
Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students.... (Full plot summary below)
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Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students.
Leave your thoughts about Dangerous Minds.
| Detroit NewsSusan StarkThe movie has real emotional and reportorial credibility, a prime source of its power. |
| Deseret News (Salt Lake City)Chris HicksAnchored by Michelle Pfeiffer's sterling central performance, Dangerous Minds is a strong addition to the genre. |
| San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannDangerous Minds doesn't drop the sentimental conventions of the good-teacher Hollywood drama but reconstitutes them with strong performances, sensitive direction by Canadian film maker John N. Smith ("The Boys of St. Vincent") and a firm belief that teachers can and will make a difference in a person's life. |
| Rolling StonePeter TraversAnd Pfeiffer gives a funny, scrappy performance that makes you feel a committed teacher's fire to make a difference. |
| Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThough it lacks the sensational pizzazz of "Blackboard Jungle", the politics here are arguably somewhat better, and the supporting cast -- George Dzundza, Courtney P. Vance, Robin Bartlett, Beatrice Winde -- isn't bad either. |
| The New YorkerTerrence RaffertyBut the cut-to-the-enlightenment dramaturgy of Ronald Bass's screenplay feels desperate and false. |
| CinematterMadeleine WilliamsNever illuminates the true spirit of learning, instead the movie opts for bribing students to read pretentious Bob Dylan lyrics. |
| San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserIt's all quite inspiring, but despite the fact that this is based on someone's actual experiences, the whole thing has an unfortunate Hollywood ring to it. |
| Film.comTom KeoghPfeiffer has a lot of good moments as Johnson. |
| VarietyTodd McCarthyPfeiffer tackles the part with obvious dedication, but she's thwarted from the get-go by the heavily proscribed nature of the role as written. |