I liked this way more than I thought I would. It's about a guy (Bud Cort from Harold & Maude) who comes out on a long train ride to the middle of nowhere in Canada during the Depression to teach in a tiny one room schoolhouse. There's a door in the floor that leads to a little bedroom underneath the school for him to live in after schools gets out & the kids go home. It's a small poor community with about 10 kids in grades 2-9 that are all taught together in the schoolhouse. This movie is interesting because it shows how these poor families lived, barely surviving in the long freezing winters & springs of rural Canada. The kids actually spent their recess time hunting gophers in the wide open praires because for every gopher tail they sent to the Canadian government they got back .10 cents! The gophers damaged valuable wheat crops. The teacher made $20 a month, paid in Promissory Notes! Since the teacher arrived broke & wasn't making actual money (the Promissory Notes weren't any good until after the school year was over) the community provided him with used clothes, blankets, food & water. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It has some funny scenes of the clueless teacher from the city slowly figuring how & what to teach these isolated kids with no supplies or books & how to get along with the families. Survival was definitely tough for the teacher. He didn't know anyone & he's in the middle of nowhere in freezing blizzards without a paycheck or money. He begs the one school board member in charge of his paycheck for some money & the guy asks him what he needs money for? Teacher says clothes. School board guy says we gave you used clothes & anyway what do you need clothes for? You're not going anywhere. True. Teacher says food. School guy says we bring you food. Which they did regularly everyday! I highly recommend this.
23 Reviews
Why shoot teacher is good example of how life was like back then.
dushyaan19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I think that why shoot the teacher is a good example of how life was like in the Parries during the depression. It shows how they had limited food and heating. Everything had to be rationed and some people were to proud to ask for help. So this movie is a good example of how life was like back then.This movie was very boring. It wasn't exactly what I expected I aleast thought that it would be more interesting the plot was too simple. I doesn't have any complexity.The ending was very weak. My god they guy hates the place and then the movie ends by saying that he goes back some ending. I cant believe people actually watched this movie back then standard were very low.
Bud Cort and Samatha Eggar Do Fine Work Here
azjimnson12 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I had the good fortune to interview Bud Cort when this film was released in the US in 1980. He told me that he felt as a character, Max, was closer to his actual character than the more eccentric roles he was most well known for playing. Apparently the book on which this movie is based is almost required reading for Canadian students at the level of US high school students. The film was a big hit in Canada. I would like to correct what one user review said about the film being shot in black and white. It was shot in color, but in muted tones. There's a "magic hour" shot of people carrying lanterns across a field that is quite striking, and reminded of the photography in "Days of Heaven."
One of my favorite performances by Bud Cort!
ClassicFilmEra11 August 2008
Such a sweet, sweet movie...and so, so underrated... I'll never understand why some of the worst movies make it to DVD, but the gems sit around and wait for their turn.
I adored the story line! Bud Cort plays an innocent, scattered, simple/warm-hearted man who tries to teach students in a small town in Canada. At first the students are disrespectful loud-mouths, but grow to become compassionate individuals when Cort's character (Max Brown) inspires them.
I cannot get over how endearing Bud Cort is in this film. All he wants is to be loved, and to love someone else, but he has a failed romance with an already-married woman, who is also lost in her own troubles. All you want to do is sympathize with his character, especially in the beginning, when he was trying to become adjusted to this unfamiliar town with people who couldn't understand him.
I would say that this is one of Bud Cort's top 5 best film roles. (Along with Harold and Maude, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Brave New World, and Ted and Venus).
I adored the story line! Bud Cort plays an innocent, scattered, simple/warm-hearted man who tries to teach students in a small town in Canada. At first the students are disrespectful loud-mouths, but grow to become compassionate individuals when Cort's character (Max Brown) inspires them.
I cannot get over how endearing Bud Cort is in this film. All he wants is to be loved, and to love someone else, but he has a failed romance with an already-married woman, who is also lost in her own troubles. All you want to do is sympathize with his character, especially in the beginning, when he was trying to become adjusted to this unfamiliar town with people who couldn't understand him.
I would say that this is one of Bud Cort's top 5 best film roles. (Along with Harold and Maude, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Brave New World, and Ted and Venus).
