Hollywood heads to the classroom

Fictional cinematic action heroes like James Bond, Luke Skywalker, and Wonder Woman continue to inspire awe. And gritty personalities and dogged professionals more grounded in reality like Rocky Balboa, Clarice Starling and Dirty Harry serve as wish-fulfillment characters who remain popular with movie fans.

But arguably it’s the educator figures in film who leave the most lasting impressions on us – standing tall, performing proudly, and representing the best qualities of the human spirit. For proof, consider unforgettable teacher, mentor and coach characters throughout Hollywood history who have commanded our respect and proved instrumental in transforming the lives of students in their stories – from Mr. Chips, Helen Keller, and Glenn Holland to Yoda, Mr. Miyagi, and Professor Dumbledore.

Which begs the question: What are the finest films featuring fantastic teacher characters in a classroom setting? Excluding science-fiction and action/superhero movies, there are plenty of good contenders to consider.

Terri Pantuso, instructional assistant professor of English at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, nominates “Dead Poets Society” (1989), starring Robin Williams as John Keating, a rebellious instructor who returns to his alma mater and inspires his boy students to think for themselves.

“Keating struggles to work within the system and attempts to rise to the challenge of pushing kids beyond traditional boundaries and encouraging individuality, creating better-informed, critically-thinking students,” she says. Pantuso notes that characters like Keating remind us that “teachers function as social workers, guidance counselors, and sometimes surrogate parents. Teachers also have to be guardians and protectors in light of school safety concerns. During coronavirus, teachers are asked to do all of this in multiple formats – face-to-face, online, or both. This makes an already difficult job incrementally more exhausting.”

Dimitri Vorontzov, a New York City-based screenwriting instructor, also admires “Dead Poets Society” because it “focuses on the creativity and courage of the teacher in an effort to inspire independent thinking and help students discover that knowledge is fun.”

“Stand and Deliver” (1988) and “Lean on Me” (1989) are other works commonly cited for their indelible characters, played, respectively, by Edward James Olmos as a math teacher who uses humor and wit to stimulate his pupils and Morgan Freeman as an educator trying to clean up the New York City school with the lowest test scores in the state.

Ask Kathryn Starke, an urban literacy specialist and former classroom teacher in Richmond, Virginia, and she’ll cast her vote for “Dangerous Minds,” a film based on a true story featuring Michelle Pfeiffer as a teacher who employs unique methods to better connect with underachieving teenagers in an inner-city school.

“I saw this movie in a theater when I was 16 years old, and it motivated and inspired me to teach in an inner-city elementary school where I could help as many children as possible learn to read and achieve success,” says Starke. “Teaching is a thankless job. We all know that teachers do not enter the profession for financial security. It is, however, the only career that teaches all other professions. Saying thank you, writing a note, or giving a small gift is an easy way for parents and students to thank teachers.”

Hilary Swank’s Erin Gruwell stands out in “Freedom Writers” (2007) as a teacher who helps her class appreciate literature by assigning them to write personal stories and form connections to historically important events like the Holocaust. Then there’s William Hurt, who shines as a sign language-using instructor of deaf children in “Children of a Lesser God” (1986); and Kevin Kline, who gives an impressive performance as classics professor William Hundert, a boarding school teacher who engages in a battle of wills with a bright student in “The Emperor’s Club” (2002).

Lillie Marshall, a Boston resident who has taught English in public schools since 2003, feels many education movies can be dangerously inaccurate – especially when they perpetuate lone hero myths or white savior tropes, which she believes overshadow the important work that educator teams do.

“I think the new Pixar movie ‘Soul’ has some fascinating truths about being a teacher, which have been ignored by other films. This movie depicts educators as people who make a lasting positive impact on students yet also have other passions and interests beyond the classroom,” says Marshall, who believes that teaching is the most important profession in the world because it creates all other professions.

While they may not garner the rabid reverence and attention from fans that “Captain Marvel” or “Batman” do, teachers deserve to be admired just as much as these caped crusaders.

“I don’t think any teacher would consider him or herself a superhero. Rather, most teachers are dedicated professionals who genuinely care about kids and the future of our society,” says Pantuso. “The best way parents and the community can show teachers their appreciation is to be supportive and involved. Make sure your children do what is required of them to be successful in the classroom.”

Narrowing down the most recommended films about educators and classroom teaching isn’t easy, as any list is subjective and there are more deserving candidates worth mentioning than space allows. But here are some other suggested movies in this subgenre that depict teachers rising above challenges and making extraordinary connections with students, much like many educators are doing today:

• Charly (1968)
• Good Will Hunting (1999)
• Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939)
• Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
• Music of the Heart (1999)
• Precious (2009)
• School of Rock (2003)
• The Great Debaters (2007)
• To Sir With Love (1967)