''Teachers'' is a 1984 American

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

written by W. R. McKinney, directed by

Arthur Hiller Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...

, and starring

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...

JoBeth Williams Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she bega ...

Ralph Macchio Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three '' Karate Kid'' films and in '' Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsider ...

, and Judd Hirsch. It was shot in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, mostly at the former Central High School.

Plot

On a typical Monday morning at John F. Kennedy High School in the

inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

, there is conflict between teachers, a student with a stab wound and a talk of an upcoming lawsuit. Vice principal Roger Rubell and principal Eugene Horn meet with lawyer Lisa Hammond, who is in charge of depositions for a recent graduate's lawsuit against the school for granting him a diploma despite his illiteracy. Alex Jurel is a veteran social studies teacher who takes his job lightly and is popular because he can identify and connect with students. Alex has been worn down by years of coming between the rowdy students and the demands of the administration. He is assigned to temporarily assume the duties of the school psychologist and becomes a mentor to student Eddie Pilikian. Alex also develops a romance with Lisa, his former student. Herbert Gower is a mental-institution outpatient who has been mistaken for a substitute teacher and placed in charge of a history class that he makes fun, educational and engaging. Sleepy old English teacher Mr. Stiles does not actually teach his students but just hands out worksheet photocopies for his students to complete during class, and he dies unnoticed in his sleep while in class. Gym teacher Mr. Troy has a sexual relationship with a student. Eddie's best friend Danny, a

schizophrenic Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

and

kleptomaniac Kleptomania is the inability to resist the urge to steal items, usually for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Some of the main ch ...

student, is shot and killed by the police after he draws a gun during a drug search. Superintendent Donna Burke and school lawyer Al Lewis are attempting to avoid bad publicity associated with the lawsuit. They try to determine which teachers might damage the school's reputation in their depositions. The administration recognizes the threat that Alex poses to their social standing and forces him to resign before his deposition. After Lisa harshly criticizes him, he finally stands up to Burke and Rubell, reminding them that the school exists for the students and not for the administrators. He also threatens a lawsuit if he is fired. He proudly walks back into the school to loud cheers from the students.

Cast

as Alex Jurel *

as Lisa Hammond * Judd Hirsch as Vice Principal Roger Rubell *

as Eddie Pilikian *

Allen Garfield Allen Garfield (born Allen Goorwitz; November 22, 1939 – April 7, 2020) was an American film and television actor. Early life Garfield was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Jewish family, the son of Alice (née Lavroff) and Philip Goorwitz. H ...

as Carl Rosenberg *

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's '' Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Doug ...

as Dr. Donna Burke * Richard Mulligan as Herbert Gower *

Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 - May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic L ...

as Kenneth Stiles a.k.a. Ditto *

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on '' Richard Diamond, Privat ...

as Principal Horn * Art Metrano as Troy *

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and act ...

as Diane Warren *

Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...

as Danny Reese *

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

as Alan Lewis * Madeleine Sherwood as Grace Wensel *

Steven Hill Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

as Sloan * Zohra Lampert as Mrs. Pilikian * Mary Alice as Linda Ganz * Terry Ellis as Tim Hahn * Ronald Hunter as Mr. Pilikian * Virginia Capers as landlady *

Ellen Crawford Ellen Ann Crawford (born April 29, 1951) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Nurse Lydia Wright on '' ER'' from 1994 through 2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale. Crawford has also performed on stage, in ''A Touch ...

as Social Worker *

Vivian Bonnell Vivian Bonnell (born Enid Mosier, May 23, 1924 – November 18, 2003) was an actress and calypso singer, originally from Antigua, British West Indies. In 1954, she starred opposite Pearl Bailey in the Broadway musical '' House of Flowers''. She ...

as Nurse * Cacey Kustosz as Field Trip Educator *

Anthony Heald Philip Anthony Mair Heald (born August 25, 1944) is an American character actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter's jailer, Dr. Frederick Chilton, in '' The Silence of the Lambs'' and '' Red Dragon'', and for playing assistant principal Sco ...

as Narc *

Katharine Balfour Katharine Balfour (February 7, 1921 – April 3, 1990) was an American actress and writer. Her best-known role was as the mother of Oliver, Ryan O'Neal's character, in the 1970 film ''Love Story'', as well as Sophia Kebabian in '' America, A ...

