The English Teacher

Julianne Moore gives a memorable performance as Linda Sinclair, a stodgily cool, attractively nerdy high school English teacher who finds herself in a compromising position with a talented former student whose play she's promoting to the school's administration and Thespians. While I loled once or twice, most of the consistent humor is of a drier, more satirical variety. This film does a nice job of compassionately satirizing a number of institutions and stereotypes, and this is one English teacher that really knows how to keep at least some of the class's attention without asking them to think too hard. Notwithstanding the mock Masterpiece Theater narrator, THE English TEACHER is quite light comedy in the end, without a lot of character depth or conflict development. Though it's pretty tame stuff and looks like it could be rather uneventful, plenty happens throughout its short (90-minute) length. Not to sound snooty, elitist, or anything else, but it seems that someone would need one and preferably both of the following in order to really enjoy THE English TEACHER: A) Some familiarity with the world of Secondary Education, its various workplace clichés ("Just take it down one level, please," etc), and sensitive legalities--admin's concern about the possibility of a lawsuit if they allow the students to put on a play that ends in bloody murder, etc. B) Some familiarity with (and interest in?) classic American and British literature. While the frequent allusions are nothing heavy, it helps to know a little about who Lord Byron was, the basic plot of Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN, and so forth. I strongly recommend this film to anyone who falls under those categories, particularly those who teach English. Some current high school students (and parents) with relatively sedate tastes may also like it. Those outside these perimeters may be rather bored by THE English TEACHER. Nothing really wild happens beyond some implied sex, a lot of realistic profanity, and generally sensitive subject matter.

The romantic loner/spinster woman-lost-in-a-book-theme has been done before. I don't object to it being done again, but this clunker seemed unsure of what it wanted to say and do. It was clearly a comedy, but it tried unsuccessfully to shed some light on deeper themes. It starts with an awkward English female narrator, which I suppose is meant to represent the character's inner world of English literature.But more often than not, a narrator is just a cheap device to take the place of character development. Long story short, a repressed high school English teacher runs into her former student who wrote a play. He's 25 now and couldn't get his play produced. She gets the high school to put on his play. Flat, predictable hijinks ensue. The only thing that redeemed this piece of talentless trash was the familiar yet always pleasing Nathan Lane depiction of a lovable gay. Julianne Moore is probably past the 45 she is playing.Greg Kinnear delivers an adequate performance, but deserves much better material. Many of us think we are destined for some kind of artistic life of expression, when in reality we just need to get a job. The kid in this film was probably not destined to be a writer or a lawyer like his dad wanted him to be. The big question is how long to nurse your dream. I did not watch the last portion of this film. I can guess the outcome more or less, but I really don't care. If you're going to do a comedy, make it funny or at least cute.If it's a drama make it compelling. But this one was none of the above.

This film tells the story of an unmarried female teacher who is in trouble after an alumnus playwright goes back to her school for a school play. Julienne Moore often plays challenging characters, and this English teacher is no different. She faces loneliness, shame and embarrassment; yet deep down she is a good person who does teenagers much good. I sympathize with her experience, and I thought she did not deserve such bullying. I liked the ending a lot, although I thought the film could have done without the narration of the voice that tells her what to do and what not to do. The story is told in a comedic manner, hence I enjoyed watching it.

It's always pleasurable to see talent on the screen. Be that on the shape of a great screenplay, good acting, or a combination of both. "The English Teacher" offers both, and this might not make it a perfect film, but it's quite enjoyable, funny and heartbreaking, and relatively fresh. It doesn't resort to vulgarity to make us laugh, and it certainly reflects the times in an accurate way. It incorporates technology without forgetting the human side of the story, and it centers around a good story. Enters a lonely English teacher on her way to becoming a certified spinster. She tries to find a good man to date and marry, and the choices are scarce. Before she knows what hits her, she is involved with a former student of hers in an scandalous affair, yet this incident adds a touch of excitement to her life, maybe a little too much. Her world as she knows it, spins out of control, and her students, her high school faculty, and a few members of society are quick to crucify her. Still in the middle of this mess, we have some comic relief, as we discovers the thin line between drama and comedy. Tears and laughter coexist very well together, and with Lane in the middle of the crazy drama, we can assure a few good laughs will be there. So it's not like the classic comedies of the thirties,and sex may be at the center of the situation, but it's still not far from taking the social commentary stance seen in other films where society is quick to judge, and humans are still quite careless and irresponsible when rushing into emotional affairs. Moore is in a class by herself as the woman who holds back her personal passions, only to let herself fall quite hard when she misreads real life versus the experience she finds in the classics. Real life is not that easy to control. In the end, things do work out, but it's a hilarious ride from beginning to end, and it's quite a clever script, so enjoy it.