An accurate depiction of a rural Canadian community in the 30's. Also applies to the 40's and early 50's.
gfloyd-120 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
If you want to know what life was like in "the good old days" then watch this movie and see how we lived in rural areas of Canada without unemployment insurance, decent medical care, television, internet, access to higher education and on and on.
My 1st school was exactly as shown in the movie complete with a crude living space for the teacher. Strapping, as shown, was common. The inspector was as ignorant as any that I recall. Closed minds and mean spirits abounded.
I've seen the movie several times and still feel gratitude that I had a teacher like Max Brown to show me the way out.
My 1st school was exactly as shown in the movie complete with a crude living space for the teacher. Strapping, as shown, was common. The inspector was as ignorant as any that I recall. Closed minds and mean spirits abounded.
I've seen the movie several times and still feel gratitude that I had a teacher like Max Brown to show me the way out.
Why Shoot the Teacher
vinciegirl30 October 2005
This movie allowed the viewer to gain some insight into life in the prairies. It is used in many classrooms as a tool which discusses information on the 1930s. The movie also contains some humour, even if it was corny.
However the movie lacks strong does not expand on certain issues. For instance, it would have been interesting to know how many persons came out West during the depression. Or how this migration affected the prairies. Providing these details would have made the movie more informative to watch.
VG
However the movie lacks strong does not expand on certain issues. For instance, it would have been interesting to know how many persons came out West during the depression. Or how this migration affected the prairies. Providing these details would have made the movie more informative to watch.
VG
One of Bud Cort's finest films and performances!
tiwannae31 December 2003
I found this sweet little film to be a very enjoyable and highly recommended experience!
Bud Cort gives one of his finest performances as the naïve, lonely, sensitive, and oh-so-out-of-place Max Brown, a city fellow from Ottawa trying to make a life as a poorly compensated teacher in the very rural town of Willowgreen in western Canada during the Great Depression. It's comic how he has to deal with adjusting to the town, the townspeople, and their children as his students; and is especially very poignant and sad watching his doomed romance with the very married and just as lonely and frustrated Alice Field, played by Samantha Eggar.
As his 'Harold and Maude' was poorly served when it came out on DVD, how I wish that 'Why Shoot the Teacher?' would find its way onto DVD, having such special features as outtakes, deleted scenes, and especially, interviews with Bud Cort and the remaining cast and crew of the film. It's sad to see this one overlooked and, instead, to find such films of lesser quality in Bud's oeuvre, like 'Hysterical,' getting the DVD treatment. I hope that this oversight will someday be rectified for this gem in the career of Bud Cort.
Bud Cort gives one of his finest performances as the naïve, lonely, sensitive, and oh-so-out-of-place Max Brown, a city fellow from Ottawa trying to make a life as a poorly compensated teacher in the very rural town of Willowgreen in western Canada during the Great Depression. It's comic how he has to deal with adjusting to the town, the townspeople, and their children as his students; and is especially very poignant and sad watching his doomed romance with the very married and just as lonely and frustrated Alice Field, played by Samantha Eggar.
As his 'Harold and Maude' was poorly served when it came out on DVD, how I wish that 'Why Shoot the Teacher?' would find its way onto DVD, having such special features as outtakes, deleted scenes, and especially, interviews with Bud Cort and the remaining cast and crew of the film. It's sad to see this one overlooked and, instead, to find such films of lesser quality in Bud's oeuvre, like 'Hysterical,' getting the DVD treatment. I hope that this oversight will someday be rectified for this gem in the career of Bud Cort.
TVN A - Good for history class
tvnone20 October 2005
In my opinion, this movie is good to describe the 1930's Depression in the Praries because it exactly describes the way people had to live in those times, especially when the snow and dust storms arrive. Also the people had to "catch" gophers because they always ruin the farmers crops. Because the people couldn't grow the crops, they almost couldn't afford anything. This caused poverty and many people left the Praries. So they couldn't hire school teachers for education, etc.
So in other words, this movie is good for a history class that is covering the 1920's-1930's depression because it gives an accurate description of the events in the prairies.
