Andrew Crocker-Harris is a veteran teacher of Greek and Latin at a British public school. After almost twenty years, he is pushed into early retirement under the pretext of ill health, and it is unclear whether he will receive a pension. His colleagues keep their distance and his pupils fear his strict discipline yet find his teaching dull. At home, his much younger wife Laura feels neglected and seems intent on hurting him. Meanwhile, a quiet, sensitive pupil named Taplow senses his loneliness and reaches out to him with a gift that begins to change things.

How it was made

The film was shot at Milton Abbey School and Sherborne School in Dorset, using classrooms, cloisters and other historic spots at Sherborne, where many of its pupils appeared as extras. Mike Figgis directed a screenplay by Ronald Harwood, based on Terence Rattigan's 1948 stage play, which had previously been filmed under the same title in 1951. Ridley Scott is credited as producer, and Michael Gambon and Albert Finney lead a cast that also includes Greta Scacchi and Matthew Modine. The score was composed by Mark Isham.

Reception and legacy

Critics received the film positively, and it holds a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 18 reviews. It earned a nomination for the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1994 and a BAFTA nomination for Best Screenplay in 1995. Albert Finney won Best Actor from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Its US release was modest, grossing about 487,000 dollars in the United States and Canada.

Stills

Trailer

Clicking loads the video from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode). Open on YouTube

Trivia

A deleted scene

An extra science experiment scene was shot in which Frank Hunter ignited an explosive liquid poured into the pupils' hands, but it was cut from the final edit.

More films by Mike Figgis

Leaving Las Vegas1995

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.