IMDb > The Emperor's Club (2002)
The Emperor's Club
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Emperor's Club (2002) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 30 | slideshow) Videos (see all 5 NEW)
The Emperor's Club (2002) -- Academy Award winner Kevin Kline stars as Arthur Hundert, an inspiring professor who has devoted his life to teaching at an elite boy's prep school.
The Emperor's Club (2002) -- Pre, "Coming Soon"
The Emperor's Club (2002) -- Theatrical Preview
The Emperor's Club (2002) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
The Emperor's Club (2002) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   7,560 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 23% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Hoffman
Writers (WGA):
Ethan Canin (short story "The Palace Thief")
Neil Tolkin (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Emperor's Club on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 November 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
In everyone's life there's that one person who makes all the difference.
Plot:
An idealistic prep school teacher attempts to redeem an incorrigable student. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 nominations more
User Comments:
All Hail Kevin Kline more (129 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kevin Kline ... William Hundert

Emile Hirsch ... Sedgewick Bell

Embeth Davidtz ... Elizabeth

Rob Morrow ... James Ellerby

Edward Herrmann ... Headmaster Woodbridge
Harris Yulin ... Senator Bell

Paul Dano ... Martin Blythe
Rishi Mehta ... Deepak Mehta

Jesse Eisenberg ... Louis Masoudi
Gabriel Millman ... Robert Brewster (as Gabe Millman)
Chris Morales ... Eugene Field
Luca Bigini ... Copeland Gray
Michael Coppola ... Russell Hall

Sean Fredricks ... Mr. Harris

Katherine O'Sullivan ... The Nun
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Palace Thief (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.
Runtime:
Argentina:108 min | Canada:109 min (Toronto International Film Festival)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
While on location at the Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, 'Kevin Kline (I)' stood in as an English teacher for several classes who were studying Shakespeare at the time. Students gave him rave reviews as an instructor. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The boys are studying Latin using the first book of the Cambridge Latin course. The edition they are using is the third edition in hardcover, which wasn't released until 1988. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
William Hundert: As I've gotten older, I realize I'm certain of only two things. Days that begin with rowing on a lake are better than days that do not. Second, a man's character is his fate.
more
Movie Connections:
References Le mépris (1963) more
Soundtrack:
Funk 49 more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
22 out of 28 people found the following comment useful.
All Hail Kevin Kline, 6 July 2003
Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States

From `Goodbye Mr. Chips' in the 1930's to `Dead Poet's Society' in the 1980's, the movies have had a long-running love affair with inspirational, sentimental stories set at ivy-covered, collegiate-gothic, all-male prep schools. These films inevitably center around a beloved teacher and the lifelong bond he forges with his devoted students.

The latest addition to the genre – a successful one – is `The Emperor's Club,' with Kevin Kline assuming the role of the teacher who considers it his duty not only to instruct his students in the details of classical history but to mold them into men of integrity and character in the process. `The Emperor's Club' follows the standard formula up to a point. William Hundert is the most highly respected faculty member at St. Benedict's Academy. He is able to bring the history of the ancient Greeks and Romans to vivid life for his admittedly highly motivated young charges. Then, one day, into his classroom strides Sedgwick Bell, a bright, highly unmotivated student who would rather mock the stuffiness of education and inspire his buddies to feats of rabblerousing than devote his life to the serious pursuit of academia. It, thus, becomes Hundert's job to turn Sedgwick around, a feat that always seems much easier to accomplish in the movies than it ever is in real life.

`The Emperor's Club,' after its rather conventional beginning, deviates from its predecessors in one key respect: Hundert, though a man of values and integrity, is not above compromise himself, and he winds up making a very serious one, the ramifications of which he has to live with for many years to come. Rather than showing him as some sort of saintly figure, screenwriter Neil Tolkin (working from a short story by Ethan Canin) and director Michael Hoffman allow Hundert's humanity to shine through. He is a flawed individual who permits personal feelings to cloud his judgments and who is willing, once he has created a problem, to allow the truth of his own guilt to remain hidden even when innocent victims suffer as a result of his actions. `The Emperor's Club' is also notable for its clear-eyed recognition that not all situations in life need have a satisfying resolution, that some people simply do not acknowledge their own failings and, therefore, never develop into morally superior people no matter how many experiences life throws at them. Yet, what breaks Hundert's heart is the recognition he comes to that such a person is often times more highly rewarded by the world than the man who follows along the straight-and-narrow path all his life.

Kline gives a superb performance as Hundert, capturing the quiet dignity, understated passion and conflicted conscience of a man who loves his boys and who tries to do the right thing but who, like the rest of us, doesn't always succeed in doing so. Emile Hirsch is also excellent as young Sedgwick, the boy whose need for attention and lack of moral guidance from his father lead him to accept the winning-at-all-cost philosophy to get him through life.

`The Emperor's Club,' despite having its roots firmly planted in a grand storytelling tradition, still manages to take us into new territory from time to time – and its recognition of the importance of education and academics (we actually get to learn a little about Roman history while watching the movie) makes it virtually unique among films of its time.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (129 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Emperor's Club (2002)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What is the name of Hundert's old book? the-silverfox-1
Let's compare teacher movies roghache
STOP comparing 'Emperor's Club' to 'Dead Poets Society'! dee-travis
Deepak zolazona
DId anyone find themselves thinking? JWa_1991
Questions of Character... Chas76
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Notes on a Scandal The Chocolate War Machuca Bee Season The Notebook
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.