So in other words, this movie is good for a history class that is covering the 1920's-1930's depression because it gives an accurate description of the events in the prairies.
A humourous, entertaining slice of life in the Canadian Dust Bowl
ram-3015 January 2000
The film WHY SHOOT THE TEACHER? stars American Bud Cort, star of many Robert Altman classics, and British actress Samantha Eggar. Other than that, the film is truly Canadian. The story, based on the autobiography of Max Braithwaite, is a humourous, entertaining slice of life in the Canadian Dust Bowl. It's as good as any other film to clearly show the extent that the Great Depression had in rural communities. The production, cast, props, etc., make this an excellent period piece of the 1930s. Many of the co-stars are amateurs but this only emphasizes the realism of the picture. Overall, if you need to show someone a video about the Great Depression, and you don't have access to THE GRAPES OF WRATH, then WHY SHOOT THE TEACHER? will be a worthy substitute.
Why Shoot the Teacher
aadilnanji19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I found this movie to be very dull and uninteresting. It takes place in 1935 and is about the life of a school teacher, Max Brown. The story follows his life as he moves from his home in Toronto, where he did not have a job to the praries where a job was being offered. Upon his arrival he finds the living conditions to be very harsh. Primarily the weather is very cold and secondly food is a scarcity. Some other things he finds is that he has to live in the schoolhouse, he is paid very little and his students are horrible. Max's life is very difficult with all the new experiences and people he meets but for some reason he stills returns for another year.
Typical Canadian flick
Rovin3 March 2000
Warning: Spoilers
This film was about a teacher who moves to a rural community--and has trouble adjusting to his class--made up of farmers' children. My problem with it is that like so many Canadian films, it gets dull, and takes sharp twists in the narrative that just dont make any sense.
SPOILER: Bud Cort's character has alot of trouble trying to win over the rustic students...and then, suddenly--the children decide to go rush outside and chase prairie dogs to rip off their tails! Somehow, this wins over the teacher--who suddenly loves his class!
It was an inappropriate change of heart in the teacher--not supported by the actions of the children...and explaining it away as "quirky" or "off-beat" simply doesnt work. END SPOILER
SPOILER: Bud Cort's character has alot of trouble trying to win over the rustic students...and then, suddenly--the children decide to go rush outside and chase prairie dogs to rip off their tails! Somehow, this wins over the teacher--who suddenly loves his class!
It was an inappropriate change of heart in the teacher--not supported by the actions of the children...and explaining it away as "quirky" or "off-beat" simply doesnt work. END SPOILER
A Canadian teacher by the name of Max Brown takes a train to the prairies where he begins his hard life as a teacher.
rana-attalla19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
"Why Shoot the Teacher" was a very interesting movie that I believe gave a very accurate depiction of the different ways Canadian citizens were affected by the Great Depression. It showed the difficulties people had to go through both physically and emotionally in order to survive during the 1930s. In this movie, we meet a young teacher who has finally been able to find himself a job as a teacher, but he must move to the prairies. We learn that in those days, unemployment was a major problem as many people were losing their jobs and not being able to find new ones. Single men traveled the country in search of work since they had no families to support and keep them home. We see in this case, the main character is very lucky to be able to find a job, however we soon see how poor the working conditions and the pay are. He only earns $20 dollars a month and much teach a very rowdy and disobedient group of students. He lives in a small room underneath the school house and seems to be treated rather unkindly by most of the people surrounding him. This seems somewhat understandable since they must be under a lot of stress and pressure as well because of the hard times they must go through at the time being. At times, Max Brown wishes he could simply hop a train back home so that he doesn't have to endure anymore of these problems which he doesn't feel he can cope with anymore, although I sometimes think he feels grateful that he at least has board and a steady salary while others have neither and are living on the streets. It's interesting to see how the movie ends, with whether or not Max will be able to survive the harsh times.
