Teachers (1984)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

W.R. McKinney (written by)

Release Date:

5 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They fall asleep in class. Throw ink on each other. Never come in Mondays. And they're just the teachers.

Plot:

A teacher overcomes his frustration in a high-school full of flunkies. As he attempts to educate his students...

Plot Keywords:

Student | Teacher | High School | Topless | Girl Stripped Down To Panties

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Alex Jurel
JoBeth Williams	...	Lisa Hammond
Judd Hirsch	...	Roger Rubell
Ralph Macchio	...	Eddie Pilikian
Allen Garfield	...	Carl Rosenberg
Lee Grant	...	Dr. Donna Burke
Richard Mulligan	...	Herbert Gower
Royal Dano	...	Ditto Stiles
William Schallert	...	Horn
Art Metrano	...	Troy
Laura Dern	...	Diane
Crispin Glover	...	Danny
Morgan Freeman	...	Lewis
Madeleine Sherwood	...	Grace
Steven Hill	...	Sloan

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbus, Ohio, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

Actor Richard Mulligan (from "Soap") likes to dress up as historic persons when teaching. He is apprehended while impersonating General Custer, in almost the same outfit as the same actor used as general Custer in _Little Big Man (1980)_.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening credits it's snowing, stops and snows again. Lisa is seen walking toward the school in the snow and when she's at the front door its stopped snowing.

Quotes:

Diane: [Jurel has taken Diane to have an abortion] Listen, can I bum a cigarette?
Alex Jurel: Diane, look, I don't think...
Diane: [interrupting] Mr. Jurel, I just had an abortion. I think I'm old enough to smoke.

Soundtrack:

Foolin' Around

I enjoyed "Teachers".

Nick Nolte plays Alex Jurel, an educator who has become burned out after years of struggling with an ineffectual system. His school is being sued by a former student who was allowed to graduate without ever having learned how to read or write. One of the lawyers involved is Robin Hammond (JoBeth Williams), a former student of Jurel's who still has high ideals and who wonders what could have happened to Jurel, who used to be her role model.

Sometimes funny, sometimes sad movie that combines comedy and drama, turning into an absurd farce part of the time (especially as it applies to Herbert (Richard Mulligan)). It is not anything great but I thought it was reasonably thoughtful and did a decent job of making biting statements on the state of American education circa 1984. The cast is top notch, including a couple of actors who were then relative newcomers to film.

For a while, the only thing I remembered about this movie was the opening rock song "Teacher, Teacher" by 38 Special. I was glad I had the chance to see it again.

6/10