The Substitute (1993 film)
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''The Substitute'' is a 1993 American
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
directed by Martin Donovan, written by
David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent ...
under his pseudonym Cynthia Verlaine,The Dialogue: An Interview With David Goyer
/ref> and is also
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
's first acting role and credited as "Marky Mark", due to his successful hip hop career.


Plot

High school English teacher Gayle Richardson finds out that her husband is cheating on her with one of her students. She murders both him and his mistress in an outburst of rage, sets their house on fire, and flees into the night. One year later, Gayle has moved to another town and takes a job as a substitute English teacher at another high school under the assumed name Laura Ellington. One of the students, named Josh Wyatt, becomes infatuated with "Laura" and on her first day, he gives her a ride back to her motel room where she seduces him, but discards him the following day. As the scorned Josh seeks to find a way to get revenge against Laura for using him, she meets and begins having an affair of her own with Josh's widowed father, Ben, who is also infatuated with the mysterious and attractive teacher. While Josh seeks to keep his brief tryst with Laura a secret, he also recruits his unsuspecting girlfriend, Jenny, to help him find any evidence against Laura when she moves into the house across the street from him and his father. Things become more complicated when news about her past starts to re-emerge, forcing Laura to embark on yet another killing spree to protect her identity and her crimes. When Laura learns that the teacher she is substituting for will be returning early, she breaks into her house and shoves her down a staircase, causing the teacher to die from a heart attack. But Laura is witnessed entering the house by one trouble-making student, named Ryan Westerberg, who attempts to blackmail her. However, Laura kills Ryan and covers it up to make it look like a gang killing. Convinced that Laura is responsible for the two mysterious deaths, Josh begins to uncover Laura's past by sneaking into her house one evening during a school dance and finds evidence of her former alias as Gayle Richardson. But Josh cannot convince anyone, not even his skeptic father, that Laura is not who she claims to be. When Josh inadvertently reveals his tryst with Laura to Jenny, she breaks up with him. When Jenny tells Ben about Josh's cheating on her and of his personal investigation into Laura, she walks in on them. Later, Laura follows Jenny into the school and attempts to murder her too by chasing her under the bleachers in the school gym and pushes the automatic button to make the bleachers fold up, nearly crushing Jenny to death. Jenny survives long enough to be brought to the hospital where she tells Josh what Laura did. After looking up old newspaper records at a library, Josh finally learns of Laura's past and real identity. When Ben Wyatt confronts Laura that same evening in her classroom as she is attempting to pack up to flee town, she attacks and stabs him with a glass shard just as Josh walks in. He chases and confronts Laura on the roof of the school as the police arrive. Momentarily blinded by a police searchlight that's beamed onto her, Laura loses her balance and falls off of part of the roof to land some distance below on another part of the building. Leaving her for dead, Josh leaves the school building and is relieved to learn that his father is alive and will recover from his stab wound. But when the police venture to the roof, they find that Laura is gone. In the final scene, Laura/Gayle is now at another high school in another state, and another a new alias, applying for a job as an English teacher at the school.


Cast

*
Amanda Donohoe Amanda Donohoe (born 29 June 1962) is an English actress. She first came to attention as a 16-year-old living with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" (1980) and "Stand and Deliver" ( ...
as Gayle Richards / Laura Ellington *
Dalton James Dalton James (born March 19, 1971) is an American actor. He was born in Sacramento, California. Biography Dalton played the role of Hank Bennett on ''Passions'' and the role of Mark Reese on ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. He was also in the movi ...
as Josh Wyatt *
Natasha Gregson Wagner Natasha Gregson Wagner ( Gregson; born September 29, 1970) is an American actress. She is the daughter of film producer Richard Gregson and actress Natalie Wood. She has appeared in films including '' Lost Highway'' (1997), ''Two Girls and a Guy ...
as Jenny * Eugene Glazer as Ben Wyatt *
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
as Ryan Westerberg *
David Frankham David Frankham (born 16 February 1926) is a British retired actor. After serving in India and British Malaya, Malaya in the Second World War, Frankham worked first as a news reader, and then a writer, interviewer and producer for the BBC from 1 ...
as Riggs * Christian Svensson as Dave Korczuk *
Molly Parker Molly Parker (born 30 June 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She has had roles in independent films as well as television. Her accolades include two Genie Awards, one Canadian Screen Award, one Independent Spirit Awards nomina ...
as Courtney * Justine Priestley as Claire Bilino * Gary Jones as Elliott *
Patricia Gage Patricia "Pat" Gage (3 March 1940 – 31 January 2010)In Memoriam †...
as Principal Beatty * Shelley Owens as Amy Cooper * Brigitta as Margo * Cusse Mankuma as Bernard * Lossen Chambers as Kim * D. Neil Mark as Rusty * Martin Martinuzzi as Doug Richards * Pat Bermel as Frank * Meredith Bain Woodward as Fran * Sheila Patterson as Mrs. Fisher * Katherine Banwell as Ellen Schenkle * Glen Mauro as Twin #1 * Gary Mauro as Twin #2 * Douglas Newell as Principal *
Martin Cummins Martin Cummins (born November 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in '' Dark Angel'' and as Nick Boyle in '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. Life and career Cummins went to Seaquam Secondary School in the town of North Del ...
as Student (uncredited)


Production

Wahlberg was at the beginning of his career, and accordingly was cast in a secondary role (as "Marky Mark"). He consequently did not feature prominently in publicity at the time. However, on home media releases, he has been depicted on the front cover, as a
composite image Compositing is the process or technique of combining visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. Live-action shooting for compositing is variously ca ...
with his face clearly overlaid on a stand-in's body.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Substitute, The 1993 television films 1993 films 1990s psychological thriller films American erotic thriller films Films with screenplays by David S. Goyer American drama television films Films directed by Martin Donovan (screenwriter) 1990s English-language films 1990s American films