Box Watcher

Growing up in the early eighties movie choices were somewhat limited. VHS was just catching on and new releases were sometimes difficult to come by. But we could always count on HBO to entertain us.

The only problem is they ran the same movies over and over. Most movie geeks who grew up in that time probably remember movies like Midnight Madness being played on a seemingly continuous loop. One of these films, Teachers, was a favorite of mine. But would it hold up after all these years?

Alex Jurel (Nick Nolte) is a popular Social Studies teacher at J.F.K. High School. He seems to be so popular because he treats the students as people instead of kids. After many years as a teacher he seems to have been worn down. We get hints that in his early years he was pretty idealistic, now he seems to be coasting through life.

The central conflict of the movie is what will Alex say at an upcoming deposition? A former student is suing the school on the grounds that he was given passing grades he did not deserve. The lead attorney for the plaintiff is Lisa Hammond (Jo Beth Williams). After a coordinated lack of cooperation on behalf of the school district, Hammond decides to hold depositions at the school. Of course she has other motives, not only did she graduate from the school, but she has also had a lifelong crush on Jurel. So the question becomes will the formerly idealistic teacher do the right thing and testify against the school or will he tote the company line?

It seems like that alone would be enough for one movie, not the case here. Other sub-plots are added. Some are meant to be funny, like the story of the mental patient (Richard Mulligan) who impersonates a substitute teacher. Others are meant to showcase what issues big city schools face; violence, teen pregnancy, and general apathy. Very ambitious but in the end there is more drama at this school than in a soap opera.

One might mistake it for a soap opera. While there is a talented cast (Nolte, Williams, Mulligan, Judd Hirsch, Laura Dern, Ralphh Macchio, Crispin Glover, etc) does their best to deliver the overexaggeratedd dialog with a straight face but much of the dialog comes off as cheesy. Throw in several dramatic moments punctuated with “inspirational” 80’s rock and you have a recipe for melodrama.

Despite the heightened dramatics there is still a lot to like in Teachers. Jurel’s do the right thing or take the easy path of compliance works very well. The characters themselves are mostly likable and sympathetic. Many issues addressed in the film still feel relevant today. While the movie itself may not be AS good as I’d remembered it to be, it’s still an enjoyable watch.

*** out of *****