on law, order, and productivity, but rather one of relaxation and a frightening sense of anarchy. This is not the Miami Beach I see. I see a Miami Beach where our constituents are tired and alarmed at the parties in South Beach and the resulting chaos. It is no wonder why our recent referendum on a 2 AM alcohol sales ban passed– our people are hardworking Americans who want safe communities, despite what far too many see our city as. Though I love my city and would not trade its beauty for any other amenity in other cities, it is time to take our city seriously.

— Zakaria, Miami Country Day School

The Texas Rose Festival sounds really fun to me. It is a time where everyone gets together and celebrate, party, and have fun. I think it’s very unique and quite related to our Lavender Farm in Kula, Maui. Our Lavender Farm is just like the Rose Festival but with lavender. You can get lavender scones, lavender oils, lavender drinks, and lavender in general …

— Lilinoe, Maui, Hawaii

I’m proud of where I am from. I think that it’s very important to take pride in where you are from. My neighborhood isn’t really famous for anything, but it’s a very friendly place with a good environment. There are lots of friendly faces, and everybody knows each other. In my neighborhood, you can stop by the café for a cup of coffee, shop at the grocery store, or hang out with friends at the park. If I could choose something that my neighborhood should be known for, I think it would be our friendliness. My neighborhood is also very accepting of different people, cultures, etc.

— Layla, J.R. Masterman, Philadelphia, PA

What’s Going On in This Graph? | Dec. 1, 2021

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Dec. 1, 2021

4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, Dec. 1, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

5. By Friday morning, Dec. 3, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.

We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 60 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change.

• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic, graph type and Stat Nugget.

• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.

• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live-moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.

• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website, which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Vocabulary in Context: Female Orchestra Conductors

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Vocabulary in Context: Female Orchestra Conductors

For women in conducting, there are reasons to be optimistic. Administrators at major ensembles in cities like Atlanta, Minneapolis and Cincinnati, as well as Baltimore, are vowing to ensure that women are serious contenders.

Search committees are looking at a mix of artists and rising stars, according to interviews with 20 committee members, administrators, players and conductors.

Under the Desk

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Under the Desk

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.

Post it in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Using Data in Financial Decision-Making

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Using Data in Financial Decision-Making

Earn a Master of Business Analytics from Russia’s #1 university

“Finance… is about human relations, which is another thing that cannot be digitalized or automated. Professionals with deep theoretical knowledge, technical skills, the ability to think critically, and build long-term human relations are the people of the future.“ 

— Sergey Balakirev, Head of Development Projects at Promsvyazbank PJSC

In September, the new HSE University master’s program in Business Analytics launched on Coursera. This new, 100% online program provides students opportunities to enjoy practical, hands-on learning in interactive environments—similar to applied learning content in HSE’s on-site master’s program in Corporate Finance, where graduates have pursued careers in business, retail, banking, and finance, as well as created their own start-ups.

To provide more information about the benefits of HSE’s master’s programs in light of HSE’s newest Business Analytics program launch, we spoke with HSE’s on-site master’s program Corporate Finance graduates Sergey Balakirev, Head of Development Projects at Promsvyazbank PJSC, and Georgy Pashchenko, Chief Financial Officer at Kodland, an EdTech startup.

Why did you choose the HSE Corporate Finance programme?

Sergey Balakirev:

For me, the choice of a master’s program was quite simple, as I had several key criteria. I was looking for a program that was as practice-oriented as possible—where the teachers in the program are corporate finance and market professionals with significant experience. I also wanted the opportunity to combine work and studies—as other high-quality programs don’t necessarily offer the opportunity to do that today. HSE University’s reputation among professionals and employers was another factor. Looking back, I view the decision to join the program as one of the best I’ve ever made.

Georgy Pashchenko:

According to experienced corporate finance professionals, this program provides an optimal balance of practical and theoretical skills. Together with the evening-class format, which can be combined with work in the field, this creates a strong synergy; it allows you to rise to a completely new professional level in two years and benefit from corresponding acceleration in career growth. I had a background in IT, so while working in finance, I wanted to fill the gaps in my knowledge and get a fundamental understanding of corporate finance.

