Detention (I) (1998)

After some personal trauma, Wilson Walmsley is invited to work as a substitute teacher in a suburban public high school. He finds lack of authority and interest in the school direction and ... See full summary »

Director:

Andy Anderson

Writer:

Andy Anderson

Stars:

John S. Davies, Marsha Dietlein, Meason Wiley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John S. Davies	...	William Walmsley
Marsha Dietlein	...	Louise Germain
Meason Wiley	...	Davey
Kirk Kelleykahn	...	Tony (as Kirk Kelley-Kahn)
Susana Gibb	...	Julie
Brandy Little	...	Tracey
Rebecca Sanabria	...	Maria
Jonathan Brent	...	Willie
Forest Denbow	...	Joey
Gail Cronauer	...	Ms. Nunca
Steve Fromholtz	...	Teacher's Rep
Lee Ritchey	...	Principal Weaver
Carolyn Wickwire	...	Moss
Rene Moreno	...	Gonzales
Jodi Leigh	...	Teacher's Aide

Storyline

After some personal trauma, Wilson Walmsley is invited to work as a substitute teacher in a suburban public high school. He finds lack of authority and interest in the school direction and teacher body; uncontrolled and abusive students in an environment of disrespect and lack of discipline. He becomes close to the arts teacher Louise and to the smart and abused student Joey. When he saves Louise from a sexual assault of the student Davey, Louise and him are sued by Davey's family lawyer; then Davey's girlfriend beats Louise. The upset Walmsley lures, drugs and kidnaps Joey and six troublemakers of his class and brings them to his isolate real estate in Alpine, Texas. When the seven students wake up, they are naked and caged in cages with electric fences. When Walmsley arrives, he advises that his class will begin, and any disrespect or lack of discipline will be duly punished, and shots Joey to make clear his intentions. And the class begins.

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Plot Keywords:

teacher | substitute teacher | cage | brainwashing | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Goodbye Mister Chips, Hello Midnight Express

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, some nudity and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Learning Curve

Filming Locations:

Cresson, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Andersonfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Louise: What are they, crazy?
The Temp: : They prefer goofy.
Louise: So does Pluto, from what I hear.

User Reviews

Dante's Independent School District

The advance reviews of writer & director Andy Anderson's Detention prepared me for a '90s version of To Sir with Love, and indeed, the first part of this film is along that line, except that now we have not only uncontrollable kids but an adminstration that has lost the will and the power to do anything about them. The teachers are bound by political correctness, a starvation budget, fear of lawsuits, and a thousand other plagues on the education system. Even Sidney Poitier would be helpless were he bound this tightly by a legal system gone mad.

I kept waiting for Bill Walmsley, the hero teacher of this movie, confidently played by John Davies, to work the Stand and Deliver miracle, but it doesn't come, and the movie slows, when suddenly Walmsley tries an approach that rips the conventions right out from under this movie. No, this isn't To Sir with Love or Stand and Deliver or even The Dead Poets Society. Yet in one fell swoop, the movie becomes darkly funny while raising some serious questions about how difficult public education is in a world run by lawyers. It's a sure sign of how crazy the education system has become when the craziest arguments for reform make the most sense I've heard in years.