Teaching Mrs. Tingle
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| Teaching Mrs. Tingle | |
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| Directed by | Kevin Williamson |
| Written by | Kevin Williamson |
| Starring | Katie Holmes Helen Mirren Barry Watson Marisa Coughlan |
| Distributed by | Dimension Films |
| Release date(s) | August 20, 1999 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a 1999 black comedy film and the directorial debut of screenwriter Kevin Williamson. The film stars Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Barry Watson and Jeffrey Tambor and was released on August 20, 1999. It was originally titled Killing Mrs. Tingle, but delayed and retitled due to the uproar over teen violence in films after the Columbine High School massacre.
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[edit] Tagline
- The teacher from hell is about to get a lesson.
[edit] Plot
Leigh Ann, played by Holmes, is a high school student who wants to achieve high enough grades to become valedictorian. However, her grade in History is threatened by the cruel teacher Mrs. Tingle, played by Mirren. Mrs. Tingle has an especial dislike for Leigh Ann, and thus Mrs. Tingle grades down her well-designed project. The teacher also stumbles upon Leigh Ann with the final exam, which had been stolen and planted in Leigh Ann's backpack without her knowledge.
Leigh Ann and her two friends head to Mrs. Tingle's house that night and try to convince the teacher that Leigh Ann is innocent. This is to save Leigh Ann from being expelled. Mrs. Tingle, however, does not listen. There is a struggle, and Mrs. Tingle is accidentally knocked out. The students panic and tie Mrs. Tingle to a bed, unsure of what they should do.
[edit] Reception
The film received some poor reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes measuring an 18% approval rating. [1] Roger Ebert compared the film to Election in its concept but said that Teaching Mrs. Tingle fell short of Election in wit, and in that Teaching Mrs. Tingle had no sympathethic characters. Ebert did, however, compliment Mirren's acting.[2]
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Helen Mirren | Mrs. Eve Tingle |
| Katie Holmes | Leigh Ann Watson |
| Jeffrey Tambor | Coach 'Spanky' Wenchell |
| Barry Watson | Luke Churner |
| Marisa Coughlan | Jo Lynn Jordan |
| Liz Stauber | Trudie Tucker |
| Michael McKean | Principal Potter |
| Lesley Ann Warren | Mrs Faye Watson |
| Molly Ringwald | Miss Banks |
| Vivica A. Fox | Miss Gold |
| John Patrick White | Brian Berry |
| Robert Gant | Professor |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/teaching_mrs_tingle/
- ^ Roger Ebert, "Teaching Mrs. Tingle," Chicago Sun-Times, August 20, 1999.
