Movie Review 2

Dangerous Minds is a 1995 American drama film directed by John N. Smith, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It is based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, in 1989. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Johnson, the film was released to an overwhelmingly negative critical reception, but became a surprise box office success in the summer of 1995, leading to the creation of a short-lived television series.

Now, let’s pass on the plot of the film. In this drama, a school teacher discovers that it takes more than the ABCs to get through to a class of "uneducatable" kids. When Lou Anne Johnson a nine-year veteran of the Marine Corps with a degree in education, begins a new job at an inner-city school in California, the principal warns her that her class will be the "rejects from Hell" -- kids with severe social problems and no interest in education. While at first her African-American and Latino students scoff at Lou Anne, she ultimately gets them to open up to learning and literature, through a combination of bribery (candy bars) and intimidation (her karate training from the Marines comes in handy), and she's able to reach out to the students who need her the most. When LouAnne discovers that his life is in danger because of a personal grudge held by a recently released thug, she tries to protect him, but due to the cold attitude of the principal, he is abandoned at the crucial moment and is subsequently killed. At the end of the year, she announces to the class that she will not be continuing to teach at the school, which prompts an unbridled display of emotion from the students who refuse to let her leave. Overwhelmed, she decides to stay.

Now I’d like to speak on one of the aspect of the film, it’s the most important and memorial scene, in my opinion. I was really impressed by the scene when Lou Anne Johnson  is reading song of the lyrics by Bob Dylan aloud thus trying indirectly change their minds so that they would become more confident. Her monologue which reveals the fact that everybody in this life has choice was very colorful and just to the point so its effect was obvious on all, even the most problem students of the class. I remembered these lines immediately after her several repetition and I think it’s the great motto for such king of children, and also for many of us.

The next point which I worth mentioned is actors performance. I now embrace the movie because Michelle's portrayal brings it over the top. Michelle Pfeiffer's performance is simply wonderful; she captures the passion and warmth of her character perfectly. I was positively impressed with Renoly Santiago's honest and sensitive reading. I think that the actors’ high acting skills have made the novel so popular. All actors succeeded to represent this burning issue which seemed to be never out of date.

To sum it up, I’d like to say that I really liked this movie very much, even if its nothing new. I think every generation should have a movie in this genre - there have been so many, going back to "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", that they must mean something to each new viewer. This is pretty realistic, too, although some of it is a little sugarcoated, it helps to remember that it is a movie.  Besides, the soundtrack is marvelous, but the introduction of the movie in black and white with Coolio's "Gangsta In Paradise" is overwhelming and fits perfectly to this magnificent movie.