TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

josefbell-70091 This movie was one of the greatest movies every made that show cased troubled teens in a high school. The movie was able to provide a view of why violence existed among teens in a poor rural area. It not only examined the situation but provided a way out of the never ending violence that encompassed the school. Even if you didn't agree with the methods used to channel positive outcomes to a bad situation, it allowed you to see that teachers can change the direction of a student going down the wrong path. Great teachers are not paid enough, not compensated enough and not recognized for their exceptional skills. Great teachers should one day become principals and should lead in developing better curriculum for challenging students. The movie was thought provoking and one that should be put on your watch list!

SnoopyStyle LouAnne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a marine getting a divorce from her abusive husband. Her friend Hal Griffith (George Dzundza) gets her a job at his high school. She's shocked to find her class full of problem kids bused in from the poor part of the city. Principal Grandey is uncaring and insists on people knock on his door. Emilio Ramírez is the most problematic student. Callie Roberts is the smart one. LouAnne tries to help Raúl Sanchero as well as her other students. She uses karate, Bob Dylan, rewards and poetry to get to her kids.This is another one of those cliché white savior teacher genre. I don't have any complaints about Pfeiffer or any of the kids' acting. I really like Renoly Santiago and Bruklin Harris. The main problem is the simplistic ideas being presented. The story isn't the most compelling. I am glad that LouAnne doesn't fall in love with another teacher. Her friendship with Hal is quite refreshing. It's too bad that the movie trots out all the old standards without adding anything new.

raisleygordon I've enjoyed dramas about teachers who help their students make a difference, such as 'Lean on Me', 'Freedom Writers', and 'One Eight Seven', but this is hardly one of them. The teacher doesn't come close to being remotely strict, and the students don't seem particularly indifferent. The movie isn't so much about ethics as it is about getting inside the heads of these people. There's nothing at stake here. The amusement park and restaurant scenes aren't earned, and aren't necessary. Movies like this don't have to be conventional, but they should mean something. The parts of the film that do work, are when Pfeiffer's character is interacting with the other adults. The relationship between her and the students didn't work for me.**1/2 out of ****

PL1981 Having read "My Posse Don't Do Homework" and having thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming and profoundly moving autobiographical tale from LouAnne Johnson, I had high hopes and expectations for this movie. Sadly, it proved to be a prime example of a wasted opportunity for a really good solid movie.Having apparently decided that the book isn't interesting enough, the producers of this movie added several twists and turns to this movie that were pointless, unnecessary and irritating. They would have been better off just sticking to the original contents of the book rather than inserting their own Hollywood fiction in -the strength of the book in all its original form was solid enough to provide the foundations for a strong and heartwarming movie Michelle Pfeiffer gives a dull and uninspiring performance but, to be fair, she hasn't got a good script to work with. I really pity the actors and actresses who signed up for this movie -they clearly have so much talent and potential but are given such a bad storyline and script to work with that it is all wastedIf you want to see an excellent movie with the same type of plot and storyline, watch "To Sir With Love" or "Dead Poets Society" They do it so much better. Avoid this one like the plague