Teachers (film)
| Teachers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Release Poster |
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| Directed by | Arthur Hiller |
| Produced by | Art Levinson (associate producer) Aaron Russo (producer) Irwin Russo (executive producer) |
| Written by | W. R. McKinney |
| Starring | Nick Nolte JoBeth Williams Ralph Macchio Judd Hirsch Richard Mulligan Morgan Freeman Laura Dern Crispin Glover |
| Music by | Bryan Adams Ian Hunter Freddie Mercury Bob Seger The Motels .38 Special |
| Cinematography | David M. Walsh |
| Editing by | Don Zimmerman |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | October 5, 1984 (USA) |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $27,536,746 (USA) |
Teachers is a 1984 comedy-drama film starring Nick Nolte, JoBeth Williams, Ralph Macchio, and Judd Hirsch, written by W. R. McKinney and directed by Arthur Hiller. The movie was shot in Columbus, Ohio, mostly at the former Central High School. The building is now home to the COSI Columbus museum.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film opens with a typical Monday morning at JFK High School, "typical" events including a fight between teachers, a student with a stab wound and talk of an upcoming lawsuit. We meet haggard Vice Principal Rubell (Hirsch) and clueless Principal Horn, as well as stuffy lawyer and former JFK alumna Lisa Hammond (Williams), who is in charge of taking depositions for the Calvin case, in which a recent graduate is suing the school for giving him a diploma despite his illiteracy.
Alex Jurel (played by Nick Nolte) is a veteran Social Studies teacher who takes his job lightly despite being one of the most popular teachers in school because of his ability to identify and connect with the students. Jurel has been worn down by years of being in-between the rowdy students and the demands of the administration (principal, vice principal, superintendent, and school board). He is assigned to temporarily take over the duties of the school psychologist (who started a fight in the office) and meets a young man named Eddie Pilikian (Macchio) to whom he becomes a mentor.
The major plotline centers on the Calvin lawsuit, with Superintendent Donna Burke (Lee Grant) and school lawyer Al Lewis (Morgan Freeman) attempting to avoid bad publicity associated with the case. To this end, they try to figure out which teachers will "rock the boat," or are critical of the school board policies. Intertwined with the major storyline are Jurel's efforts to reform Pilikian into a student who believes in himself and Jurel's growing moral conundrum that ultimately culminates in a showdown with Dr. Burke, who threatens to fire Jurel if he does not resign.
A number of minor plotlines deviate from the primary goings-on. These include Herbert Gower/Stuart Van Ark (Richard Mulligan), an outpatient from a mental institution who is accidentally put in charge of a U.S. History class and makes it fun and engaging; gym teacher Mr. Troy’s sexual relationship with a student that ends with Jurel taking the girl to an abortion clinic (a decision that later comes back to haunt him); and the death of Eddie Pilikian’s friend Danny (Crispin Glover), a schizophrenic and kleptomaniac student who is shot and killed by the police after he draws a gun from his locker during a drug search. A romance also begins between Jurel and the attorney Lisa Hammond (who at one point strips herself naked in the middle of a hallway). Lisa ultimately convinces Jurel that despite their many flaws, the students of JFKHS are worth risking reputation and career.
[edit] Cast
- Nick Nolte as Alex Jurel
- JoBeth Williams as Lisa Hammond
- Judd Hirsch as Vice Principal Roger Rubell
- Ralph Macchio as Eddie Pilikian
- Allen Garfield as Carl Rosenberg
- Lee Grant as Dr. Donna Burke
- Richard Mulligan as Herbert Gower
- Royal Dano as Ditto a.k.a. Kenneth Stiles
- William Schallert as Principal Horn
- Art Metrano as Troy
- Laura Dern as Diane Warren
- Crispin Glover as Danny Reese
- Morgan Freeman as Alan Lewis
- Madeleine Sherwood as Grace
- Steven Hill as Sloan
- Zohra Lampert as Mrs. Pilikian
- Mary Alice as Linda Ganz
- Terrance Ellis as Tim Hahn (as Terry Ellis)
- Ronald Hunter as Mr. Pilikian
- Virginia Capers as landlady
- Ellen Crawford as Social Worker
- Vivian Bonnell as Nurse
- Anthony Heald as Narc
- Katharine Balfour as Theresa
- Jeff Ware as Malloy
- Richard Zobel as Propes
[edit] Soundtrack
| Teachers | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | 1984 |
| Genre | Rock, Hard Rock |
| Label | Capitol Records |
| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
- "Teacher, Teacher" - 38 Special
- "Cheap Sunglasses" - ZZ Top
- "Foolin' Around" - Freddie Mercury
- "I Can't Stop the Fire" - Eric Martin
- "Edge of a Dream" - Joe Cocker
- "(I'm The) Teacher" - Ian Hunter
- "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday
- " In the Jungle" - The Motels
- "Understanding" - Bob Seger
- "Interstate Love Affair - Night Ranger
[edit] See Also
- Little Big Man, a 1970 western by Arthur Penn in which Richard Mulligan originated the portrayal of General Custer he partially reprises in Teachers, as mental patient Herbert Gower, who teaches his pupils while impersonating historical figures such as Custer, but also Abe Lincoln and Ben Franklin amongst others[2] (see above).
[edit] External links
- Teachers at the Internet Movie Database
- Teachers at AllRovi
[edit] Notes and References
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