How relevant are the studies to current requirements in the corporate finance and business analysis markets? What tracks are adapted to meet these requirements?

Sergey Balakirev:

The program is practice-oriented, and its teachers include professionals who are trendsetters in corporate finance and apply exactly what they teach to their own careers. Most of the program tracks are designed like this. Courses in business valuation, financial modeling, financial reporting, venture capital, and mergers and acquisitions are particularly relevant to the corporate finance and business analysis markets.

Georgy Pashchenko:

The program’s teachers are not only renowned theoreticians, but practitioners from leading companies in their fields. Students gain relevant knowledge, plus highly sought-after skills. This helps them to become professionals capable of handling the most complicated projects.

What theoretical and practical classes would you like to mention?

Sergey Balakirev:

Despite the fact that the program is practice-oriented, it provides a serious theoretical foundation with detailed analysis of academic publications in corporate finance, macroeconomics, and econometrics. These classes provide a fundamental knowledge and train you to reason from first principles, which is a considerable advantage in the market. I would particularly like to mention the research seminar format, where participants virtually become researchers and learn how scholars identify trends, factors, and specific drivers of different solutions and their interrelations. Based on my own post-program story, this is a useful skill that reinforces a broad outlook and a complex perspective of the events that happen in corporate solutions.

Georgy Pashchenko:

First of all, I remember the impactful theoretical courses on business value: valuation, corporate finance, elements of value-based management. Among the practical classes, I would highlight project financing. Most of the courses are generally very strong, and the large amount of team project work also helped to refine our soft skills.

What global trends in business analytics can you highlight?

Sergey Balakirev:

The key global trend in financial and business analytics is the application of various software tools in addition to Excel. Today, professionals often need to know programming languages to work with data arrays and raw data in order to look for signals—including weak and unlikely ones—for use in financial decision-making.

Georgy Pashchenko:

Analysis is becoming more conceptually and methodologically complicated. It’s no longer possible to build a career with simple Excel calculations. Professionals need to have a strong theoretical foundation that allows them to build and interpret bold and complicated models. A new level of technical skill is also essential, namely in programming languages and interactive data visualization tools. Analysts of the future must be bold methodologists capable of processing huge amounts of data to find ideas to help their business increase profits.

What is required of finance professionals and business analysts today?

Sergey Balakirev:

Finance is an extremely competitive environment with competitive requirements. You must be knowledgeable in theoretical finance and business analysis, be familiar with analytical tools, have skills working with large volumes of information and identifying important points from this information, and be able to formulate your thoughts clearly. The scope of finance professionals’ operations is expanding: more and more often, there is a need to analyze data that is non-financial, to search for relations between this data and financial estimates and indicators. Professionals must find ways to include such data in financial models.

Georgy Pashchenko:

First of all, I recommend loving what you do, and to keep improving, learning, and communicating with leading experts. In terms of key skills, I would emphasize soft skills such as creativity, curiosity, and boldness in research. And only then will I go on to the standard set of hard skills: finance theory, financial modeling, analysis tools (spreadsheet editors, programming languages, and BI solutions).

How has your career developed? How would you like to advance professionally?

Sergey Balakirev:

I started my career when I was still studying in the HSE master’s program. My first employer was a Big Four company, where I had a three-month internship in the financial institution audit department. Then, still as a student, I worked in the corporate finance department of a Russian consulting company for six months and then became a business valuation consultant at PwC. I worked there for 18 months and gained invaluable experience and skills that I still find helpful. After that, I shifted my career towards investment and worked for 3.5 years at the family office of a top-100 Forbes billionaire. I spent 1.5 years of that dealing with venture investment, growing from an investment analyst to vice president for investment. I still work in investment today, but for the last two years it’s been in banking: I help implement an ecosystem and digital transformation strategy via M&A and venture investment. I spent 1.5 years at VTB Bank in the strategic department as managing director, and have spent the last six months at Promsvyazbank, also in the strategic department as head of development projects. 

