Plot
An ex-marine teacher struggles to connect with her students in an inner city schools.
Release Year: 1995
Rating: 6.0/10 (21,576 voted)
Critic's Score: 47/100
Director:
John N. Smith
Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance
Storyline Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students.
Writers: LouAnne Johnson, Ronald Bass
Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer
-
Louanne Johnson
George Dzundza
-
Hal Griffith
Courtney B. Vance
-
George Grandey
Robin Bartlett
-
Carla Nichols
Beatrice Winde
-
Mary Benton
John Neville
-
Waiter
Lorraine Toussaint
-
Irene Roberts
Renoly Santiago
-
Raul Sanchero
Wade Dominguez
-
Emilio Ramirez
Bruklin Harris
-
Callie Roberts
Marcello Thedford
-
Cornelius Bates
Roberto Alvarez
-
Gusmaro Rivera
Richard Grant
-
Durrell Benton
Marisela Gonzales
-
Angela
Toni Nichelle Buzhardt
-
Nikki
Taglines:
She Broke The Rules... And Changed Their Lives.
Release Date: 11 August 1995
Filming Locations: Burlingame, California, USA
Gross: $177,900,000
(Worldwide)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Andy Garcia's scenes as LouAnne's love interest were filmed but cut.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Louanne walks in on the first day Nikki (girl in the overalls) is sitting, the next scene she is standing, then back to sitting.
Quotes: Louanne:
You asked me once how I was gonna save your life. This is it. This moment.
User Review
An underrated movie altogether...
Rating:
When this movie was first released, I refused to line up and watch it. I
thought it was another of those simplistic and "popular" - love the
teacher,
fight delinquency - movies.
In fact I refused to be taken for granted by clever Hollywood people who,
usually, produce very "sweet" and "educative" movies.
Well, a couple of years later, while I was refurbishing my own movie
collection I stumbled on a special LaserDisc sale and bought this one as
well (just to see what all the fuzz about it was really
about).
First of all, I was amazed to know that it is based on a true story, just
like "Lean on me" and what caught my attention was that the teacher in
question didn't belong to that profession: she was a discharged and
unemployed USMC officer.
I expected a war between her and the pupils she would "drill".
What I received in return was an education on how one can be prejudiced,
in
more than just one way...
Having served in the Swiss Army and having been a teacher myself, I could
really empathize with the Character played by Michelle
Pfeiffer.
My first teaching approach, unlike hers, was disastrous to say the
least...
The entire movie deals with LITTLE, REAL, EVERYDAY problems and not with
the
big issues of life and this is probably why this movie was summarily
discarded as being second rate.
But when we consider how children consider and perceive our world
nowadays,
it's exactly what they expect us, the adults, to do as
well.
That's to say, take our time to explain to them the everyday happenings in
their little worlds. Why mom and dad went their separate ways, why do they
have to cope with homework they cannot understand and so on and so
forth.
This movie is a teaching lesson for teachers, not a moralizing or preachy
one.
It shows us how it should be done, nothing more.
In Drama one says "less is more", why shouldn't it apply to
life?
We always want to set standards and a higher example to the students we
are
supposed to tutor, but what about our commitment to give them what they
really want: lend them an ear when they talk, a heart when they feel
sorrow,
and sometimes, when required, a firm authority to look up
to?
Many colleagues I have met have forgotten what teaching is all
about.
It's not a simple profession to earn your life, it's much more than this,
it's a mission, a passion, a drive, a call, just like the one an actor or
a
director have.
In this instance in my own opinion, "Dangerous Minds" has amply achieved
its
goals.
For the detractors of this tiny movie I would suggest to take a better and
closer look, they might still learn something...
But please, take your time and concentrate on it. This is really not a
"Popcorn" and "Beer" movie.
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