Dangerous Minds
Encyclopedia
Dangerous Minds is an American
drama
film
based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine
LouAnne Johnson
, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School
in Belmont, California
, where most of her students were African-American and Hispanic
teenagers from East Palo Alto, a then-unincorporated town at the opposite end of the school district.
The film, starring Michelle Pfeiffer
as LouAnne Johnson, was released to mixed critical reception, but became a surprise box office success in the summer of 1995, leading to the creation of a short-lived television series of the same name
.
), a retired U.S. Marine
, applies for a teaching job at Parkmont High School in California
, and is surprised and pleased to be offered the position with immediate effect. Turning up the next day to begin teaching, however, she finds herself confronted with a classroom of tough, sullen teenagers, all from lower-class and underprivileged backgrounds, involved in gang warfare and drug pushing, flatly refusing to engage with anything. They immediately coin the nickname "White Bread" for LouAnne, due to her Caucasian appearance and apparent lack of authority, to which LouAnne responds by returning the next day in a leather jacket and teaching them karate
. The students show some interest in such activities, but immediately revert to their former behaviour when LouAnne tries to teach the curriculum.
Desperate to reach the students, LouAnne devises classroom exercises that teach similar principles to the prescribed work, but using themes and language that appeal to the streetwise students. She also tries to motivate them by giving them all an A grade from the beginning of the year, and arguing that the only thing required of them is that they maintain it. In order to introduce them to poetry
, LouAnne uses the lyrics of Bob Dylan
's 'Mr. Tambourine Man
' to teach symbolism and metaphor; once this is achieved, she progresses on to Dylan Thomas
's 'Do not go gentle into that good night
'. LouAnne rewards the students liberally, using candy bars, reward incentives, and a trip to a theme park. Her methods attract the anger of the school authorities, George Grandey (Courtney B. Vance
) and Carla Nichols (Robin Bartlett
), who try to force her to remain within the curriculum.
Particular individual students attract LouAnne's attention for their personal problems. Callie Roberts (Bruklin Harris) is an unusually bright girl who excels at English, but is removed from the school halfway through the semester when she becomes pregnant. LouAnne visits her outside of school hours to try to persuade her to continue with further education. Raúl Sanchero (Renoly Santiago
) is a well-meaning boy who is frequently involved in gang warfare and street crime. LouAnne tries to encourage him to focus by paying a special visit to his family to congratulate him on his work, and going to dinner with him as a way of instilling confidence and self-respect. Emilio Ramírez (Wade Domínguez
) is her most troublesome personal project, as he believes strongly in a sense of personal honour that prevents him from asking for help. When LouAnne discovers that his life is in danger because of a personal grudge held by a recently-released thug, she tries to protect him, but due to the cold attitude of the principal, he is abandoned at the crucial moment and is subsequently killed.
At the end of the year, she announces to the class that she will not be continuing to teach at the school, which prompts an unbridled display of emotion from the students who refuse to let her leave. Overwhelmed, she reconsiders the decision.
.
Andy García
filmed scenes as Michelle Pfeiffer's love interest, but these were cut before the film's release.
The actual school at which LouAnne Johnson taught, Carlmont High School
in Belmont, California
, was used as a filming location, along with Burlingame High School
, San Mateo High School
and Washington Middle School
.
. It was an immediate box office success, grossing a total of $179,519,401 worldwide.
, and a score of 47 on Metacritic
, indicating mixed reviews.
Janet Maslin
in the New York Times wrote: "There aren't many things that would look better on paper than on Michelle Pfeiffer, but the role of LouAnne Johnson
is one of them... False and condescending films in this genre are nothing new, but Dangerous Minds steamrollers its way over some real talent. Ms. Pfeiffer is a vastly better actress than this one-dimensional character allows her to be... Never mind the complaints that could be made about LouAnne's teaching methods: she rewards students with bribes, flirts patronizingly and inflicts cruel and unusual punishment while analyzing the subtext of 'Mr. Tambourine Man'... The kids turn out to be angels, straight from central casting... Performances are as lifelike as the material allows, but Ronald Bass
's screenplay doesn't trade heavily in surprises."
