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Actors: Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, Christian Roberts
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about To Sir With Love |
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Mark Thackeray is the newest teacher to a class of discouraged and disruptive teens at North Quay Secondary School in London. Their teacher-bating skills have provoked other staff to fury, fear, disdain, even retirement. But Mark sympathises with the students. He has glimpsed their obstacle-ridden environments. He has risen from humble beginnings and prejudice himself, and is still struggling to land a job in his preferred field of engineering. He sees past their problems to their potentials. Despite their wisecracking, trick-playing, desk-banging, shades-wearing, porn-toting, crude-mouthed mockery, he proceeds to teach with exemplary calm.
On the day his temper explodes, he takes a new approach. Their status as “children” is revoked. They are to address him as “Sir,” and each other with similar respect. The books that so bore them are out. Dialogue is in, and no subject is taboo. Soon, they begin to perk up and to question the world and themselves. The self-esteem he inspires in the girls entices the boys to classier conduct. He risks a museum excursion, and is rewarded with joyful good behaviour, and board permission for future outings.
But it isn't all smooth sailing. Cool, sardonic tough guy Denham continues to goad him. Pretty Pamela Dare's crush must be handled with care. When Sir prescribes an apology to an insensitive gym teacher attacked for causing injury, the entire class is outraged. Racism duels with compassion when a mixed-race student's mother dies. Denham challenges Sir to a physical fight, with perspective-changing results. As the school year comes to a close, Mark receives a letter of acceptance for an engineering position. Before emptying his desk, he attends the graduation party, where the compliments from his colleagues are surpassed only by the surprises from his students.
--vjm, Resident Scholar
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A black man gets a job teaching at an inner-city high school in London. He has no previous experience. When he meets these kids he discovers how hard it is to teach them, because they are stupid. He then grows to like them, as do they, while he teaches them about adulthood and life.
--Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar
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This is a tale of an American-trained professor who moves to London to teach a group of rowdy kids wot's wot, wot? He is firm, yet fair. He shows them what they will need to know in order to become successful human beings, who will strive to better their status in the adult world.
--Jaime , Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of To Sir With Love |
|---|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- general coming of age story
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- teacher
Age group
- trouble in high school
Sexing?
- girl chasing
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a teen
Profession/status:
- student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) skinny
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Dumb
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
- dangerous
- rude people
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
Any profanity?
- None
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Classic/oldies rock
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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