"Teachers" is a great film that came out in 1984. The film really touched up on the things that is even today, hurting some of our schools here today in the U.S.. The apathy, red tape, the lack of concern for the kids is what is causing the schools to get bad. I love this movie for a lot of reasons, the funny and sad moments in it. The cast of the film is really excellent.
The film starts out where it is a typical Monday morning at JFK High School where crazy things happen. The school psychologist loses it when the teacher nicknamed "Ditto" (Royal Dano) is hogging the ditto machine and she squirts him with ink. A stabbing has happened. A former student named Lisa Hammond (JoBeth Williams), who now is a lawyer, is representing a kid named John Calvin, a kid who is suing the school cause of the lack of education he received.
Alex Jurel (Nick Nolte), is called in on that Monday morning to teach Social Studies, Alex never comes in on a Monday. Alex Jurel is a teacher who got burned out, fighting a system, which has not changed. He runs into his former student, Lisa Hammond and she sees he has given up. She helps him to reawaken his ideals and Alex helps a kid named Eddie Pilikian (Ralph Macchio), a troubled kid, help him and become friends. Eddie stole a Drivers Ed. car with his friend Danny (Crispin Glover). Danny is a kid at the school who has problems being picked on by other students. Danny gives his teacher, Mr. Rosenberg (Allen Garfield) a hard time, first he bit Rosenberg on the hand and later on steals his car, though Rosenberg does not know about Danny stealing his car.
The other teachers at JFK are Stuart Van Ark (Richard Mulligan) a.k.a. Herbert Gower, an out patient at a mental hospital, who takes up the identity of the real Stuart Van Ark, and teaches his history class, and being entertaining. The kids in the class like him. "Ditto" a.k.a. Mr. Stiles, a teacher who sleeps on the job and doesn't teach at all later on dies in his sleep.
Alex's friend and Vice Principal of JFK, Roger Rubell, is one of the members of the faculty, next to Superintendent Burke, don't care about the kids and are worried about the publicity of the John Calvin case. They want the teachers who are going to be asked questions at their depositions to lie, but one of the teachers, Mr. Carl Rosenberg refuses to lie and does tell Lisa Hammond why they passed John Calvin. The School board want to fire Jurel for taking a student named Dianne Warren (Laura Dern) to an abortion clinic cause she got pregnant by the Physical Education teacher, Mr. Troy (Art Metrano), but Alex knows the real reason why the want to fire is is that the board are worried about what Alex will say at his deposition, though the case ended up being settled. Alex packs his stuff and Lisa Hammond sees him packing and Alex tells her he is quitting. Lisa convinces him to stay.
After Eddie Pilikian sets off the fire alarm, the people are outside and Alex tells him that he is not quitting and will sue them if they try to fire him. Alex tells Burke and Rubell about that the High School is about kids. Alex is staying to teach.
"Teachers" has a great cast and supporting cast like Richard Mulligan, Morgan Freeman as Al Lewis, the school board attorney, veteran actor William Schallert as Principal Horn, a clueless principal who does not know much about the school and some other things.
I am so happy Teachers in out on DVD now, there is a God!,,lol.
The film starts out where it is a typical Monday morning at JFK High School where crazy things happen. The school psychologist loses it when the teacher nicknamed "Ditto" (Royal Dano) is hogging the ditto machine and she squirts him with ink. A stabbing has happened. A former student named Lisa Hammond (JoBeth Williams), who now is a lawyer, is representing a kid named John Calvin, a kid who is suing the school cause of the lack of education he received.
Alex Jurel (Nick Nolte), is called in on that Monday morning to teach Social Studies, Alex never comes in on a Monday. Alex Jurel is a teacher who got burned out, fighting a system, which has not changed. He runs into his former student, Lisa Hammond and she sees he has given up. She helps him to reawaken his ideals and Alex helps a kid named Eddie Pilikian (Ralph Macchio), a troubled kid, help him and become friends. Eddie stole a Drivers Ed. car with his friend Danny (Crispin Glover). Danny is a kid at the school who has problems being picked on by other students. Danny gives his teacher, Mr. Rosenberg (Allen Garfield) a hard time, first he bit Rosenberg on the hand and later on steals his car, though Rosenberg does not know about Danny stealing his car.
The other teachers at JFK are Stuart Van Ark (Richard Mulligan) a.k.a. Herbert Gower, an out patient at a mental hospital, who takes up the identity of the real Stuart Van Ark, and teaches his history class, and being entertaining. The kids in the class like him. "Ditto" a.k.a. Mr. Stiles, a teacher who sleeps on the job and doesn't teach at all later on dies in his sleep.
Alex's friend and Vice Principal of JFK, Roger Rubell, is one of the members of the faculty, next to Superintendent Burke, don't care about the kids and are worried about the publicity of the John Calvin case. They want the teachers who are going to be asked questions at their depositions to lie, but one of the teachers, Mr. Carl Rosenberg refuses to lie and does tell Lisa Hammond why they passed John Calvin. The School board want to fire Jurel for taking a student named Dianne Warren (Laura Dern) to an abortion clinic cause she got pregnant by the Physical Education teacher, Mr. Troy (Art Metrano), but Alex knows the real reason why the want to fire is is that the board are worried about what Alex will say at his deposition, though the case ended up being settled. Alex packs his stuff and Lisa Hammond sees him packing and Alex tells her he is quitting. Lisa convinces him to stay.
After Eddie Pilikian sets off the fire alarm, the people are outside and Alex tells him that he is not quitting and will sue them if they try to fire him. Alex tells Burke and Rubell about that the High School is about kids. Alex is staying to teach.
"Teachers" has a great cast and supporting cast like Richard Mulligan, Morgan Freeman as Al Lewis, the school board attorney, veteran actor William Schallert as Principal Horn, a clueless principal who does not know much about the school and some other things.
I am so happy Teachers in out on DVD now, there is a God!,,lol.