Kenneth Turan
in the Los Angeles Times
wrote: "While films are admired for making fantasy real, some manage a reverse, unwanted kind of alchemy, turning involving reality into meaningless piffle. It is that kind of regrettable transformation that Dangerous Minds achieves... none of it, with the exception of Pfeiffer's performance, seems even vaguely real. This is especially true of the film's excessively melodramatic climactic events, a bogus tragedy that does not occur in the book and has contrived written all over it... Given how few the opportunities are for women to carry a motion picture, and with the chance to be a positive role model thrown into the bargain, it's not surprising to find Pfeiffer starring in Dangerous Minds, and she is as believable as the film allows her to be. But if this trivialization of involving subject matter is the best a star of her considerable abilities can latch onto, today's actresses have it worse than we've imagined."
Roger Ebert
in the Chicago Sun-Times
wrote: "We have seen this basic story before, in Stand and Deliver
, Lean On Me
, Teachers
, Dead Poets Society
, and so on. This version is less than compelling... Pfeiffer, who is a good actress, does with this material what she can... The real Miss Johnson
used not Dylan
but the lyrics of rap songs to get the class interested in poetry... What has happened in the book-to-movie transition of LouAnne Johnson's book is revealing. The movie pretends to show poor black kids being bribed into literacy by Dylan and candy bars, but actually it is the crossover white audience that is being bribed with mind-candy in the form of safe words by the two Dylans. What are the chances this movie could have been made with Michelle Pfeiffer hooking the kids on the lyrics of Ice Cube
or Snoop Doggy Dogg
?"
Terrence Rafferty
in The New Yorker
wrote: "Thanks to Pfeiffer’s inventive acting, John N. Smith’s movie does a fairly entertaining job of capturing the unscrupulous, guerrilla-like cunning of a good teacher in a bad school. But the cut-to-the-enlightenment dramaturgy of Ronald Bass’s screenplay feels desperate and false. And in the final scenes the movie gets as sticky as To Sir With Love. It canonizes the heroine needlessly: Pfeiffer looks plenty good without a halo."
Peter Travers
in Rolling Stone
wrote: "The young and mostly unknown cast is outstanding. And Pfeiffer gives a funny, scrappy performance that makes you feel a committed teacher's fire to make a difference. The film also benefits from the sly touch of Elaine May
, who collaborated with Ronald Bass
(Rain Man
) on this screen adaptation of Johnson
's 1992 memoir, My Posse Don't Do Homework... Maybe producers Don Simpson
and Jerry Bruckheimer
(Bad Boys
, Crimson Tide
) don't know how to let a strong female character carry the ball. Dangerous Minds often unspools like a hokey update of Sidney Poitier
's To Sir With Love. Still, in a summer when most women are forced to play dumb and strip to thrill or kill, Pfeiffer does herself and her endangered species proud."
Kevin McManus in the Washington Post wrote: "Unhappily, Dangerous Minds, which tells the story of such a [charismatic] teacher, merits only a C. And if it weren't for Michelle Pfeiffer, we'd surely be looking at a more dismal grade... writer Ronald Bass
sprinkles the script with saccharine lines that sound plain dumb coming from high schoolers. "But you can't leave us," one kid whines as Pfeiffer gets set to quit. "You're our Tambourine Man!"... Pfeiffer and the students (played by talented unknowns) make sections of the movie quite watchable. When their wisecracks fly back and forth in class, it sounds right. When sequences depict school corridors and city streets, it looks right. If only the filmmakers had used some subtlety in telling the story, they could have done right by the real LouAnne Johnson
."
Edward Guthmann in the San Francisco Chronicle
wrote: "It's contrived, it's hokey, but in Dangerous Minds, a Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle, it works surprisingly well... She's playing with a bag of clichés, but she's so plucky and likable, you overlook the hokum."
