I saw this movie again recently and even though it was exaggerated a little, I thought it was pretty good. I went to both public and private schools in the 70s-80s and saw many of the same sort of teachers and administration in both types of school. I had teachers who didn't care, who just couldn't teach, and those who actually did try to engage the students and do a good job, and all of those types, although exaggerated a little, are portrayed here. I've also seen clueless principals who just hid out in their offices all day and were in their car driving away 5 minutes before the final bell rang. Around the time the movie was released, I read a news story about a girl who was valedictorian of her school, in the National Honors Society, but flunked out of college due to being unable to read because of dyslexia and she ended up suing her school. This wasn't clearly the case in the film, but should a student who can't perform to a minimum academic standard or doesn't even show up for class and turn in work still pass and get a diploma? The fact the school was more concerned with with its image than with addressing the issue is something I also saw in school growing up and even now. In my area recently, a local doctor sued his son's former school over unrefunded tuition money. He claimed his son was bullied there for a couple of years and complaints and meetings with school officials didn't help, so he enrolled his son elsewhere. When he unenrolled his son, the school would only refund the unused portion of tuition if the father signed a confidentiality agreement stating he wouldn't discuss what went on there. Sound familiar?Although a bit over the top, Teachers is an example of what went on, and probably still goes on, in schools and is worth seeing.

While there is nothing contemptible about this film, it could have been so much better. The basic premise is the struggles in an old urban high school full out out of control kids and teachers who stopped caring. There is the obligatory clueless principal, the maverick teacher, the neurotic teacher, the boring lazy timeserving teacher, the troubled wise cracking kid who is so clever, a knocked up blonde etc etc.The plot is the school is being sued because one dummy who passed through the system is illiterate and wants to blame someone besides himself. There is an idealistic young pretty lawyer, Lisa Hammond, who is also an ex student, played by Jo Beth Williams. She goes back to get depositions, not to enrich her worthless client, but to change the system by exposing the problems of the school where blatantly unqualified students are passed through just to get rid of them.So she finds her old English teacher, the hip but jaded idealist, Alex Jurel, and serves him a summons by following him into the men's room. Nolte was Jurel and as always, did his part well. Then throw in Ralph Macchio as the troubled trouble maker but good kid Eddie Pilikian, while still looking like the Italian jd he always reminded me of. He has an even more messed up sidekick Danny, played by Crispin Glover, in a pre "River's Edge" dementia state.Okay the plot chugs along pretty well some comedy, some problems exposed, some capers, as the staff of the school, aided by the school's cynical lawyer, try to stonewall the case. Lisa tries to goad old idealistic Jurel into changing stuff while putting some moves on him. Blah blah blah. But the steady stream of soap opera cases, like the messed up Danny getting shot dead in the halls by the police and in about a minute he is already forgotten.In short, the movie tried but was only partly successful. For an 80s movie, it was good but not that good. Also, I wanted to hear at least one person say, "It was more that loser's fault that he never got an education than the schools."

When I first saw this movie shortly after it came out I thought it was a little over-the-top, despite the many memorable comic moments. Having had a chance to see it again many years later on cable I find it has more depth than I had seen in it originally. It is definitely a critique of public education, but it does not set up any easy enemies. Everyone here is complicit in a failing system - the unions, the school board, the lawyers, parents, complacent teachers, go-along- to-get-along administrators, &c &c. It is also touching to see how many of these people are not bad people, but are just trying to make a flawed system work (in this respect I find Judd Hirsch, as the put-upon assistant principal, the hidden gem of the movie). Having seen it again after all these years I find it provocative and, surprisingly, touching, especially Nolte's final peroration. And the best part,after all these years, is still Richard Mulligan, as the certifiable lunatic who turns out to be the best teacher in the whole damn school (a brilliant touch on the part of the writers) !!!!!

I just wanted to comment on the previous/first commenter's comments. You mentioned that you didn't think there was any point to having the teacher who doesn't teach & sleeps all day in class. You couldn't possibly be more mistaken! Of course there was a point -- his LACK of teaching/presence makes one think about who is teaching our kids. I am a teacher, in fact, and I can tell you that there are many teachers out there who are ONE step away from retirement & choose to "not" teach every day in their classrooms. What's interesting is seeing what the students do in the absence of a really good, effective teacher.This move was "over the top" and felt pretty cheesy at times, but overall, it has a good, interesting, and important message about what real teaching is about. The needs of our youth have changed in the past 20, 30, 40+ years. This movie is TWENTY-THREE years old and yet it was onto something -- kids need teachers who are REAL people. They need teachers who maintain high standards of both work habits AND personal behavior BUT who also model what being a REAL human being/adult looks like.Nolte's character definitely got himself into hot water -- and nowadays, it could have been much hotter actually -- and overstepped many, many boundaries in his attempt to help his struggling students. But, overall, what he did to inspire and connect with them definitely outweighed the mistakes.Anyway, give it a shot and watch this. I grew up in the '80s but for some reason, never caught this one. If you want to revisit the era of cheese -- typical 80s soundtrack, 80s style, actors (Ralph Macchio, Crispin Glover, Laura Dern) and actually get a little insight into what it means to be a public high school teacher, check it out.