The English Teacher (2013)

I had contradictory feelings after watching the film. On the one hand, the idea is interesting, characters are attractive, and some narrative tools (e.g., the narrator voice) are refreshing and imaginative. On the other hand, many characters are underdeveloped (e.g., Halle is a key character but we never understand her), the story move forward to fast (How do Halle and Will accept the new ending? How does Miss Sinclair make up with her students?). I liked this film and I recommend it to you if you want a different romantic comedy, but I think it could have been better.

I came across this movie on Netflix streaming movies. It is quite quirky, my wife almost abandoned it after 30 minutes but we both persisted. I enjoyed it, part comedy and part drama, perhaps it is best described as a semi-dark comedy in the British style.In fact throughout the movie there is a periodic narration, representing the English teacher's thoughts, but in a British accent, provided by Fiona Shaw. I took that to mean the English teacher's inner voice was a British voice, as if she were actually inside an older British story.Julianne Moore is very good as Linda Sinclair, the English teacher in this Pennsylvania community. In a funny early scene she is at a bank ATM at night and is approached by what appears to be a stranger, and as he gets close she pepper sprays him in the eyes. It turns out to be a former student who recognized her and was coming to say hello.That former student turns out to be Michael Angarano as Jason Sherwood who had graduated 6 years earlier, and had gone on to college and had tried making it as a writer in New York. But unable to get any interest in producing his play, was back home, living with dad, and contemplating law school.His dad is Greg Kinnear as Dr. Tom Sherwood. Long story short, Ms Sinclair gets the school administration to agree to perform Jason's play, but it does not go without a hitch. And in the process Ms Sinclaire gets some unwelcome publicity. But overall it is a fun romp. Very cute Lily Collins is Halle Anderson, one of the students in the play.SPOILERS: Ms Sinclaire is a spinster lady, and while she longs for a nice guy just never seems to meet one. One day, when Jason is in her classroom right after school ends for the day, they kiss, they get excited, they have sex on her desk. In a turnabout this gets out, she is fired, worse she is shamed, while they try to perform the play. In the end they do, it is a big hit, Jason gets renewed confidence, and his dad, the doctor, asks Ms Sinclaire out for a date. Whimsical, but fun.

I was captivated by this movie and laughed from beginning to end.I do not get the people who did not like this movie. They say nasty things and say nothing about the movie. Did any of them even watch the movie? They all deserve an "F". Yes, everybody who hates this movie gets an "F" in good taste and an "F" in life. Now, go back to High School and learn what you didn't learn when you first attended.For the rest of us, especially those of us in the teaching profession, this is a gem. Not since Neil Simon retired have we had such sharply drawn characters and such sweet and gentle self mocking humor. It is both English teaching and High School theater that gets gently ridiculed. Yet, underneath the humor there is a real understanding of the importance of both subjects in our curriculum.Any humanist, Jane Austin fan, Julianne Moore fan or theater lover will appreciate this movie. Go for it.

I'm a sucker for sweet rom/coms. So I liked this movie and I also love Julianne Moore. But,I'm sorry, although her performance was top rate,I can't buy this always hot chick as an old maid school teacher who can't get decent men in her life. I have to think an an even more absurd film called The Ugly Truth where a ravishingly beautiful Katherine Heigle can't meet a guy.Other than this miscasting, the English Teacher evolved better than most films of this sort and left me in feel good mode. The staging of the school play was very good and funny. This was due in part to a good comic performance from Nathan Lane.The cast is rounded out by Greg Kinnear,Michael Angarano and Lily Collins, who seems to be in loads of films now.