The rich, often complicated interactions between teachers and students provide endless fodder for filmmakers.
In anticipation of the 2016 Academy Awards, we asked Katherine Koch, head librarian at H.T. Coutts Education Library, to give us her top 10 list of movies about teachers.
Take advantage of some of the great new movie streaming services purchased by UAlberta Libraries last year and delve into these movies where teachers—both inspirational and tragically flawed—are the stars. Check back later this week for Part 2!
10. Freedom Writers (2007)
Starring: Hilary Swank/ Patrick Dempsey
In this movie based on a true story, Hilary Swank plays Erin Gruwell, an idealistic first-time teacher hired to teach English at a newly integrated school in Long Beach, Calif. Assigned to a class of so-called “unteachables”, Gruwell faces resistance from both her students and her colleagues. Based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary and supported by a cast of first-time actors who drew from their actual experiences on the street, the movie focuses on what is possible when students are given a voice in the classroom.
9. The Wave (2008) - Die Welle (original title)
Starring: Jürgen Vogel/ Frederick Lau
In this German thriller based on a true story, a popular and unorthodox high school teacher conducts an experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship. Soon the class project takes on a life of its own and spins horribly out of control.
8. Monsieur Lazhar (2011)
Starring: Mohamed Said Fellag
At a Montréal public grade school, an Algerian immigrant named Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Said Fellag) is hired to replace a popular teacher who committed suicide in her classroom. While Monsieur Lazhar helps students deal with their grief, nobody in the school is aware of his own painful past—nor do they know that he’s at risk of being deported at any moment.
This deeply moving Canadian film was nominated for and won several awards, including Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at the 2012 Academy Awards.
7. A Teacher (2013)
Starring: Lindsay Burdge/ Will Brittain
Diana Watts (Lindsay Burdge) is a high school English teacher in Austin, Texas, whose obsession with an underage male student begins to take over her life. Warning: movie trailer contains coarse language and suggestive scenes.
6. Half Nelson (2006)
Starring: Ryan Gosling/ Shareeka Epps
On the surface, Half Nelson may seem like just another movie about a young, idealistic teacher assigned to teach kids in a tough inner-city school. But there’s a twist. In this gritty independent film, the teacher (played by Ryan Gosling) is brilliant, dynamic and in control of his junior high history class, but he spends his time outside of school on the edge of consciousness. When a female student (Shareeka Epps) catches him using drugs in the girls’ locker room, the two form an unlikely friendship based on a desire to save each other.
Half Nelson was nominated for 45+ awards, including Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ryan Gosling) at the 2007 Academy Awards.
Free streamed movies through UAlberta Libraries
University of Alberta faculty, students and staff have access to thousands of free streamed movies via the UAlberta Libraries, using databases such as Kanopy, Criterion on demand and NFB Campus.
Prefer DVDs? Search the UAlberta Libraries catalog for titles or visit Coutts Library to browse their collection of teacher movies.
Feature Image: Still from Half Nelson (2006), starring Canadian Ryan Gosling as a junior high history teacher with a secret addiction. Source: sky.com.