To Sir, with Love
Encyclopedia
To Sir, With Love is a 1967
British
drama film
starring Sidney Poitier
that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city
school. James Clavell
both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name
by E. R. Braithwaite
.
The film's title song "To Sir With Love", sung by Lulu
, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts, and ultimately was Billboard magazine's #1 pop single for the year, 1967. The movie ranked number 27 on Entertainment Weekly
's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.
A television movie
sequel
, To Sir, with Love II
, was released in 1996.
. He comes from British Guiana
via California
, and holds a degree in Communication Engineering
. He has applied unsuccessfully for numerous engineering positions throughout England
, and is taking this job to make ends meet while he continues to look for a job in his field.
The staff of North Quay offer varying opinions about students at the school. Mr. Weston (Geoffrey Bayldon
) is openly contemptuous of them. Gillian Blanchard (Suzy Kendall
) is admittedly afraid of them. Deputy Head Evans (Faith Brook
) and Clinty Clintridge (Patricia Routledge
) warn that while they are mostly good kids, they come from rough homes, and excel at riding roughshod over teachers. Headmaster Florian (Edward Burnham) explains that they are principally rejected from other schools. The audience is informed that their antics drove their last teacher to resign.
The students more than live up to their reputation. Led by Bert Denham (Christian Roberts) and Pamela Dare (Judy Geeson
), the pupils are an unruly mob who view the classroom as their domain, not Thackeray's. A battle of wills ensues. Thackeray tries to establish order and the students resist his authority. As the students' antics progress from simple disruptive behaviour to embarrassing Thackeray by rigging his desk to collapse, his calm manner and resistance to being baited earn him some early respect with the class.
One day, a water balloon
dropped from the window of his classroom narrowly misses Thackeray as he enters the building. In the classroom, he discovers something, presumably a sanitary pad, burning in the grate. He finally loses his composure, ordering the boys out of the classroom and berating the girls for their disgusting behaviour. Fearing he's made a fool of himself, he retreats to the staff room, expressing his dismay that he has been so easily manipulated by 'these kids,' then realises that treating them as kids is precisely the mistake he has been making with his students.
Thackeray returns to the classroom to outline a new approach and set some ground rules. The students will be leaving school soon, and therefore, he will treat them as adults and allow them to decide what topics they wish to study. He emphasizes this by throwing out all the textbooks and insisting that they will be expected to use proper forms of address (both toward him and amongst themselves) and to take pride in their appearance and deportment.
Denham continues to bait Thackeray but the rest of the class is won over. Although Thackeray's humble background is quite like their own, he's made a success of himself by cultivating his language and dress. The students are especially excited when he suggests that they should go on a class outing to the museum
. The Headmaster approves the outing and Thackeray arrives on the morning of the trip to find a classroom of well-dressed, well-scrubbed students. As they leave he discovers that Tich (Gareth Robinson) is missing. They run into him by the bus and he throws out a cockney phrase asking them to wait a minute. Confused, Thackeray is given an impromtu lesson in 'Cockney Rhyming Slang' The outing is depicted as a photo montage
of happy, wondrous students having the time of their lives. During the bus ride back to school, some of the girls idly speculate whether a personal relationship is budding between Thackeray and Gillian (who volunteered to accompany the group on the outing). But as their classroom environment approaches perfection, the outside world infringes, threatening to derail everything.
Their gym teacher, Mr. Bell (Dervis Ward), insists that 'Fats' Buckley (Roger Shepherd) participate in vaulting, despite his classmates' objections. The vault collapses under Buckley's weight and Potter (Christopher Chittell) threatens Bell with the vault's broken leg. Thackeray is called to defuse the situation. In class, he demands that Potter should apologise for the incident, pointing out that if a knife or gun was available, things could have been much worse. Potter only agrees when Denham points out that Bell will press criminal charges if he doesn't apologise and that Potter will need Thackeray's recommendation for a job interview when school ends.
Thackeray has obviously lost the support of much of the class, especially the boys. They refuse to invite him to the class dance. When Seales' (Anthony Villaroel, the only black student in the class) mother dies, the class takes up a collection for a wreath
but refuses to accept Thackeray's donation. The girls still seem to respect him, though. It is clear they feel uncomfortable delivering the wreath personally, due to racial issues but Pamela offers to take the flowers to the funeral
over Denham's objection.