as Theresa Bloom * Jeff Ware as Malloy *

Richard Zobel Richard J. Zobel Jr. (June 5, 1952 – October 4, 2005) was an American actor. He starred as the attorney Aaron Levinsky in the original Broadway run of '' Nuts'' in 1980. Over the course of his career, he was also a singer, instrumentalist, ani ...

as Propes *

George Dzundza George Dzundza ( ; born July 19, 1945) is an American television and film actor. Early life and education Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian-Jewish father, Roman Dzundza, originally from Kalush, Ukraine, and a Polish-Jewish m ...

as paramedic (uncredited)

Critical response

The film opened to mixed reviews, and some reviewers felt that it lacked the incisive touch of

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He was ...

's satires (he had previously written Hiller's other dark satire, 1971's '' The Hospital'').

Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the '' Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a ...

of the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by ...

'' remarked that "the characters n the filmhave all been invented for strictly didactic purposes: they come on waving their moral conflicts like big white bed sheets, and as soon as you see them you can predict every trite turn of the plot." A critic for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said that the film "makes stinging, important points about the mess of secondary public education, but

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

those points are diluted gradually by an overload of comic absurdity."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

remarked that "the idea here was to do for teaching what

M*A*S*H* ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

did for the war. Unfortunately, they've done for schools what ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

'' did for medicine. ''Teachers'' has an interesting central idea, about shell-shocked teachers trying to remember their early idealism, but the movie junks it up with so many sitcom compromises that we can never quite believe the serious scenes." Ebert ended his review: "Here's the sad bottom line: ''Teachers'' was just interesting enough to convince me a great movie can be made about big-city high schools. This isn't it." Pat Collins of the ''

CBS Morning News The ''CBS Morning News'' is an American early-morning news broadcast presented weekdays on the CBS television network. The program features late-breaking news stories, national weather forecasts and sports highlights. Since 2013, it has been anc ...

'' remarked that "there's an overwhelming urge to take out a giant eraser and wipe the screen clean of what is absolutely the worst 'high school is a jungle' movie to come down the locker line corridor in a long time," singling out "the ham in the performances of the actors who have all done better in the past" before calling the film "a shrill, preachy and superficial treatment of the subject of public school education." Collins continued: " achers, students and parents in the real world don't need Hollywood to tell them what's wrong with the problems of public schools ... compared to ''Teachers'',

homework Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the classroom. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, mathematical exercises to be completed, informatio ...

is more fun." The review-aggregation site

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

registers an approval rating of 59% for the film based on 32 reviews.

Soundtrack

# " Teacher, Teacher" -

38 Special 38 Special may refer to: * .38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, cent ...

# "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday # "Edge of a Dream" -

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

# "Interstate Love Affair" -

Night Ranger Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco formed in 1979 that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy have been the band's only constant members, ...

# "

Foolin' Around ''Foolin' Around'' is a 1980 American comedy romance sport film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring Gary Busey and Annette O'Toole. The film was shot on location in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The theme music was performed by Seals ...

" -

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...

# "

Cheap Sunglasses "Cheap Sunglasses" is a 1979 single by ZZ Top from their 1979 album '' Degüello''. The song captures many of the sounds and beats for which ZZ Top is famous. It is also featured on the greatest hits collections '' ZZ Top's Greatest Hits'', ''C ...

" -

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...

# "Understanding" -

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

# "I Can't Stop the Fire" - Eric Martin & Friends # "In the Jungle (Concrete Jungle)" - The Motels # "(I'm the) Teacher" - Ian Hunter The theme song by 38 Special was released as a single and reached No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. "Understanding" by Seger reached No. 17 and Cocker's "Edge of a Dream" hit No. 69. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' said of Seger's "Understanding" that it "is by and large successful in bringing together a good, singable melody, meaningful lyrics, and superb performances" but said that the chorus "remains on one plateau and never fully takes hold."

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1984 films 1980s black comedy films 1980s coming-of-age comedy-drama films 1980s high school films 1980s satirical films American coming-of-age comedy-drama films American high school films American satirical films 1980s English-language films Films about educators Films directed by Arthur Hiller Films set in Columbus, Ohio Films shot in Ohio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films United Artists films 1980s American films