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Dangerous Minds (1995)
She Broke The
Rules... And Changed Their Lives.
Director:
John N. Smith, rated Approved
  Starring:
Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance, Robin
Bartlett, Bruklin Harris, Renoly Santiago, Wade Dominguez,
Beatrice Wilson, Marcello Thedford
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"What, are you gonna
give me some advice? Just say no? Well, forget it! How the fuck
are you gonna save me from my life, huh?" - Emilio
Ramirez
Why watch this?
A powerful film about the hurdles facing inner city teens.
Plot Summary:
This true story follows LouAnne Johnson, a former U.S. Marine
who takes a job teaching an academy class of bright but tough,
underrepresented inner-city teenagers at a California high
school. Realizing that conventional teaching methods fail to
engage her rebellious students, she adopts unconventional
tactics—ranging from karate lessons to analyzing Bob Dylan
lyrics—to capture their interest and earn their trust. As she
forms deep connections with the youth, she must navigate school
bureaucracy and the harsh real-world struggles her students face
outside the classroom to help them realize their true potential.
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Dad's Preview:
There were a slew of 1990's films on the topic of
teachers laying down tough-love with unruly inner city
students. This film certainly fits into that category.
Here Michelle Pfeiffer portrays a tough high school
teacher, who is determined to reach those gifted, yet
impoverished, teens in her class. There are some
contrived bits of dialogue and well-worn clichés, yet
the film draws you in and you care about what is
happening. There's use of Bob Dylan's lyrics to connect
with the students, but rap lyrics would have been more
apropos. The film's strength are strong, emotional
performances by Pfeiffer and an excellent ensemble of
young acting talent. This film is also remembered for a
great song, "Gansta's Paradise", by Coolio. |
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Hollywood
Pics, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer
Films; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
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