DailyView: Day 254, Movie 355

Over the last couple of days, we lost a couple of legends, director Peter Bogdanovich, and Oscar winning actor Sidney Poitier. As I was looking at some of the Sidney Poitier movies to use for the DailyView today, I found this TV movie that Poitier starred and was directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

I have not seen the classic original from the 1960s, which sounds like it is very similar to this film. Thankfully, I do not think that I had to watch the first film to watch this sequel. They give us enough of a background for the character for me to understand his motivation.

This film is a part of the “teacher in a tough classroom” genre. Sidney Poitier comes into this Chicago classroom where we have the typical rough students with problems, and Poitier comes in with his respect and his bad ass dedication that wins them over.

I have seen this story many times. Still, it showed the power that a teacher can hold, although it maybe a bit of a stretch for everything working out as it did.

Sidney Poitier was always so great and he was just as great here too. He had a presence on screen that was unmatched by most. Most of the kids were okay, at best.

I did not like Daniel J. Travanti as the principal. He felt like a weak character. They tried to make him connected to Poitier, but I did not buy it. He brought him in to the classroom and then immediately started questioning it. Then, firing him as he did was pretty unrealistic. Principals do not do the firing, that is a school board responsibility.

As I said, I do feel that everything wrapped up neatly and it felt as if the students came around easily to what Poitier was doing.

The movie was well directed and acted from our two recent RIPs. The world is a lesser place without these two talented individuals.