Time Out wrote: "Actually it's quite a respectable piece of work, with an impressive tough-love performance from Pfeiffer, but Ronald Bass
's hackneyed screenplay is all carrot and no stick."
and its lead single 'Gangsta's Paradise
' enjoyed major success, and received nominations for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Soundtrack Album. Coolio
won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
for his vocals.
At the MTV Movie Awards 1996
, Dangerous Minds was nominated in four categories: Best Movie
, Best Female Performance
(Michelle Pfeiffer), Most Desirable Female
(Michelle Pfeiffer) and Best Movie Song
(Coolio).
The music video for 'Gangsta's Paradise
', featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, won the MTV Music Video Award for Best Rap Video and the MTV Music Video Award for Best Video from a Film.
Michelle Pfeiffer won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Drama.
, featuring Annie Potts
in the role of LouAnne Johnson. The series premiered on ABC
on September 30, 1996 and ended on March 15, 1997, after one season of seventeen episodes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School
Carlmont High School
Carlmont High School is an American public high school located in Belmont, California, United States serving grades 9–12 as part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Carlmont is a California Distinguished School.-History:...
in Belmont, California
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, where most of her students were African-American and Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
teenagers from East Palo Alto, a then-unincorporated town at the opposite end of the school district.
The film, starring Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as LouAnne Johnson, was released to mixed critical reception, but became a surprise box office success in the summer of 1995, leading to the creation of a short-lived television series of the same name
Dangerous Minds (TV series)
Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds...
.
Plot
LouAnne Johnson (Michelle PfeifferMichelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
), a retired U.S. Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, applies for a teaching job at Parkmont High School in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and is surprised and pleased to be offered the position with immediate effect. Turning up the next day to begin teaching, however, she finds herself confronted with a classroom of tough, sullen teenagers, all from lower-class and underprivileged backgrounds, involved in gang warfare and drug pushing, flatly refusing to engage with anything. They immediately coin the nickname "White Bread" for LouAnne, due to her Caucasian appearance and apparent lack of authority, to which LouAnne responds by returning the next day in a leather jacket and teaching them karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. The students show some interest in such activities, but immediately revert to their former behaviour when LouAnne tries to teach the curriculum.
Desperate to reach the students, LouAnne devises classroom exercises that teach similar principles to the prescribed work, but using themes and language that appeal to the streetwise students. She also tries to motivate them by giving them all an A grade from the beginning of the year, and arguing that the only thing required of them is that they maintain it. In order to introduce them to poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, LouAnne uses the lyrics of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's 'Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
' to teach symbolism and metaphor; once this is achieved, she progresses on to Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
's 'Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night, a villanelle, is considered to be among the finest works by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas . Originally published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951, it also appeared as part of the collection "In Country Sleep." Written for his dying father, it is one of...
'. LouAnne rewards the students liberally, using candy bars, reward incentives, and a trip to a theme park. Her methods attract the anger of the school authorities, George Grandey (Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
) and Carla Nichols (Robin Bartlett
Robin Bartlett
Robin Bartlett is an American actress who grew up in Switzerland.She was formerly married to the actor Alan Rosenberg....
), who try to force her to remain within the curriculum.
Particular individual students attract LouAnne's attention for their personal problems. Callie Roberts (Bruklin Harris) is an unusually bright girl who excels at English, but is removed from the school halfway through the semester when she becomes pregnant. LouAnne visits her outside of school hours to try to persuade her to continue with further education. Raúl Sanchero (Renoly Santiago
Renoly Santiago
Renoly Santiago is a Puerto Rican actor, singer and writer who has appeared in a number of high-profile Hollywood productions....
) is a well-meaning boy who is frequently involved in gang warfare and street crime. LouAnne tries to encourage him to focus by paying a special visit to his family to congratulate him on his work, and going to dinner with him as a way of instilling confidence and self-respect. Emilio Ramírez (Wade Domínguez
Wade Domínguez
Wade Domínguez was an US actor, model, singer, and dancer best known for his role as Emilio Ramírez in Dangerous Minds.-Early life:...
