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Well the last two weeks have been a painful experience haven’t they? Needles and then more pain on top of that. This week its back to me and I thought that with the fact that my 3 year old son is starting nursery school (kindergarten) today, a theme involving schools would be a good one to have a look at.

“Time For School”

Post up some of your favourite movies where school or a classroom is the main setting for the story. I think this is a great opportunity for some classic movies to be revisited.

My first choice is a film that when I mention it to people, they look at me blankly. I remember seeing it long ago and liked it a lot and should get a hold of it again to see if the appeal is still there. Renaissance Man is a 90s Danny DeVito movie about an out of luck businessman who has to take a job as a teacher at a US Army training camp.

Through the works of Shakespeare, he is able to inspire a group of soldiers and make sure that they pass basic training where otherwise they might not have. Although marketed as a comedy drama, I think this is an incorrect label. Although there are a few funny bits in the movie and its star of course known for the comedy genre, the movie itself is much more than that and offers some very touching and inspiring scenes between teacher and student. Well worth a watch.

Next up from me is Dangerous Minds. When an ex-marine is given a job as a teacher in an inner city school, she has to gain the trust and respect of her troublesome students using unconventional means. All the kids have their own problems and Michelle Pfeiffer’s character Louanne Johnson has to put her own personal marriage split aside to focus all her attention on trying to save these kids from a life of crime, jail and possible death and give them a better future. The movie featured the hit single by Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise” and was pretty successful at the box office aswell.

Lastly today is a movie that I should definitely acquire and see for the first time in years, Dead Poet’s Society. I think it was the first time I had seen comedian Robin Williams do anything but comedy and I thought he was fantastic as a serious actor. It certainly showed a very different side to him and a few careers were launched off the back of the movie like Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles for example. Once again it is the use of unconventional means to inspire students that is the theme here and everyone’s lives are changed forever through the use of poetry and finding the courage to stand up for what they believe in. A must see.

So those are my choices, but I know you guys will have some even better ones that I have not included in my list. Have fun with this one and remember to visit other people’s blogs. Leave your comments and links below =)