If I change jobs in the future, I would like to continue developing in the field of investment in tech companies.

Georgy Pashchenko:

When I was a fourth-year undergraduate student at the HSE Faculty of Business Informatics, I had an internship with KPMG in the investment and capital market department of the corporate finance group. I was fascinated by financial modeling, which let me fully apply the synergy of my technical education and interest in finance. Thanks in no small part to my education in the master’s program in Corporate Finance, I was able to supervise teams on very complicated projects in financial modeling, valuation, and project feasibility studies soon after the start of my career. Alongside financial projects, I built a separate digital team from scratch consisting of full-stack developers and data scientists as part of the KPMG investment and capital market department. We were looking for and applying cutting-edge technologies to improve classical investment analysis. After 5.5 years at KPMG, I moved to Kodland, an EdTech company, to serve as CFO. I was inspired by the goal to build a global financial team (Kodland operates in a dozen countries and is actively entering new markets) at a company whose mission is to teach digital skills to kids and help them to fulfill their dreams.

What do you expect business analysis to look like in 10 or 20 years? Will the financial profession remain in demand in the long term?

Sergey Balakirev:

The requirements for precision and speed will grow, as will the volume of information processed by analysts in decision making. It will be hard to imagine a finance professional without at least basic programming skills. Big data will not just be a fancy word, but a specific object of analysis, while artificial intelligence and machine learning tools will become basic tools for business analysts and finance experts.

Professions that require expert opinions and creative approaches will also be in demand. These things can’t be automated. Develop your skills in critical thinking and first-principles thinking. Finance—particularly in venture capital markets—is about human relations, which is another thing that cannot be digitalized or automated. Professionals with deep theoretical knowledge, technical skills, the ability to think critically and creatively, and build long-term human relations are the people of the future. They will always be in demand.

Georgy Pashchenko:

The finance profession will always be in demand since it is about concepts and models. Technical tools for implementing models will change a lot, as will the volume of data and the quality of indicator visualization. But experts who can develop analysis methodologies, build models, interpret the results, and provide comprehensive recommendations for businesses will always be sought after.

See how Adrienne combines skills learned as a stay-at-home mom with new skills gained with a Google Professional Certificate to succeed in her dream job

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See how Adrienne combines skills learned as a stay-at-home mom with new skills gained with a Google Professional Certificate to succeed in her dream job

Meet Adrienne! She’s on an amazing career journey that started with an important decision—after ten years as a stay-at-home mom, she decided she was ready to return to the workforce. There were some obstacles along the way, but she kept her sights on a career in project management, and she’s recently landed a new job. She shares her story below, including some insights into how she enhanced her resume with the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate and successfully prepared for her job interviews, and how her transferable skills helped her move into a new field.

Hi, my name is Adrienne. I had a surprise pregnancy while in college and decided to leave school to become a mom. What was supposed to be a year of motherhood turned into being a stay-at-home mom for over ten years! Early this year, I decided it was time for me to get back into the workforce. However, I felt far behind my peers, mainly because I didn’t even have a college degree. 

I enrolled in the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate program when it launched in March with the intention of getting into the field of my dreams—technology. Once I started the program, I was happy to realize that the volunteer work I had done in our school district had actually taught me some skills I could incorporate into my future career as a project manager. 

I got so excited while earning my certificate that I began applying to new jobs mid-course. I was offered a role at a name-brand luxury resort as a full-time event planner, which I accepted. But, I was still determined to reach my dream job as a project manager in technology!

I spent my days off finishing the Google Professional Certificate program (while juggling being a mom!). It was challenging, but having a long day at work only pushed me harder to finish my program and earn my certificate. The program helped me build a portfolio to present to potential employers and it even taught me how to build my resume and prepare for job interviews. The program was engaging, fun, and I am completely confident in my new skills.

Today, I am proud to announce that I am working in a job at a top technology company. 

Earning my Google Project Management: Professional Certificate is one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve made in my education, and it was a key stepping stone to my new career.