) is her most troublesome personal project, as he believes strongly in a sense of personal honour that prevents him from asking for help. When LouAnne discovers that his life is in danger because of a personal grudge held by a recently-released thug, she tries to protect him, but due to the cold attitude of the principal, he is abandoned at the crucial moment and is subsequently killed.
At the end of the year, she announces to the class that she will not be continuing to teach at the school, which prompts an unbridled display of emotion from the students who refuse to let her leave. Overwhelmed, she reconsiders the decision.
Cast
- Michelle PfeifferMichelle PfeifferMichelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as LouAnne JohnsonLouAnne JohnsonLouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania... - George DzundzaGeorge DzundzaGeorge Dzundza is an American television and film actor.-Personal life:Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian father and Polish mother who were forced into factory labour by the Nazis. He spent the first few years of his life in displaced persons camps with his parents and one...
as Hal Griffith - Courtney B. VanceCourtney B. VanceCourtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
as George Grandey - Robin BartlettRobin BartlettRobin Bartlett is an American actress who grew up in Switzerland.She was formerly married to the actor Alan Rosenberg....
as Carla Nichols - Beatrice WindeBeatrice WindeBeatrice Winde was an American actress.Born Beatrice Lucille Williams in Chicago, she graduated from the Chicago Music Conservatory as a voice student and continued her voice studies briefly at the Yale University School of Music and at Juilliard.Winde appeared on Broadway in the 1971 Melvin Van...
as Mary Benton - John Neville as Waiter
- Lorraine ToussaintLorraine ToussaintLorraine Toussaint is an actress best known for starring alongside Annie Potts in Any Day Now.Toussaint graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts in 1978, before going on to graduate from Juilliard School...
as Irene Roberts - Renoly SantiagoRenoly SantiagoRenoly Santiago is a Puerto Rican actor, singer and writer who has appeared in a number of high-profile Hollywood productions....
as Raúl Sanchero - Wade DomínguezWade DomínguezWade Domínguez was an US actor, model, singer, and dancer best known for his role as Emilio Ramírez in Dangerous Minds.-Early life:...
as Emilio Ramírez - Bruklin Harris as Callie Roberts
- Marcello ThedfordMarcello ThedfordMarcello Thedford is an American film and television actor. His most noteworthy roles have been as Kelvin "Buffalo" James on the ESPN dramatic series Playmakers, Semi in Employee of the Month, and in eight episodes of ER as Leon, Dr. Greg Pratt's mentally challenged brother.Thedford's acting career...
as Cornelius Bates - Roberto Alvarez as Gusmaro Rivera
- Richard Grant as Durrell Benton
- Marisela Gonzales as Angela
- Toni Nichelle Buzhardt as Nikki
- Norris Young as Kareem
- Rahman Ibraheem as Big G
- Desire Galvez as Taiwana
- Wilson Limpo as Roderick
- Raymond Grant as Lionel Benton
- Veronica Robles as Stephanie
- Michael Archuleta as Oso
- Deshanda Carter as Tanyekia
- Ebony Jerido as Deanne
- Brandi Younger as Grip
- Asia Minor as Pam
- Karina ArroyaveKarina ArroyaveKarina Arroyave is a Colombian television and film actress, likely best known as Jamey Farrell in 24.She has appeared in a total of 3 "dedicated teacher" films where the teacher tries to get the inner city students to want to learn...
as Josy - Paula GarcésPaula GarcésPaula Garcés is a Colombian American film and television actress, known for her appearance in films such as Clockstoppers and The Harold and Kumar Series, and on TV shows such as CSI: Miami, The Shield, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Sopranos, Oz and Warehouse 13.-Early life:Garcés was...
as Alvina - Ivan SergeiIvan SergeiIvan Sergei is an American actor known for his work in television.-Personal life:Sergei was born Ivan Sergei Gaudio in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and is of Dutch and Italian descent. Ivan attended Hawthorne High School, where he was a member of the graduating class of 1989, and was a quarterback on...