Thackeray finally receives a job offer while the Headmaster advises him that he feels 'the adult approach' has failed, that future class outings are cancelled, and that Thackeray will take over the boys' gym classes.
Pamela's mother comes to speak with Thackeray, concerned that Pamela is staying out late and might be getting into trouble. When Thackeray speaks with Pamela, she insists her mother does not care about her and that the presence of male callers at her mother's house excuses her actions. Thackeray maintains that Pamela still owes her mother respect, and disillusioned, she angrily accuses him of being 'just one of them'. She also refuses to take the flowers to the funeral. Thackeray's split with the class is complete - now they all hate him. Due to this, Thackeray considers resigning, but decides to keep going.
In gym, Denham insists they have a boxing class, beginning with him and Thackeray. Thackeray reluctantly agrees. Despite getting in some early blows, Denham is disabled when Thackeray knocks the wind out of him. Thackeray draws back his fist to hit Denham again but gains control of his emotions and declares the fight over. Afterward, Denham waits to speak with Thackeray in the stairwell. Although Denham admits he was trying to hurt Thackeray in order to convince him to resign from teaching, Denham is surprised that Thackeray did not capitalize on his advantage. For his part, Thackeray admits that he lost his temper but that he understands the apparent unfairness of some of his decisions. Thackary then offers Denham a position as a boxing instructor to the younger students next term. Surprised that he would be regarded as a potential teacher, Denham nevertheless promises to consider it. Denham is clearly impressed, and expresses his admiration for Thackeray to his fellow students. By winning Denham over, Thackeray wins back the respect of the rest of the class. He is invited to the class dance and when he shows up at the Seales funeral, he is greeted by the entire class, who have come to pay their respects.
At the dance, all has clearly worked out well. Weston admits that Thackeray is really quite a gifted teacher and should reconsider leaving. The Deputy Head concurs, suggesting that he should go to another school, if nothing else. Barbara Pegg (Lulu
) announces a "ladies' choice" dance and Pamela singles out Thackeray as her partner. Denham announces that the class has 'something special' for Thackeray and Miss Wong presents him with a pewter mug while Lulu sings the movie theme. Thackeray is too moved for words and retires to his classroom.
Two young students storm into the classroom, mocking his gift and joking that they'll be in his class next year. When they leave, Thackeray rises, ponders his situation, then retrieves the job offer from his pocket. Here the movie veers from the ending in the book, where Thackeray accepts the job and leaves. In the movie, for a happier ending, he tears the offer up and throws it in the wastebasket.
in 1955 — in which, incidentally, Poitier played a disruptive pupil. This film sets Poitier, a black teacher, in a predominantly white London
school. The film touches on racial issues but concentrates on the themes of teenage angst and inspirational leadership. The film portrays a sanitised and fictional Swinging London
. Issues of sexual infatuation between a pupil and teacher were rather less sensitive in the 1960s than they were to become in the 21st century, as evidenced by the rather provocative tagline
, "A story as fresh as the girls in their miniskirt
s."
Subsequent films that explored the inspirational teacher drama theme include: Why Shoot the Teacher?
, The Principal
, Conrack
, Stand and Deliver
, Lean on Me
, Teachers
, Dead Poets Society
, Dangerous Minds
, Mr. Holland's Opus
, Music of the Heart
, Take the Lead
and Freedom Writers
, The Ron Clark Story
as well as Sister Act 2.
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
British
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring 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...
that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
school. James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name
To Sir, with Love (novel)
To Sir, With Love is a 1959 autobiographical novel by E. R. Braithwaite set in the East End of London. The novel is based on true events concerned with Braithwaite taking up a teaching post in a school there...
by E. R. Braithwaite
E. R. Braithwaite
Edward Ricardo Braithwaite is a Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat, best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people...
.
The film's title song "To Sir With Love", sung by Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts, and ultimately was Billboard magazine's #1 pop single for the year, 1967. The movie ranked number 27 on Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
A television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, To Sir, with Love II
To Sir, with Love II
To Sir, with Love II is an American television movie, a sequel to the 1967 British film, To Sir, with Love.Like its first part, it deals with social issues in an inner city school.-Plot summary:...
