The Substitute (TV 1993)

A high school substitute English teacher resorts to murder to protect her murderous dark past while seducing a student whom begins to suspect her true identity.

Director:

Martin Donovan

Writer:

David S. Goyer

Stars:

Amanda Donohoe, Dalton James, Natasha Gregson Wagner

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amanda Donohoe	...	Gayle Richards / Laura Ellington
Dalton James	...	Josh Wyatt
Natasha Gregson Wagner	...	Jenny
Eugene Robert Glazer	...	Ben Wyatt (as Eugene Glazer)
Patricia Gage	...	Principal Beatty
Shelley-Lynn Owens	...	Amy Cooper (as Shelley Owens)
Mark Wahlberg	...	Ryan Westerberg (as Marky Mark)
Brigitta	...	Margo
David Frankham	...	Riggs
Christian Svensson	...	Dave Korczuk
Cusse Mankuma	...	Bernard
Molly Parker	...	Courtney
Lossen Chambers	...	Kim
D. Neil Mark	...	Rusty
Martin Martinuzzi	...	Doug Richards

Storyline

After high school teacher Gayle Richardson finds out her husband is cheating on her, killing him and his mistress in an outburst of rage, she sets the house on fire and flees. One year later we find her back in another town, at another school, under another name. Everything is running smoothly, until people start messing with her new life and her hidden past and she is forced to stop them... at all costs.

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Plot Keywords:

high school | substitute | murder | teaching | dead boy | 

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Taglines:

Pray she doesn't call on you.

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Wahrheit führt zum Tod

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in twenty days.

User Reviews

Tedious, but not that bad!

Amanda Donohue stars as a wonderful teacher with a dark side - she kills people. Pretty unoriginal concept, but I enjoyed it. Amanda Donohue was flawless in her portrayal of both a high school teacher and a psycho loon. She reminded me of my teachers so much I shivered. This film also marks Mark Wahlberg's acting debut and you can tell. Marky Mark was terrible in his portrayal of a "rebellious" teen and potential victim. I was cheering for his death and thank god he's taken some acting lessons since then. Dalton James was alright, but Natasha Gregson Wagner, who looks she's balding, was quite boring.

More suspense was needed as was some development of the supporting characters (Wagner, Wahlberg, etc...). Aside from a few lost plots, bad performances and scenes of standard thriller fare, check it out. For once we actually feel for and understand the protagonist. She might kill people for personal gain, but who doesn't?

6.5/10