Several films have featured teachers as a central figure in cinema. Recently, I had occasion to view Teachers with Nick Nolte, which was quite lively, but no more rewarding than watching Up the Down Staircase for a second time. Sandy Dennis is not one of my favorite actresses, but this and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf are her two best efforts. This film is actually a tad better than Teachers made in 1984, about another NYC high school. It is better because the performances are understated and more realistic. Even the teacher room in this film is more realistic than Teacher, made 17 years later. Both films get their point across that American cares far more about its school budgets, test scores, and covering one's own ass, rather than caring about the students learning. I speak as a teacher with over 40 years experience. This film gets it.
Review of Up the Down Staircase
