Attention, Hollywood
By Mitch Berg
I loved Freedom Writers – the story of a plucky teacher who breaks all the rules and refuses to knuckle under to an uncaring racist system – the first time I saw it.
When it was called Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Save The Last Dance, Math Club ‘n Tha Hood, To Sir With Love and Save The Dangerous Chess For Ms. LoveSir.
Please see to changing this.
Thank you.
January 22nd, 2007 at 10:59 am
What about “Lean on Me”? Although the protagonist was a principal rather than a teacher and the racism he was challenging was the “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:11 am
Forgot that one.
And probably fifty others.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:08 pm
“And probably fifty others.”
Ever notice that in most of the “inspirational teacher finds a way to reach the disillusioned students in defiance of the system” stories, the teacher usually teaches either (a) music, (b) drama, (c) dance, or (d) English/literature. Usually the way the teacher “reaches” the student is by having them express their feelings rather than figure out some practical solution to their problems and get their life on track. IIRC “Stand and Deliver” broke the mold by having a Math teacher as its protagonist but that hasn’t really be repeated.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Good point, although I think it makes sense; most script writers would more closely relate to language and art than math. As it would for me; I hated math, it bored me stiff. Writing, music and foreign languages were what kept me going back.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:39 pm
My favorite “teacher in a classroom” movie was “The Substitute” starring Tom Berenger.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Don’t forget Jon Lovitz in “High School High.”
“This is a book. It opens like this.”
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:13 am
By that standard, I suppose Billy Madison counts.
But I don’t feel good about it.