This movie is about a Canadian teacher, Max Brown who in search of a job moves to the prairies, isolated and without food and shelter. Max teaches a class of misbehaving kids.
anguel_a19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is a good movie, set in the 1930's and accurately portrayed by the events and the history of the depression in Canada. If u are looking for a fun movie to watch-don't watch this, but if you need an insight into the way of life during the prairies in Canada in the 1930's this movie is what you need. This movie does a good job of showing how employment and basic needs such as shelter, food, and water were rare and hard to find during the depression. It also shows the trends and life in the 1930's and gives you a look back in time, at how things were. This movie doesn't have a good picture or sound but it is informative. This movie is about a teacher, who during the hard times moves to the Prairies, in such of a job to make a living.
----Full Summary---- This movie, is about a Canadian teacher, Max Brown who is forced to move to the prairies, by borrowing money to find a job. When he arrives, Max also does not receive food/water supplies and has a hard time fitting in and surviving in this new place. He is hired to teach a class of students from grades 1-10, who misbehave sometimes. He also finds himself, in company with Alice, the wife of a farmer in Saskatchewan. He receives $20 a month, which is much less then previously negotiated and somehow resists urges of taking the train to back home. Max later has a brief relationship with Alice and manages to control his class before the school year ends and he goes back home before returning the next year.
----Full Summary---- This movie, is about a Canadian teacher, Max Brown who is forced to move to the prairies, by borrowing money to find a job. When he arrives, Max also does not receive food/water supplies and has a hard time fitting in and surviving in this new place. He is hired to teach a class of students from grades 1-10, who misbehave sometimes. He also finds himself, in company with Alice, the wife of a farmer in Saskatchewan. He receives $20 a month, which is much less then previously negotiated and somehow resists urges of taking the train to back home. Max later has a brief relationship with Alice and manages to control his class before the school year ends and he goes back home before returning the next year.
A teacher's work is never done.
dbdumonteil6 December 2009
The subject of "why shoot the teacher?" is a burning one,as much today as it was yesterday:the teacher,fresh from his training college ,who takes his first class ,in a dead-and-alive hole (or ,worse,in the wrong side of the town).The young man (or woman)understands that all that he learned in college ,all the highest theories can't help him with his thankless job.His pupils are not the ones he was expecting.Any teacher,when he began,has been through all this. Bud Cort ,famous for his part of Harold in "Harold and Maude " is ideally cast as the young schoolteacher:his youthful looks ,his naive face and his resilience work wonders.For, in this part of Canada,mother nature is not really on his side.
The Capital of Canada is "C"
SteveSkafte21 March 2013
I grew up in rural Canada, in a small middle-class household that was a little bit on the old-fashioned side. Dramas like these were part of the experience when all you had was access to CBC television and a small selection of video tapes. Although I never caught this one in particular as a child, it would have been perfectly welcome.
It's hard to picture why exactly a film like "Why Shoot the Teacher?" has been so well-forgotten over the years. Something in the lack of initial distribution no doubt, which seems to be the lot of nearly all Canadian films of this era. It's based on a book by Max Braithwaite, and it feels very much like a true story, though there's a chance I suppose that it isn't. Silvio Narizzano directs it to life with a looseness and a real live humanity.
The acting is undoubtedly what gives this film its energy, and Bud Cort is better than I've ever seen him. In a similar sense as Charles Martin Smith's character in "Never Cry Wolf" he portrays a truly charming combination of naiveté and forced confidence. It's that painfully forced bravery that saves him in the end. This film could serve as a lesson in how much difference overcoming even the smallest percentage of personal fears can make in your life.
There is a lightness to "Why Shoot the Teacher?", a faithful depiction with just enough weight to keep it all from blowing away. I felt it moving through me, lifting my head and softening my heart. It's something to be thankful for, this gentle little thing.
It's hard to picture why exactly a film like "Why Shoot the Teacher?" has been so well-forgotten over the years. Something in the lack of initial distribution no doubt, which seems to be the lot of nearly all Canadian films of this era. It's based on a book by Max Braithwaite, and it feels very much like a true story, though there's a chance I suppose that it isn't. Silvio Narizzano directs it to life with a looseness and a real live humanity.
The acting is undoubtedly what gives this film its energy, and Bud Cort is better than I've ever seen him. In a similar sense as Charles Martin Smith's character in "Never Cry Wolf" he portrays a truly charming combination of naiveté and forced confidence. It's that painfully forced bravery that saves him in the end. This film could serve as a lesson in how much difference overcoming even the smallest percentage of personal fears can make in your life.
