Purely Joyful Movie!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Alex Jurel (Nick Nolte) is wearied of his teaching job despite being the teacher of the year a decade ago. His friend Roger Rubell (Judd Hirsch) tries to hold the chaotic system together. Lawyer Lisa Hammond (JoBeth Williams) is deposing the teachers for graduating a student without teaching him to read. Mental patient Herbert Gower is wrongly given a substitute teaching job. Danny (Crispin Glover) bites a teacher. Alex takes an interest in Eddie Pilikian (Ralph Macchio) who is a troubled student from a broken home. A teacher dies without anyone noticing. Diane (Laura Dern) gets pregnant by the gym teacher and Alex drives her to get an abortion.This is compelling chaos. Some compare it to Paddy Chayefsky's satires while others compare it unfavorably. One may be second to Usain Bolt but that's still damn good. Some others argue about its realism. Certainly, this is hyper realism but that's part of the bargain in a movie. The main drawback I totally agree with is Ralph Macchio. He's never been a good actor but he lucked into a couple of iconic 80s movies. There are some great memorable chaos in this one.

I saw this movie again recently and even though it was exaggerated a little, I thought it was pretty good. I went to both public and private schools in the 70s-80s and saw many of the same sort of teachers and administration in both types of school. I had teachers who didn't care, who just couldn't teach, and those who actually did try to engage the students and do a good job, and all of those types, although exaggerated a little, are portrayed here. I've also seen clueless principals who just hid out in their offices all day and were in their car driving away 5 minutes before the final bell rang. Around the time the movie was released, I read a news story about a girl who was valedictorian of her school, in the National Honors Society, but flunked out of college due to being unable to read because of dyslexia and she ended up suing her school. This wasn't clearly the case in the film, but should a student who can't perform to a minimum academic standard or doesn't even show up for class and turn in work still pass and get a diploma? The fact the school was more concerned with with its image than with addressing the issue is something I also saw in school growing up and even now. In my area recently, a local doctor sued his son's former school over unrefunded tuition money. He claimed his son was bullied there for a couple of years and complaints and meetings with school officials didn't help, so he enrolled his son elsewhere. When he unenrolled his son, the school would only refund the unused portion of tuition if the father signed a confidentiality agreement stating he wouldn't discuss what went on there. Sound familiar?Although a bit over the top, Teachers is an example of what went on, and probably still goes on, in schools and is worth seeing.

I'm finishing up my 7th year as a an 8th grade teacher at a typical rural public junior high/high school, and I watch this movie at the end of each school year. It does a few things for me: 1. Helps me realize just how f'd up the people I work with/for really are. 2. Gives me something to laugh about to take the edge off of a long school year. 3. Motivates me to keep teaching year after year even when I've just finished teaching some rough classes.As for the movie itself, it's up and down. Nolte is his typical mid-80's drunken self. Laura Dern was outstanding as the slutty student, and the rest of the cast fills in the gaps. What I like about the movie is that the teachers, even as stereotypical as they are portrayed, are so real. I can name a fellow faculty member for each role, as most teachers probably could.

I first saw this film on video in the 80's. I thought it was pretty funny at times. However, I felt that was sort of a flaw because near the end it gets too serious, which we aren't really prepared for. Maybe it should have been more serious early on in depicting the school being sued by a former student. Nolte is pretty good in his role, although I have heard he was drunk a lot, which does fit his character in one scene with his buddy Roger. The cast is fine, maybe they should've just tried to be more serious and not gone for so much comedy. Also, I like to give star ratings, not a number from one to ten. Basically I give it 2.5 stars for its humor. One more thing. Liked the songs. Should try to get the soundtrack someday.