, was released in 1996.
Plot
As the movie opens, Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) is beginning his teaching position at the North Quay Secondary School in the tough East End of LondonEast End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. He comes from British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
via 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 holds a degree in Communication Engineering
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
. He has applied unsuccessfully for numerous engineering positions throughout England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and is taking this job to make ends meet while he continues to look for a job in his field.
The staff of North Quay offer varying opinions about students at the school. Mr. Weston (Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
) is openly contemptuous of them. Gillian Blanchard (Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall is a British actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions...
) is admittedly afraid of them. Deputy Head Evans (Faith Brook
Faith Brook
Faith Brook is an English actress who has appeared on stage, in films and on television.Her father was the actor Clive Brook, and her brother Lyndon Brook was also an actor. Her first credited film appearance was The Jungle Book in 1942...
) and Clinty Clintridge (Patricia Routledge
Patricia Routledge
Katherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
) warn that while they are mostly good kids, they come from rough homes, and excel at riding roughshod over teachers. Headmaster Florian (Edward Burnham) explains that they are principally rejected from other schools. The audience is informed that their antics drove their last teacher to resign.
The students more than live up to their reputation. Led by Bert Denham (Christian Roberts) and Pamela Dare (Judy Geeson
Judy Geeson
Judith Amanda "Judy" Geeson is an English actor.-Early life:Geeson was born in Arundel, Sussex, England on 10 September 1948. She came from a middle class family; her father edited the National Coal Board magazine. Her sister, Sally Geeson, is also an actress and is known for her roles in British...
), the pupils are an unruly mob who view the classroom as their domain, not Thackeray's. A battle of wills ensues. Thackeray tries to establish order and the students resist his authority. As the students' antics progress from simple disruptive behaviour to embarrassing Thackeray by rigging his desk to collapse, his calm manner and resistance to being baited earn him some early respect with the class.
One day, a water balloon
Water balloon
A water balloon or water bomb is a latex rubber balloon filled with water. They are commonly used in water balloon fights and as a practical joke device.-History:...
dropped from the window of his classroom narrowly misses Thackeray as he enters the building. In the classroom, he discovers something, presumably a sanitary pad, burning in the grate. He finally loses his composure, ordering the boys out of the classroom and berating the girls for their disgusting behaviour. Fearing he's made a fool of himself, he retreats to the staff room, expressing his dismay that he has been so easily manipulated by 'these kids,' then realises that treating them as kids is precisely the mistake he has been making with his students.
Thackeray returns to the classroom to outline a new approach and set some ground rules. The students will be leaving school soon, and therefore, he will treat them as adults and allow them to decide what topics they wish to study. He emphasizes this by throwing out all the textbooks and insisting that they will be expected to use proper forms of address (both toward him and amongst themselves) and to take pride in their appearance and deportment.
Denham continues to bait Thackeray but the rest of the class is won over. Although Thackeray's humble background is quite like their own, he's made a success of himself by cultivating his language and dress. The students are especially excited when he suggests that they should go on a class outing to the museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The Headmaster approves the outing and Thackeray arrives on the morning of the trip to find a classroom of well-dressed, well-scrubbed students. As they leave he discovers that Tich (Gareth Robinson) is missing. They run into him by the bus and he throws out a cockney phrase asking them to wait a minute. Confused, Thackeray is given an impromtu lesson in 'Cockney Rhyming Slang' The outing is depicted as a photo montage
Montage
-Filmmaking:*Montage , a technique which uses rapid editing, special effects and music to present compressed narrative information*Soviet montage theory in the 1920s-Other:* Montage , Documentary television series from 1960s and 1970s...
of happy, wondrous students having the time of their lives. During the bus ride back to school, some of the girls idly speculate whether a personal relationship is budding between Thackeray and Gillian (who volunteered to accompany the group on the outing). But as their classroom environment approaches perfection, the outside world infringes, threatening to derail everything.