There is a lightness to "Why Shoot the Teacher?", a faithful depiction with just enough weight to keep it all from blowing away. I felt it moving through me, lifting my head and softening my heart. It's something to be thankful for, this gentle little thing.
A young teacher who takes up a job in the Prairies is unpleasantly surprised by the conditions of the school, ill-behaved students, and of course, the harsh storms...
anafw19 October 2005
I think that overall, this movie was good. It seemed a bit short, and it lacked a few details linking parts of the story, which made it a bit difficult to follow. The graphics were slightly poor, but due to the technology of the time, I had to take into account the fact that it was made nearly three decades ago. I also think that it was a fairly accurate depiction of life in the Prairies during the 1930s, based on what we've learned in class about the era. I could easily link the time period to the movie through the actions, speech, and style of the actors and actresses in the story, as well as the cars featured and the houses' decor.
In terms of style, I noticed that the people living in U.S. and the Praires during the 30s differed quite a bit. Some of the clothes and hairstyles that the women wore were similar, but the people of the Prairies were "country folk," and dressed more appropriately for their lifestyles. Alice, for example,(played by Samantha Eggar), wore the sleek, wavy, side-parted bob that many women of the era chose to sport. However, the difference in economic status was apparent in her attire. The aprons and plain skirts she wore had less appeal than the more elegant blouses and dresses that other women preferred.
In conclusion, the movie was pretty effective in getting its message out to the audience. Bud Cort proved his acting skills alongside his pupils, and many important issues were discussed with respect to the conditions of the schools at the time, and Mr. Brown's personal experiences with Prairie weather. The movie was humorous, with a bit of drama, and still maintained a fair amount of accuracy in portraying life in the 1930s.
-A. W.
In terms of style, I noticed that the people living in U.S. and the Praires during the 30s differed quite a bit. Some of the clothes and hairstyles that the women wore were similar, but the people of the Prairies were "country folk," and dressed more appropriately for their lifestyles. Alice, for example,(played by Samantha Eggar), wore the sleek, wavy, side-parted bob that many women of the era chose to sport. However, the difference in economic status was apparent in her attire. The aprons and plain skirts she wore had less appeal than the more elegant blouses and dresses that other women preferred.
In conclusion, the movie was pretty effective in getting its message out to the audience. Bud Cort proved his acting skills alongside his pupils, and many important issues were discussed with respect to the conditions of the schools at the time, and Mr. Brown's personal experiences with Prairie weather. The movie was humorous, with a bit of drama, and still maintained a fair amount of accuracy in portraying life in the 1930s.
-A. W.
depression era story of a teacher from a big urban city teaching in a poverty stricken one room school house on the great Canadian prairie.
davecleveland24 October 2004
a remarkable political film reflecting both the times of the 30's and the 70's. beautifully filmed in b&w. i don't believe the art director or the cinematographer received any awards for this film. too bad since the bleak yet dramatic backstop of the alberta prairie added, immeasurably to the near nihilistic dialogue and sparing editing reflecting the times during the depression in the great Canadian prairie. the moments where the director slowly pans the camera over the nearly endless prairie grass to show the feeling of alienation of land that reflects the alienation of the people to one another, never ceases to impact me. there is no real connection with the students the only feeling of empathy obtained by, bud cort, is when a senior school district manger shows up to review his work , the teacher can't help but lay into the supervisor and inform him of the inadequacies the district has shoulder him with in regards to outdated books and supplies. and then there is the delightful prairie dog tail scene which i won't spoil for anyone. rural poor is unlike city poor. watch and see the results.
Better Than Average Teacher Film - Why Shoot the Teacher?
arthur_tafero1 April 2021
Bud Cort is miscast here, but does a good job. The film was shot on a limited budget, but Canadian filmmakers always seem to make better films for less money than American filmmakers. Just the way it is. Samantha Eggar is very good again (she was superb in The Collector). And the story line and script are very good. Sort of like Conrack goes to Canada. Worth viewing.