as Huero - Mark Prince Edwards as PJ
- Ismael Archuleta as Lalo
- Skye Bassett as Jody
- Gaura Vani Buchwald as Warlock (credited as Gaura Buchwald)
- Cynthia Avila as Mrs. Sanchero
- Roman Cisneros as Mr. Sanchero (credited as Roman J. Cisneros)
- Camille WinbushCamille WinbushCamille Simoine Winbush is an American television actress and recording artist. Her work in television has earned her three Image Awards and a Young Artist Award.-Life and career:...
as Tyeisha Roberts - Al IsraelAl IsraelAl Israel was an American film and TV actor who is best known for his role as the Colombian drug dealer "Hector the Toad" in the 1983 cult film Scarface. He also appeared alongside Al Pacino in Carlito's Way a decade later.He was one of three original cast members to lend their voice talent to...
as Mr. Santiego - Brian Anthony as Joey
- Jason Gutman as Adam
- Lara Spotts as Dianna
- CoolioCoolioArtis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
as Scott Felvmern
Production
Dangerous Minds was one of the last films of producer Don SimpsonDon Simpson
Donald Clarence "Don" Simpson was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for producing such hits as Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun and The Rock...
.
Andy García
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman...
filmed scenes as Michelle Pfeiffer's love interest, but these were cut before the film's release.
The actual school at which LouAnne Johnson taught, Carlmont High School
Carlmont High School
Carlmont High School is an American public high school located in Belmont, California, United States serving grades 9–12 as part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Carlmont is a California Distinguished School.-History:...
in Belmont, California
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, was used as a filming location, along with Burlingame High School
Burlingame High School
Burlingame High School is a public high school in Burlingame, California. It is part of the San Mateo Union High School District .-History:...
, San Mateo High School
San Mateo High School
San Mateo High School is an American National Blue Ribbon comprehensive four-year public high school in San Mateo, California serving grades 9–12 as part of the San Mateo Union High School District....
and Washington Middle School
Washington Middle School
Washington Middle School is the name of many middle schools, usually named after George Washington, including:*Washington Middle School *Washington Middle School *Washington Middle School...
.
Release
Dangerous Minds was released on August 11, 1995, in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was an immediate box office success, grossing a total of $179,519,401 worldwide.
Critical reception
Dangerous Minds currently holds a score of 31% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, and a score of 47 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, indicating mixed reviews.
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
in the New York Times wrote: "There aren't many things that would look better on paper than on Michelle Pfeiffer, but the role of LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
is one of them... False and condescending films in this genre are nothing new, but Dangerous Minds steamrollers its way over some real talent. Ms. Pfeiffer is a vastly better actress than this one-dimensional character allows her to be... Never mind the complaints that could be made about LouAnne's teaching methods: she rewards students with bribes, flirts patronizingly and inflicts cruel and unusual punishment while analyzing the subtext of 'Mr. Tambourine Man'... The kids turn out to be angels, straight from central casting... Performances are as lifelike as the material allows, but Ronald Bass
Ronald Bass
Ronald Jay Bass , sometimes credited as Ron Bass, is an American screenwriter. Also a film producer, Bass's work is characterized as being highly in demand, and he is thought to be among the most highly paid writers in Hollywood. He is often called the "King of the Pitches"...
's screenplay doesn't trade heavily in surprises."
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan is an American film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.-Background:...
in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote: "While films are admired for making fantasy real, some manage a reverse, unwanted kind of alchemy, turning involving reality into meaningless piffle. It is that kind of regrettable transformation that Dangerous Minds achieves... none of it, with the exception of Pfeiffer's performance, seems even vaguely real. This is especially true of the film's excessively melodramatic climactic events, a bogus tragedy that does not occur in the book and has contrived written all over it... Given how few the opportunities are for women to carry a motion picture, and with the chance to be a positive role model thrown into the bargain, it's not surprising to find Pfeiffer starring in Dangerous Minds, and she is as believable as the film allows her to be. But if this trivialization of involving subject matter is the best a star of her considerable abilities can latch onto, today's actresses have it worse than we've imagined."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
wrote: "We have seen this basic story before, in Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film, based on the true story of high school mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.-Plot:...