Their gym teacher, Mr. Bell (Dervis Ward), insists that 'Fats' Buckley (Roger Shepherd) participate in vaulting, despite his classmates' objections. The vault collapses under Buckley's weight and Potter (Christopher Chittell) threatens Bell with the vault's broken leg. Thackeray is called to defuse the situation. In class, he demands that Potter should apologise for the incident, pointing out that if a knife or gun was available, things could have been much worse. Potter only agrees when Denham points out that Bell will press criminal charges if he doesn't apologise and that Potter will need Thackeray's recommendation for a job interview when school ends.
Thackeray has obviously lost the support of much of the class, especially the boys. They refuse to invite him to the class dance. When Seales' (Anthony Villaroel, the only black student in the class) mother dies, the class takes up a collection for a wreath
Wreath
A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...
but refuses to accept Thackeray's donation. The girls still seem to respect him, though. It is clear they feel uncomfortable delivering the wreath personally, due to racial issues but Pamela offers to take the flowers to the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
over Denham's objection.
Thackeray finally receives a job offer while the Headmaster advises him that he feels 'the adult approach' has failed, that future class outings are cancelled, and that Thackeray will take over the boys' gym classes.
Pamela's mother comes to speak with Thackeray, concerned that Pamela is staying out late and might be getting into trouble. When Thackeray speaks with Pamela, she insists her mother does not care about her and that the presence of male callers at her mother's house excuses her actions. Thackeray maintains that Pamela still owes her mother respect, and disillusioned, she angrily accuses him of being 'just one of them'. She also refuses to take the flowers to the funeral. Thackeray's split with the class is complete - now they all hate him. Due to this, Thackeray considers resigning, but decides to keep going.
In gym, Denham insists they have a boxing class, beginning with him and Thackeray. Thackeray reluctantly agrees. Despite getting in some early blows, Denham is disabled when Thackeray knocks the wind out of him. Thackeray draws back his fist to hit Denham again but gains control of his emotions and declares the fight over. Afterward, Denham waits to speak with Thackeray in the stairwell. Although Denham admits he was trying to hurt Thackeray in order to convince him to resign from teaching, Denham is surprised that Thackeray did not capitalize on his advantage. For his part, Thackeray admits that he lost his temper but that he understands the apparent unfairness of some of his decisions. Thackary then offers Denham a position as a boxing instructor to the younger students next term. Surprised that he would be regarded as a potential teacher, Denham nevertheless promises to consider it. Denham is clearly impressed, and expresses his admiration for Thackeray to his fellow students. By winning Denham over, Thackeray wins back the respect of the rest of the class. He is invited to the class dance and when he shows up at the Seales funeral, he is greeted by the entire class, who have come to pay their respects.
At the dance, all has clearly worked out well. Weston admits that Thackeray is really quite a gifted teacher and should reconsider leaving. The Deputy Head concurs, suggesting that he should go to another school, if nothing else. Barbara Pegg (Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
) announces a "ladies' choice" dance and Pamela singles out Thackeray as her partner. Denham announces that the class has 'something special' for Thackeray and Miss Wong presents him with a pewter mug while Lulu sings the movie theme. Thackeray is too moved for words and retires to his classroom.
Two young students storm into the classroom, mocking his gift and joking that they'll be in his class next year. When they leave, Thackeray rises, ponders his situation, then retrieves the job offer from his pocket. Here the movie veers from the ending in the book, where Thackeray accepts the job and leaves. In the movie, for a happier ending, he tears the offer up and throws it in the wastebasket.
Cast
- Sidney PoitierSidney PoitierSir 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...
as Mark Thackeray - Christian RobertsChristian Roberts (actor)Christian Charles Roberts is an English actor. He was educated at Cranleigh School, Surrey and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art....
as Bert Denham - Judy GeesonJudy GeesonJudith Amanda "Judy" Geeson is an English actor.-Early life:Geeson was born in Arundel, Sussex, England on 10 September 1948. She came from a middle class family; her father edited the National Coal Board magazine. Her sister, Sally Geeson, is also an actress and is known for her roles in British...
as Pamela Dare - Suzy KendallSuzy KendallSuzy Kendall is a British actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions...
