Haven’t seen the movie… don’t know the family’s finances… but I think in general it’s good to send a child to a university/college in a very different part of the country.
Going from Sacramento to NYC – or, as in my daughter’s case, from Denver to Boston – offers extraordinary opportunities for personal and social growth. In my eyes, it was worth the extra $10K per year, especially since much of her “commuting home” airfare money came in the form mileage.