Wednesday, September 20, 2017

My Favorite Movies about Teachers


This week my top ten list stays closer to the original subject of this blog because many of the movies on it are based on books.

I've found movies about teachers to be inspiring for many years, ever since I was a child in fact. I think I harbored an idea of becoming a teacher once, and for a period of a few years, I was sent from coast to coast to train people for the company that employed me. But the idea I had involved being something like a history teacher, where I could use many of the bizarre facts I've learned over years of reading to spark the imaginations of my students. But I don't really have the emotional fortitude it takes to be a teacher, and my path led me elsewhere.

But I can still love watching movies about teachers, and this is my list of my top ten movies featuring them. They inspired me when I first watched, and they inspire me still. This time, I've listed my choices according to the years they were released. If you click on the portion of the caption after the release date, you'll be able to find out more about the movie. Let's take a look---


1939. Looking back over a long career.


1955. English teacher in a violent, inner-city school.


1958. Clark Gable goes back to school.


1962. As pupil or teacher, Patty Duke owned Gibson's screenplay.


1967. Idealistic teacher in an inner-city school.


1967. Young female English teacher in an inner-city school.


1969. The incomparable Maggie Smith.


1988. Calculus as a way to success.


1989. O Captain! My Captain!


2007. Young teacher learns about herself and her students.


If you like movies about teachers, did I leave out any of your favorites? Which ones? (You knew I was going to ask!)

Perhaps my caption below The Miracle Worker needs a bit of explanation. I watched the film when I was young. Both Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won Academy Awards. Although I wanted to be loyal to Bancroft, my attention was commandeered by Patty Duke as Helen Keller. I just marked it down to the girl having the "showier" role. (The movie poster makes the film resemble The Exorcist!) But in 1979, The Miracle Worker was made again, this time with Duke in the role of Annie Sullivan. Once again Duke was absolutely riveting. It didn't matter which role she had, both Helen and Annie were hers. It's as though no one could possibly understand those parts the way she did. They were in her soul.

Hmm... I feel a trip to Netflix coming up shortly! How about you?



12 comments:

  1. What great choices for films about teachers, Cathy! I love 'em. Very glad to see you included To Sir With Love and Stand and Deliver. To me, they are classics. Have you seen Dangerous Minds? If you have, I wonder what you thought of it.

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    1. I haven't seen it, but after looking it up at IMDB, I'll be heading to Netflix tonight!

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  2. Most of your movies were about high school teachers, I was an elementary teacher and I've never seen that done well. Unless it's about special ed,

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    1. You're right. The only time I remember seeing movies involving elementary school teachers, it was something like "Kindergarten Cop." Hmmm....

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  3. I love movies and think teachers are amazing, so I love this post! I haven't seen a few of the movies listed, but now I want to. I loved To Sir With Love!

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  4. Good Morning, Miss Dove was on TCM last night. Sweet film about an elementary school teacher and her pupils over the years. (Janet, not Larry)

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    1. Rats! I saw this on TCM's lineup last night but didn't take the time to see the synopsis. I'll have to keep an eye peeled. Thanks for the tip, Janet!

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  5. This is a good topic. I think I've seen all of these movies, and remember that To Sir, with Love, Stand and Deliver, and The Miracle Worker, with Anne Bancroft as Annie Sullivan, was great.

    I don't think I saw the version with Patty Duke as Sullivan.

    I do have to see Dead Poets Society, as I don't think I have seen that, but I'll get sad about Robin Williams. A good teacher is so essential to our learning and young lives.

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    1. You should watch Dead Poets Society. Then my "O Captain! My Captain! caption will make sense. Just have a box of tissues close at hand. Yes, sad, but there are also plenty of funny scenes, too.

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  6. Ok I'm going to take a couple of liberties but...

    Karate Kid - Mr Miyagi is a teacher even if not in the traditional classroom

    School of Rock - Jack Black is great and although primarily a comedy the movie does have a good message about what it takes to be a teacher and how kids respond best to people who treat them like equals

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    1. I agree completely with The Karate Kid. I haven't seen School of Rock, so I'll have to take a look. I must've OD'd on crime dramas while knitting in the evenings because I've been watching a lot of old movies lately.

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