, Lean On Me
Lean on Me (film)
Lean on Me is a 1989 dramatized biographical written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Louis Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being...
, Teachers
Teachers (film)
# "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# " Teacher" - Ian Hunter# "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday...
, Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir and starring Robin Williams. Set at the conservative and aristocratic Welton Academy in Vermont in 1959, it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.The script was written...
, and so on. This version is less than compelling... Pfeiffer, who is a good actress, does with this material what she can... The real Miss Johnson
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
used not Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
but the lyrics of rap songs to get the class interested in poetry... What has happened in the book-to-movie transition of LouAnne Johnson's book is revealing. The movie pretends to show poor black kids being bribed into literacy by Dylan and candy bars, but actually it is the crossover white audience that is being bribed with mind-candy in the form of safe words by the two Dylans. What are the chances this movie could have been made with Michelle Pfeiffer hooking the kids on the lyrics of Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
or Snoop Doggy Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
?"
Terrence Rafferty
Terrence Rafferty
Terrence Rafferty is a film critic, notably serving a regular post at The New Yorker during the 1990s. His writing has also appeared in Slate, The Atlantic Monthly, The Village Voice, The Nation, and The New York Times...
in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
wrote: "Thanks to Pfeiffer’s inventive acting, John N. Smith’s movie does a fairly entertaining job of capturing the unscrupulous, guerrilla-like cunning of a good teacher in a bad school. But the cut-to-the-enlightenment dramaturgy of Ronald Bass’s screenplay feels desperate and false. And in the final scenes the movie gets as sticky as To Sir With Love. It canonizes the heroine needlessly: Pfeiffer looks plenty good without a halo."
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
wrote: "The young and mostly unknown cast is outstanding. And Pfeiffer gives a funny, scrappy performance that makes you feel a committed teacher's fire to make a difference. The film also benefits from the sly touch of Elaine May
Elaine May
Elaine May is an American film director, screenwriter and actress. She achieved her greatest fame in the 1950s from her improvisational comedy routines in partnership with Mike Nichols...
, who collaborated with Ronald Bass
Ronald Bass
Ronald Jay Bass , sometimes credited as Ron Bass, is an American screenwriter. Also a film producer, Bass's work is characterized as being highly in demand, and he is thought to be among the most highly paid writers in Hollywood. He is often called the "King of the Pitches"...
(Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
) on this screen adaptation of Johnson
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
's 1992 memoir, My Posse Don't Do Homework... Maybe producers Don Simpson
Don Simpson
Donald Clarence "Don" Simpson was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for producing such hits as Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun and The Rock...
and Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
(Bad Boys
Bad Boys (1995 film)
Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer...
, Crimson Tide
Crimson Tide (film)
The film has uncredited additional writing by Quentin Tarantino, much of it being the pop-culture reference-laden dialogue.The U.S. Navy objected to many of the elements in the script — particularly the aspect of mutiny on board a U.S. naval vessel — and as such, the film was produced...
) don't know how to let a strong female character carry the ball. Dangerous Minds often unspools like a hokey update of Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
's To Sir With Love. Still, in a summer when most women are forced to play dumb and strip to thrill or kill, Pfeiffer does herself and her endangered species proud."
Kevin McManus in the Washington Post wrote: "Unhappily, Dangerous Minds, which tells the story of such a [charismatic] teacher, merits only a C. And if it weren't for Michelle Pfeiffer, we'd surely be looking at a more dismal grade... writer Ronald Bass
Ronald Bass
Ronald Jay Bass , sometimes credited as Ron Bass, is an American screenwriter. Also a film producer, Bass's work is characterized as being highly in demand, and he is thought to be among the most highly paid writers in Hollywood. He is often called the "King of the Pitches"...
sprinkles the script with saccharine lines that sound plain dumb coming from high schoolers. "But you can't leave us," one kid whines as Pfeiffer gets set to quit. "You're our Tambourine Man!"... Pfeiffer and the students (played by talented unknowns) make sections of the movie quite watchable. When their wisecracks fly back and forth in class, it sounds right. When sequences depict school corridors and city streets, it looks right. If only the filmmakers had used some subtlety in telling the story, they could have done right by the real LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
."