Holds the interest surprisingly well
JohnHowardReid21 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Set in a small, isolated Canadian town during the Great Depression of the 1930s, "Why Shoot the Teacher?" was superbly photographed on natural locations. Furthermore, it tells a true story. This is a combination that certainly holds the interest, but there is more: Led by Bud Cort and Samantha Eggar, all the players comes across as real people in real situations. Thanks to these compelling performances, the actual dramatic and comic incidents portrayed in this slice of rural life come across with real impact.
The film is also blessed with a delightful period music score and clever sound effects. It's certainly an odd film from director Silvio Narizzano, obviously lensed over a long period of time on a tight budget, but containing few of the director's usual tricks. Perhaps that's all to the good. This movie certainly holds its own against more widely touted but similar films.
The film is also blessed with a delightful period music score and clever sound effects. It's certainly an odd film from director Silvio Narizzano, obviously lensed over a long period of time on a tight budget, but containing few of the director's usual tricks. Perhaps that's all to the good. This movie certainly holds its own against more widely touted but similar films.
Personal Opinion of Why Shoot The Teacher
that_guylyfe22 October 2005
I think that the movie, "Why Shoot the Teacher," was pretty accurate in displaying what really went on during the 1930s. It showed many difficulties people had during the Great Depression, such as unemployment. The movie focuses on one man, Max Brown who decides to go to the Prairies to work as a teacher. We watched with anticipation and curiosity to see how he would do with the new children. I believe the movie was effective because they displayed Mr. Brown as a very innocent man. During hard times, we feel sorry for him, because he is such a nice man and is struggling to stay on his own feet with people trying to walk all over him. In the end, I think the movie wasn't bad. I think it was very helpful in giving us some insight to what really happened during such harsh times.
Max Brown, a teacher, travels to the prairies for a teaching position in a school house.
akari-kun19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
"Why Shoot the Teacher" was a believable depiction of Canada during the Great Depression period. Max Brown travels to the prairies for a teaching position in a school house. Before this period, he would have had a job in the city as a teacher, however since it was the period of the "roaring twenties", many people lost jobs and were forced to look elsewhere or die penniless. The prairie folk had little to no money and their children helped gain as much money as possible by catching gopher tails for 20 cents apiece, delivered by the government. The crops were poor due to the drought on the prairies, the dust storm, and the grasshopper plague. Many of these elements were depicted in the movie, and thus it is a believable depiction.
Canadian teacher, Max Brown going to the Praires to teach children, facing though times with poor living conditions and food.
neha_evildevil19 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I think this movie was a good depiction of Canada in the 1930s because of many factors such as food, shelter, salary, employment, poor living conditions and harvesting crops. They were all problems in the movie as well as in the 1930s. Max Brown's friend was riding the rods in search for a job, and Max Brown was complaining about his salary. This would be something which would be included in a persons everyday life in the 1930s. Another thing which would be included is the living conditions, it wasn't too well for Max Brown as well as the food and water, it had to be provided for so many people and it wasn't as easy to get as it seemed. Harvesting crops were also a problem because of the bad weather conditions, this leaded to food problems and farmers going through difficult times. Overall this movie is a good explanation of the 1930s all the key factors included, they were realistic and interesting.
About Max Brown who tries to survive as a school teacher in the prairies facing mean students and bad living conditions
jana_sr19 October 2005
this movie is about a young man, Max Brown who goes to a farming town to teach. I believe this movie does portray the prairies and the people in the 1920s and 1930s because it shows the life of a person (Max Brown) and others who try to make a living during the Great Depression. It shows the climate and weather conditions of the prairies, and how farmers struggled to harvest corp during those climates, and survive on scarce amount of food, water, etc. Max Brown lives through poor living conditions and a poor salary, just like most other Canadians would have done to support themselves or their family. he works like this so he can pay back the money his brother had given him. He talks about his friend who tried to go to Vancouver to find a job but he didn't make it, and also other people who ride the rails. this movie shows that many people did not except charity in anyway because it was shameful to receive any type of relief. the movie also shows how socialism was confronted by Canadians back then. Therefore from all the points above and many others you can conclude that the movie portrays Canada during the Great Depression.
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