as Gillian Blanchard - Ann BellAnn BellAnn Bell is a British actress, best known for playing war internee Marion Jefferson in the BBC World War II drama series Tenko during the early 1980s. She was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, daughter of John Forrest Bell and Marjorie Bell, and educated at Birkenhead High School...
as Mrs. Dare - LuluLulu (singer)Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
as Barbara "Babs" Pegg - Gareth Robinson as Tich
- Geoffrey BayldonGeoffrey BayldonGeoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
as Theo Weston - Faith BrookFaith BrookFaith Brook is an English actress who has appeared on stage, in films and on television.Her father was the actor Clive Brook, and her brother Lyndon Brook was also an actor. Her first credited film appearance was The Jungle Book in 1942...
as Grace Evans - Patricia RoutledgePatricia RoutledgeKatherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
as Clinty Clintridge - Christopher Chittell as Potter
- Adrienne PostaAdrienne PostaAdrienne Posta is an English film and television actress and singer, prominent during the 1960s and 1970s. She adopted the surname Posta in 1966. She recorded a number of singles. She is now semi-retired and works as a teacher in the Midlands and at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts...
as Moira Joseph - Edward Burnham as Headmaster Florian
- Rita WebbRita WebbRita Webb was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles.Born Olive Webb in Willesden, Middlesex, England, she is best known for her appearances as a stooge for Benny Hill in his long-running Thames Television series...
as Mrs. Joseph - Fiona Duncan as Euphemia Phillips
- Fred Griffiths as Mr. Clark
- Mona Bruce as Josie Dawes
- Marianne StoneMarianne StoneMarianne Stone was a British character actress. She appeared in many films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s...
as Gert - Dervis Ward as Mr. Bell
- Roger Shepherd as "Fats" Buckley
- Lynne Sue Moon as Miss Wong
- Michael Des BarresMichael Des BarresLord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
as student in sunglasses
Cultural impact
The film is in a now well-established genre in which an idealistic teacher is confronted with a class of cynical teenagers, disengaged from conventional schooling. The first such film was Blackboard JungleBlackboard Jungle
Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter.-Plot:...
in 1955 — in which, incidentally, Poitier played a disruptive pupil. This film sets Poitier, a black teacher, in a predominantly white London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
school. The film touches on racial issues but concentrates on the themes of teenage angst and inspirational leadership. The film portrays a sanitised and fictional Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
. Issues of sexual infatuation between a pupil and teacher were rather less sensitive in the 1960s than they were to become in the 21st century, as evidenced by the rather provocative tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
, "A story as fresh as the girls in their miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
s."
Subsequent films that explored the inspirational teacher drama theme include: Why Shoot the Teacher?
Why Shoot the Teacher?
Why Shoot the Teacher? is a 1977 Canadian comedy-drama film based on a book of the same name by Max Braithwaite.The plot concerns Max Brown who travels to Western Canada in the mid-1930s to accept a teaching position at a small rural schoolhouse in the fictional settlement of Willowgreen,...
, The Principal
The Principal
The Principal is a 1987 action film, starring James Belushi and Louis Gossett, Jr. It was written by Frank Deese and directed by Christopher Cain, and filmed in Oakland, California.-Plot:...
, Conrack
Conrack
Conrack can refer to:* Conrack, the 1974 film starring Jon Voight....
, 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...
, Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds
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...
, Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 American drama film directed by Stephen Herek, produced by Ted Field, Robert W. Cort, and Michael Nolin, and Executive Produced by Patrick Sheane Duncan. It stars Richard Dreyfuss in the title role, and the cast includes Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy...
, Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart is a 1999 dramatic film. This film was produced by Craven-Maddalena Films and Miramax Films, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett...
, Take the Lead
Take the Lead
Take the Lead is a movie starring Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Alfre Woodard, Dante Basco, Marcus T. Paulk, Jenna Dewan, Lauren Collins and also features former America's Next Top Model contestant, Yaya DaCosta. The film was released in mainstream cinema on April 7, 2006...
and Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film starring Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. It is based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell who wrote the story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach,...
, The Ron Clark Story
The Ron Clark Story
The Ron Clark Story is a 2006 television film, starring Matthew Perry, that premiered on TNT on Sunday, August 13, 2006...
as well as Sister Act 2.