After a botched mission in Cuba, professional mercenary Shale and his crew Joey Six, Hollan, Rem, and Wellman head home to Miami, Florida, where Shale is reunited with his fiance Jane ...
See full summary »
Did you miss our list of the movie goofs IMDb users found most interesting in the past year? Read it now, and see our latest lists and more in IMDb Picks.
Related News
'Major Crimes': Tom Berenger reunites with Mary McDonnell
9 July 2013 12:00 AM, +01:00 | Zap2It - From Inside the Box
9 July 2013 12:00 AM, +01:00 | Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Tom Berenger Previews His Major Crimes Arc as Raydor's Mia Husband: 'It's Complicated'
7 July 2013 6:00 PM, +01:00 | TVLine.com
7 July 2013 6:00 PM, +01:00 | TVLine.com
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: The Substitute (1996)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
The Substitute 2: School's Out
(TV Movie 1998)
Action
|
Thriller
Director:
Steven Pearl
Stars:
Treat Williams,
Edoardo Ballerini,
Christopher Cousins
The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All
(TV Movie 1999)
Action
Director:
Robert Radler
Stars:
Treat Williams,
David Jensen,
Barbara Jane Reams
The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option
(Video 2001)
Action
|
Drama
Director:
Robert Radler
Stars:
Treat Williams,
Angie Everhart,
Patrick Kilpatrick
The Principal
(1987)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Christopher Cain
Stars:
James Belushi,
Louis Gossett Jr.,
Rae Dawn Chong
Sniper
(1993)
Action
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Luis Llosa
Stars:
Tom Berenger,
Billy Zane,
J.T. Walsh
The Substitute
(TV Movie 1993)
Thriller
|
Drama
Director:
Martin Donovan
Stars:
Amanda Donohoe,
Dalton James,
Natasha Gregson Wagner
The Junction Boys
(TV Movie 2002)
Drama
|
Sport
Director:
Mike Robe
Stars:
Tom Berenger,
Bernard Curry,
Fletcher Humphrys
Last of the Dogmen
(1995)
Adventure
|
Western
Director:
Tab Murphy
Stars:
Tom Berenger,
Barbara Hershey,
Kurtwood Smith
F/X
(1986)
Action
|
Thriller
Director:
Robert Mandel
Stars:
Bryan Brown,
Brian Dennehy,
Diane Venora
Judgment Night
(1993)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Stephen Hopkins
Stars:
Emilio Estevez,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Denis Leary
Chasers
(1994)
Comedy
Director:
Dennis Hopper
Stars:
Tom Berenger,
Erika Eleniak,
William McNamara
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Tom Berenger | ... | ||
| Raymond Cruz | ... |
Joey Six
|
|
| William Forsythe | ... | ||
| Luis Guzmán | ... |
Rem
|
|
| Richard Brooks | ... |
Wellman
|
|
 |
Ana Azcuy | ... |
TV Announcer
|
| Diane Venora | ... | ||
| Glenn Plummer | ... |
Mr. Darrell Sherman
|
|
| Shar-Ron Corley | ... |
Jerome Brown
(as Sharron Corley)
|
|
| Vincent Laresca | ... |
Rodriguez
|
|
| Maurice Compte | ... |
Tay
|
|
| Marc Anthony | ... | ||
| Ernie Hudson | ... | ||
| Beau Weaver | ... |
Janus Showreel Narrator
|
|
| Cliff De Young | ... |
Matt Wolfson
|
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
After a botched mission in Cuba, professional mercenary Shale and his crew Joey Six, Hollan, Rem, and Wellman head home to Miami, Florida, where Shale is reunited with his fiance Jane Hetzko, who is a history teacher at Columbus High School in Miami. Some of Jane's students happen to be members of a street gang known as the "Kings of Destruction" (KOD), led by Juan Lacas, who has been terrorizing Jane. After Jane's kneecap is broken by a big seminole named Bull, she tells Shale that she believes Lacas ordered the attack, so Shale goes undercover as Jane's substitute, and initially, Jane has no idea that Shale is doing this. At the school, Shale meets principal Claude Rolle, librarian Hannah Dillon, and english and drama teacher Darrell Sherman. It turns out that Lacas is one of Jane's students. As Shale investigates the attack on Jane, he discovers that drugs are being circulated into the school. Shale even investigates local drug kingpin Johnny Glades, who may or may not have someone... Written by Todd Baldridge
Taglines:
The most dangerous thing about school used to be the students. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong violence, language and brief nudity | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
19 April 1996 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mörderischer Tausch See more »Box Office
Opening Weekend:
$40,167 (USA) (19 July 1996)Gross:
$14,752,141 (USA) (2 August 1996)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Joey: Everybody works for money.
Shale: It's not the money that bothers me; it's the "merely."
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The movie was shot during the summer months and kids enrolled in summer classes were extras on the film. Free Papa John's pizza was served to anyone who would stay after school. See more »Goofs
When Joey Six is at the fruit stand he says "Wellman, they're switching cars" and during the botched drug deal he acts surprised that Wellman came back. See more »Quotes
Shale: Did you ever look up the word "mercenary"? It's someone who "works merely for money."Joey: Everybody works for money.
Shale: It's not the money that bothers me; it's the "merely."
See more »
Here's one of those immensely satisfying albeit somewhat unlikely flicks in which the scumbags really get their just deserts. Think Dangerous Minds crossed with Death Wish and you'll have a pretty good gist of things here.
The ever excellent Tom Berenger stars as a tough as nails mercenary who seeks retribution after his teacher girlfriend is viciously assaulted on the orders of a high school gang calling themselves the Kings Of Destruction. And what better way for our hero to get up close and personal with his quarry than to take the now vacant teaching position his girl friend has left at school and to pose as a substitute. In this assumed role our man quickly weeds out the problem students with some no nonsense discipline which will be sure to raise a smile on most viewers faces. Matters turn out to be a bit more complex however when it is revealed that the school principle is not quite such a genial chap as he at first appears.....in fact far from it as he is orchestrating the gang within his school and trafficking drugs via them. Subsequently our hero enlists the aid of his mercenary buddies to lend a hand and all merry hell subsequently breaks out including in one hilarious scene, one of our boys firing off a rocket launcher down a school corridor(!!!!!) Yes, whilst realism this may be woefully lacking, in fun it more than makes up for!
Go on, treat yourself to this wonderful slice of carefree and highly satisfying escapism - you know you want to.