"The true romantic is always alone and must ever be on guard against a dangerous world." Linda (Moore) is an unmarried English teacher with a passion for teaching her students, when Jason (Angarano) a former student of hers shows up and fills her in on his life. After graduating from NYU he has become a failed playwright and his overbearing father is forcing him to go to law school. After reading one of his plays Linda talks the school into producing it which causes tension between him, his father, and the school as well as bizarre love situations. Based on the cast alone I was very much looking forward to seeing this. Greg Kinnear is one of my favorite actors and Julianne Moore is great in everything. The idea didn't seem all that original or exciting but the acting more then makes up for it. It seems like every movie made about a teacher involves an English teacher and most of the time they are very good. This is really a toned down, less classic version of Dead Poet's Society in the way that the teacher tries to help a student realize his potential against the wishes of his father and the school. I am in no way comparing this to Dead Poet's Society but it is worth watching and I did enjoy it. Overall, great acting and funny, very much worth watching. I give it a B.

Considering that 'The English Teacher' was clearly intended to be a light comedy, watching it while awake is an excruciating experience. The film's basic concept has some promise - a failed young playwright returns to his home town where he encounters the high school English teacher who had inspired him to write. Unfortunately the idea is treated as broad farce from the moment the disillusioned Jason runs into prim Ms Sinclair at an ATM, and she mistakes him for a mugger. After attacking her former student with a pepper spray, the apologetic teacher decides to recommend Jason's latest work to her school's drama department. The remainder of the film exudes a sense of desperation, as director and cast put on an over-acting showcase at the level of provincial theater. After several pratfalls, shameful revelations and last minute hitches in search of easy laughs and melodrama, the play opens to a predictable reception. Needless to say, Ms Sinclair's dedication earns her the formulaic romantic reward of a 'unexpected' suitor. As the curtain falls, she sheds her primness for a prosperous, contented future in American rom-com dreamland. It makes Jane Austen's work look like gritty urban drama.

I did not like this movie. Poor acting to start with. Julianne Moore can't cry that is for sure and I felt most of the time that she was overdoing it- overacting. So her character looked rather fake to me. Jason' character , as almost all the other characters in this movie, is shallow and/or absurd caricatures. Predictable, soppy, mediocre film. Nothing is funny here, why is it called a comedy? I still don't know what this movie about. I can't name a single worthy American movie made in the last few years. The other 2013 movies I watched and liked are not American- The Best Offer; The Hunt; Intouchables; The Hairdresser-one of the German made movies that I liked, even thought it is not a masterpiece, in my opinion. The first thing I judge a movie by-is acting. I am sure there are talented actors in US, but for some unknown reason the ones who can't act are being hired again and again.

The movie starts out well, but seems to fade halfway through. The conclusion of the movie is overall flat and uneventful. The high school actors seem to really be just that. If they were trying to be unbelievable in their roles and seemed distant from their roles. Michael Angrano and Julianne Moore were the best in this movie, and that doesn't really say much. The characters are extremely shallow (intended), but makes the movie unwatchable, especially when they try out a few plot twists, that don't require deep thought. 3/10 - The jokes don't land, the story is not interesting and the actual play within the movie seems to be the best part of the movie, something which should have been explored.

I think it was nicely done. I am very anti cuss words but, The occasional cuss word in this film were perfectly placed and funny. I have a soft spot for Nathan Lane and his inclusion was the main reason I put aside an hour or so to watch this movie. He was brilliant as a play director. I think the casting department did a fabulous job with everyone. I had the distinct feeling the cast were good friends off camera. The story was unique despite a couple of cliché moments and I didn't notice any lighting of camera errors, no mikes hanging in view, editing smoothly done. I am having trouble finding fault, so let's say it was over too soon. Oh, I hoped for the ending, and I got it.

First of all watch the film, then make up your own mind, I can't stand people who come on here and give bland one or two word reviews. Its a small budget film which centers around a returning high school grad and an English teacher trying to help him succeed and reminding him to keep at his dream of becoming a playwright in New York. Its films like this that make me want to continue watching films, they center around characters, story and actual acting. If you want gimmicks and explosions with no point then go play a computer game or watch a Michael Bay film. Okay so this film isn't the best you'll ever see but its decent.