Coursera partners with the California State Library to launch free statewide job training program 

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Coursera partners with the California State Library to launch free statewide job training program 

By Kevin Mills, Head of Government Partnerships 

While vaccination rates climb and schools and businesses slowly open back up, unemployment rates remain a challenge, even in the largest economies. California has the highest GDP of any U.S. state, yet the technology epicenter is also tied for the highest unemployment rate in the country at 7.5%. The scale of this challenge requires innovative solutions to reach displaced workers and enhance the state’s wider recovery efforts. 

Among the institutions leading the way is the California State Library, which has granted $4.36M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to expand workforce development efforts. As part of this initiative, the State Library and its grant recipient, Pacific Library Partnership (PLP), are partnering with Coursera to launch a free statewide job training program that will prepare thousands of learners with digital skills and credentials needed to re-enter the workforce, unlock new job opportunities, and advance their careers.

Residents can visit their local public library in-person or online to access Coursera training for free the same way they would check out a digital book, only they earn a certificate for each course or program they complete. Through over 1,000 California-based libraries, learners will have access to over 5,000 job-relevant online courses, taught by leading university and industry educators including UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Amazon, and Microsoft in areas like business, technology, and data science. 

The State Library-PLP-Coursera initiative also includes access to 15 entry-level Professional Certificate programs from industry partners like Google, IBM, Salesforce, and Facebook. These certificate programs are designed to prepare workers without a college degree or technical experience for entry-level digital jobs in high-growth fields such as IT Support, cybersecurity, sales development, and marketing analytics. Several entry-level certificates from Google and IBM have received ACE credit recommendations, opening up flexible pathways to degree programs. 

The training program includes additional education providers and is one part of a four-part $10.5M ARPA pandemic recovery effort the State Library is introducing throughout 2022. To realize the full potential of their digital inclusion efforts, the State Library will also offer programs that support residents in everything from internet connectivity and device access at-home to technical support for seniors. 

Public libraries have long been a critical social infrastructure, providing local communities access to knowledge, connectivity, and employment resources for free. The pandemic makes their mission more urgent, and we’re proud to support forward-thinking institutions like the State Library as they take on a greater role in unifying key support initiatives and enabling access to critical resources for learners across the state. 

We are proud to welcome the California State Library to a growing number of U.S. state and local government and public sector institutions partnering with Coursera to retrain displaced workers for the jobs of tomorrow, including New York, Tennessee, Missouri, and the city of Chicago. 

To sign up for the program, visit the California State Library website. For more information about Coursera for Government, visit coursera.org/government. 

The Best Holiday Gifts For Your Dev Team

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The Best Holiday Gifts For Your Dev Team
The Best Holiday Gifts For Your Dev Team

It’s that time of the year again. With holidays and Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals just around the corner, there’s no better time to show your appreciation for your dev teams. But how do you know what to pick? What gifts will developers truly enjoy?

To make your holiday shopping easier, we reached out to the developers in the Codecademy community and asked for their opinions on the perfect gift for a fellow dev. Here’s what they shared.

1. Noise-canceling headphones

When you’re poring over lines of code, the last thing you want is to be pulled out of the zone. Help your teams stay focused with a quality pair of Bluetooth, noise-canceling headphones.

2. Mechanical keyboard

Several developers suggested mechanical keyboards (and mouses) as the perfect gift — and for good reason. Mechanical keyboards have a few benefits that give them an edge over traditional keyboards, including greater customizability and functionality.

They’re also more accurate — which makes for better coding — and they’re more reliable, lasting anywhere from six to 20 times longer than traditional keyboards.

3. Standing desk converter

Standing desk converters are excellent gifts because they’re something that people don’t know they need until they have it. Healthline reports that standing desks can help reduce chronic pain, and they can also help improve mood and productivity. And you don’t have to invest in a pricey mechanical overhaul of your team’s set-up — there are plenty of great manual options that sit atop existing desks, which tend to be more affordable.