Edward Guthmann in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
wrote: "It's contrived, it's hokey, but in Dangerous Minds, a Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle, it works surprisingly well... She's playing with a bag of clichés, but she's so plucky and likable, you overlook the hokum."
Time Out wrote: "Actually it's quite a respectable piece of work, with an impressive tough-love performance from Pfeiffer, but Ronald Bass
Ronald Bass
Ronald Jay Bass , sometimes credited as Ron Bass, is an American screenwriter. Also a film producer, Bass's work is characterized as being highly in demand, and he is thought to be among the most highly paid writers in Hollywood. He is often called the "King of the Pitches"...
's hackneyed screenplay is all carrot and no stick."
Awards and nominations
The soundtrackDangerous Minds (soundtrack)
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Chart procession and succession:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*composing – Berry Gordy, Jr., Frank Hudson, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards...
and its lead single 'Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
' enjoyed major success, and received nominations for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Soundtrack Album. Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
for his vocals.
At the MTV Movie Awards 1996
MTV Movie Awards 1996
-Performers:* Whitney Houston — "Why Does It Hurt So Bad"* Garbage — "Only Happy When It Rains"* Adam Sandler — "Mel Gibson"* Fugees and Roberta Flack — "Killing Me Softly"- Best Movie :Seven* Apollo 13* Braveheart* Clueless...
, Dangerous Minds was nominated in four categories: Best Movie
MTV Movie Award for Best Movie
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Movie.-References:...
, Best Female Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:...
(Michelle Pfeiffer), Most Desirable Female
MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners for Most Desirable Female. This award was last given out in1996, along with its counterpart, Most Desirable Male.-References:...
(Michelle Pfeiffer) and Best Movie Song
MTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie
The MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie is an award presented to singers/groups for quality songs in films at the MTV Movie Awards, a ceremony established in 1992. Honors in several categories are awarded by MTV at the annual ceremonies, and are chosen by public votes...
(Coolio).
The music video for 'Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
', featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, won the MTV Music Video Award for Best Rap Video and the MTV Music Video Award for Best Video from a Film.
Michelle Pfeiffer won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Drama.
| Awarding Body | Award | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actress - Drama | Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work... |
winner |
| Grammy Awards | Record of the Year Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer.... |
'Gangsta's Paradise Gangsta's Paradise (song) "Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album... ' by Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... |
nomination |
| Best Rap Solo Performance Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.... |
'Gangsta's Paradise Gangsta's Paradise (song) "Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album... ' by Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... |
winner | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Soundtrack Album | nomination | |
| MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general... |
Best Movie MTV Movie Award for Best Movie This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Movie.-References:... |
nomination | |
| Best Female Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:... |
Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work... |
nomination | |
| Most Desirable Female MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners for Most Desirable Female. This award was last given out in1996, along with its counterpart, Most Desirable Male.-References:... |
Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work... |
nomination | |
| Best Movie Song MTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie The MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie is an award presented to singers/groups for quality songs in films at the MTV Movie Awards, a ceremony established in 1992. Honors in several categories are awarded by MTV at the annual ceremonies, and are chosen by public votes... |
Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... |
nomination | |
| MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos... |
Best Rap Video | 'Gangsta's Paradise Gangsta's Paradise (song) "Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album... ' by Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... |
winner |
| Best Video from a Film | 'Gangsta's Paradise Gangsta's Paradise (song) "Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album... ' by Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... |
winner |
Soundtrack
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... ) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||
| 1995 | Dangerous Minds Dangerous Minds (soundtrack) -Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Chart procession and succession:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*composing – Berry Gordy, Jr., Frank Hudson, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards...
|
1 | 1 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : 3x Platinum |
Television series
The commercial success of the film prompted the creation of a spin-off television series, Dangerous MindsDangerous Minds (TV series)
Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds...
, featuring Annie Potts
Annie Potts
Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
in the role of LouAnne Johnson. The series premiered on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on September 30, 1996 and ended on March 15, 1997, after one season of seventeen episodes.