This Week's TV Recommendations
Cannes: Robin Wright On 'The Congress'
Cannes Review: A 'Shoah' Sequel
Box Office: 'Frances' On Top
Outfest Sets Opening Night
Teaser: Larry David's 'Clear History'
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April 12, 2012 11:20 AM
7 Comments
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Cannes Mid-Festival Wrap-Up -
Review: Franco's 'As I Lay Dying' -
'Mad Men' on Drugs -
VH1 Announces 'Downloaded' Dates -
MacFarlane Not Hosting Oscars Again
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Six Cannes Cinderella Stories -
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Oscars Make Rule Change -
Mara and Affleck Talk 'Bodies' In Cannes
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Did ITVS Cave to Donor Pressure? -
'Bartender' Heading To Theaters -
Teaching Film as Transformative -
Cannes Review: 'Last Days of Mars' -
Red Band 'V/H/S/ 2' Trailer
Here's 8 Great Teacher/Student Films, In Honor of 'Monsieur Lazhar'
"The School of Rock" (2003)
Taking the teacher/classroom genre and injecting it with the combined genius of director Richard Linklater, writer Mike White and star Jack Black, "The School of Rock" is a surprisingly family friendly joy. It gives Black one of his very best roles in Dewey Finn, a washed up rock singer and guitarist who disguises himself as a substitute teacher at a fancy prep school. Finn puts together a band with his students in hopes of winning Battle of the Bands (so that Finn can pay his rent), and some charming chaos ensues. Oddly endearing and consistently hilarious, the film is definitely worth a rewatch nearly a decade after its debut. [Peter Knegt]
"Strangers With Candy" (2005)
In the gut-busting film adaptation of the hit TV series "Strangers with Candy," comedian Amy Sedaris (sister to droll author David Sedaris) plays Jerri Blank, a heinous (albeit lovable) 46-year-old former high school dropout who is forced to re-enroll to get her life back on track, after getting released from a rough stint in prison. A self-described "junkie whore" with a nasty overbite and a thing for underage ladies, Blank doesn't have the easiest time fitting in with the popular kids. Even her closeted teacher Chuck Noblet (co-writer Stephen Colbert) gives her a hard time. Folks familiar with motivational speaker Florence "Florrie" Fischer's infamous public-service film "The Trip Back" -- in which she recalls her days as a New York prostitute to a group of bewildered high-school students -- will no doubt get the jokes. After all, it served as the basis for the creation of Blank. [Nigel M. Smith]
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7 Comments
daniel joseph | April 13, 2012 1:47 AM
Wonder Boys
Gene Stavis | April 12, 2012 5:26 PM
Lists like this are a pet peeve of mine. There has now been over a century of great films on all subjects, yet these lists invariably contain only films from the last dozen years or so. To ignore masterpieces like Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Browning Version, The Human Comedy, A Passion for Life, Good Morning Miss Dove and literally hundreds of others is sheer laziness and short - sightedness. How about a little honest research or erudition?
JFM | April 12, 2012 4:33 PM
Some other great ones of the genre are Stand and Deliver and Educating Rita.
CarmichaelReid | April 12, 2012 3:58 PM
Does Rushmore count?
Franquelis | April 12, 2012 3:16 PM
Laurent Cantent's The Class and Tony Kaye's Detachment are great films as well.
Jasper | April 12, 2012 12:42 PM
Good list. I'd like to give a shout out to "Confessions."