4. Monitor arms

Like standing desk converters, monitor arms are another great way to show your team you have their best interests at heart. Monitor arms allow you to easily adjust the height and placement of your monitor, reducing eye and muscle strain, improving posture, and helping to reduce desk clutter. Some even come with stands and laptop trays, if you’re in the market for something a bit fancier and more customizable.

5. Fingerless gloves

Believe it or not, fingerless gloves are a nifty gift for any techy. Typing (and coding) is much more difficult when your hands start to stiffen up in the cold, and fingerless gloves will help your teams type and touch screens when they’re on the go. Plus, compression gloves can also help alleviate the joint pain and inflammation common to anyone who spends hours typing away at a computer.

6. Codecademy Pro

Programmers on our forums, Facebook, and Twitter all volunteered Pro memberships as the perfect gift for developers. Technology is constantly evolving, and Pro is a great way to help your dev teams keep their skills sharp. And now, with Codecademy Teams and Teams+, you can gift Codecademy Pro to your whole team!

Teams and Teams+ allow you to take a more hands-on approach to training — facilitating your team’s growth and development, inspiring motivation and engagement with company goals, and creating greater value for your teams and company as a whole. In other words, Teams is a gift that keeps on giving.

Ready to get started with Teams? Check out the Codecademy for Business page and reach out to our sales team.

For Business Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

From software development to data analysis—give your team the latest technical skills to tackle any business problem.

Get Ready To Ace Your Technical Interviews With Code Challenges

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Get Ready To Ace Your Technical Interviews With Code Challenges
Get Ready To Ace Your Technical Interviews With Code Challenges

How do you know when your coding skills are good enough to land a job?

You might feel ready after building a website or two. Or, you might have a solid portfolio, fleshed out with various Challenge and Portfolio Projects, and still wonder if it’s enough. Gauging your own capabilities can be hard — especially when you’re learning on your own. That’s why we’re launching Code Challenges, so you can prepare for your technical interviews and see if you’re ready right here on Codecademy.

Technical interviews test how well you can tackle complex coding problems and utilize the tools you’ll use on the job. They might be one of the biggest challenges you’ll face on the road to your new career, so you’ll want to be well-prepared when you walk into your first one.

Code Challenges are real technical interview questions pulled from some of the top companies in tech. Not only will they help you see if you’re job-ready, but they’ll also show you what steps you need to take to get there.

Each Code Challenge highlights the programming concepts tested within — and they’ll also show you which courses you can take if you need to brush up on your skills. Plus, after practicing with real technical interview questions, you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward when the time comes for your interviews.

Like with real technical interviews, there’s no single right answer with Code Challenges. Instead, they really test your coding knowledge and ability to think like a programmer. That means you’ll want to focus not only on finding a solution but also on the efficiency of your code and your ability to explain what each part does.

You can take Code Challenges as many times as you’d like, so don’t worry about getting it right on the first try. Then, once you pass, you can share your solution in our forums to get tips from other developers on how to further improve your code.

Need a more visual explanation? On Wednesday, November 17th, Alex Kuntz, Codecademy’s Curriculum Manager, will show you how to use Code Challenges to prepare for technical interviews in a live tutorial. Or, if you’d rather check it out yourself, head to our Code Challenges page and get started.

Code Challenges are a great way to prepare for technical interviews, but remember — technical interviews are only part of the process. To get your foot in the door, you’ll still need a polished resume and portfolio and a skill set that’s up to par. For more tips on preparing for a career in tech, check out our Career Center.

Annotated by the Author: ‘Review of “Dune”: A Hero in the Making, on Shifting Sands’

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Annotated by the Author: ‘Review of “Dune”: A Hero in the Making, on Shifting Sands’

That impulse to linger is understandable given the monumentality of Villeneuve’s world building (and its price tag). But the movie’s spectacular scale combined with Herbert’s complex mythmaking also creates a not entirely productive tension between stasis and movement. Not long after he lands on Dune, Paul is ushered into the new world of its tribal people, the Fremen, a transitional passage leading from dark rooms to bright desert, from heavy machinery and vaulted spaces with friezes to gauzy robes and the meringue peaks of the dunes. Paul is on a journey filled with heavy deeds and thoughts, but en route he can seem caught in all this beauty, like a fly in fast-hardening sap.

There are moments in “Dune” and in Villeneuve’s other movies when his truer talent is for production design rather than as a director of moving pictures.

Chalamet looks young enough for the role (Paul is 15 when the novel opens) and can certainly strike a Byronic pose, complete with black coat and anguished hair. The actor has his moments in “Dune,” including in an early scene with Rampling’s Reverend Mother, who puts Paul through a painful test; Chalamet excels at imparting a sense of confused woundedness, psychic and physical. But he doesn’t move with the coiled grace of the warrior that Paul is meant to be, which undermines both his training sessions with the family “warmaster” (Josh Brolin) and in his later role as a messianic figure, one who is considerably less complicated and conflicted onscreen than he is on the page.

As I was thinking about Timothée Chalamet’s acting, I realized that he has effectively become the new Leonardo DiCaprio, a.k.a. Hollywood’s latest bankable white male heartthrob. That means that, like the young DiCaprio, Chalamet is now famous enough to be cast in a big movie whether he makes sense in it or not. I didn’t have the space or inclination to drag DiCaprio into this graph — but that’s what I was thinking.

Written by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, the screenplay has taken predictable liberties. The movie retains the overall arc of the book despite having jettisoned characters and swaths of plot. There have been felicitous changes, as with the character Dr. Liet Kynes, an ecologist who’s a man in the book but is now a woman. Played by a formidably striking Sharon Duncan-Brewster, the character doesn’t receive nearly enough screen time, particularly given Kynes’s weighty patrimony and narrative function. But Duncan-Brewster — like so many of the other well-cast supporting performers — makes enough of an impression that she helps fill in the script’s ellipses.

Dr. Liet Kynes is a great character; in the book, he is also a man. I love that the movie makes the character a woman, even if one who’s been whittled down in importance. But Sharon Duncan-Brewster is one of those actors who, through their talent and presence, can make even a smallish role seem big. She’s terrific. And, of course, her casting adds some gender and racial diversity. I would love to see an entire movie or series centered on her as Liet Kynes.

Throughout “Dune,” you can feel Villeneuve caught and sometimes struggling between his fidelity to the source material and the demands of big-ticket mainstream moviemaking and selling. It’s easy to imagine that he owns several copies of the novel, each copiously dog-eared and heavily outlined. (The movie is relatively free of holiday-ready merch opportunities, outside of a cute desert mouse with saucer-sized ears.) At the same time, Villeneuve is making a movie in a Marvel-dominated industry that foregrounds obviousness and blunt action sequences over ambiguity and introspection. There’s talk and stillness here, true, but also plenty of fights, explosions and hardware.

The fact that Villeneuve directed a sober, serious and beautiful movie from a sober, serious and smart book at this point in American mainstream movie history is impressive enough to mention and celebrate. Whatever you think of Marvel, its crushing domination is terrible for the movie industry simply because it has led to less and less narrative and genre diversity in bigger movies. It’s bleak.

The trickiest challenge is presented by the movie’s commercial imperatives and, by extension, the entire historical thrust of Hollywood with its demand for heroes and happy endings. This presents a problem that Villeneuve can’t or won’t solve. Paul is burdened by prophetic visions he doesn’t yet fully understand, and while he’s an appealing figure in the novel, he is also menacing. Herbert was interested in problematizing the figure of the classic champion, including the superhero, and he weaves his critique into the very fabric of his multilayered tale. “No more terrible disaster could befall your people,” a character warns, “than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero.”

Frank Herbert, the author of the original novel, complicates Paul’s role in interesting ways that are fundamentally anathema to Hollywood’s frustrating, often maddeningly simplistic love for unambiguous heroes. Villeneuve’s conception of the character isn’t as complex as Herbert’s, and his Paul is more classically heroic or at least seems like the usual hero-in-the-making. But the movie only adapts the first half of the first book, so maybe — if Villeneuve directs a sequel — he will go against Hollywood’s heroic grain. Here’s hoping.

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