Teaching Mrs. Tingle | | Cast : | Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan | | Director : | Kevin Williamson | | Studio : | Dimension Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | August 20, 1999 | | DVD Released Date : | August 03, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 21, 2004 | | Summary | A Most Wonderful & "Ironic" Surprise With Loads Of Cameos! | Content
 | I admit that I purchased this movie for the plain and simple fact that Dame Helen Mirren appears in it. I can also say with all honesty that I have never watched a single episode of Dawson's Creek or 7th Heaven. I am a huge fan of Mirren's versatile acting abilities. She is amazing in this film, but I won't gush on about her... However, I was pleasantly pleased and surprised with this film and all of it's actors. It is a well written script by Scream's Kevin Williamson who also shows his ability to direct in his debut. I also enjoyed several cameo appearances by faces that I haven't seen in a while. The principal is played by Michael McKean. You knew him as Lenny Koznowski, the nasal, nerdish pal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squigman on the hit TV series Laverne and Shirley. Molly Ringwald is Miss Banks, the administrative assistant in the school's office, Vivica A. Fox plays guidance counsellor, Miss Gold and Jeffrey Tambor as Coach "Spanky" Wenchell. The movie moves at a quick pace and has many twists, turns and thrills! Highly recommended for a family fun movie night! Happy Watching! |
| Rating | | | Date | January 25, 2004 | | Summary | terrible | Content
| This movie is a stinker, one of the worst I've seen in my life. The characters are completely one-dimensional archetypes, and as another reviewer has noted, just devices to keep the sloppy plot moving forward. Mirren can't manage to make Mrs. Tingle believable, because the writing is so poor. This is inspite of being a finer actress, by several orders of magnitude, than the other leads. The conclusion is mind-numbingly and spirit-chrushingly inept: 3 kids hold a person hostage for several days, yet at graduation one of them wins the award for best student, to cheers and a cheesy pop song? It's amusing that the title was changed from Killing Mrs. Tingle out of "sensitivity" to the events in Columbine; if they'd really wanted to show some concern, the whole story should have been scrapped. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 01, 2003 | | Summary | terrible movie | Content
| this was a terrible movie. everything about it is miserable. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 31, 2003 | | Summary | This is not a hilarious comedy | Content
| I rented this DVD because the cover said it was a "hilarious comedy." If you just look at the concept of the movie (i.e., unfair teacher gets tied up while her bungling students try to get her to listen to them), then I suppose it's funny. However, there was very little about this movie that was funny. It should have been labeled a thriller. Helen Mirren, as Mrs. Tingle, is just as frightening as any masked ax murderer, and she does on several occasions try to kill one of the teenagers. My children and I were very disappointed--not in the acting ability of the actors (they did a fine job), but in the film being represented as something that it wasn't. It is not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination. Huge disappointment!! |
| Rating | | | Date | May 09, 2003 | | Summary | "You gave me a 'B'?!!!!" | Content
| I really like the original title "Killing Mrs. Tingle" that would have put a little more pathos in the movie. It is quite an IRONY. This movie looks like a training ground for "9 to 5" (1980).
Helen Mirren is the perfect Mrs. Tingle; she has that look that can see through your sole and divulge your deepest fears. That same year she played Ayn Rand in Passion of Ayn Rand, The (1999). However most people remember her as Supt. Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect."
Michael McKean made a perfect principal and you can tell he was sweating on his early encounter with Mrs. Tingle. Remember him in "Laverne & Shirley" (1976) TV Series as Lenny Kosnowski (1976-1982)?
Then there is the quick appearance of Molly Ringwald as Miss Banks. She brings back memories of "Sixteen Candles" (1984), when she was the teenager.
If this movie looks predictable or the people's thoughts are transparent, that is the design. Now the viewer can say don't do that or oh no will they really do that? And you can see eyes narrow as the mind is plotting!
The only real disappointment was the rather arrownious ending. It may work if this was a plot for a TV series.
|
|
Picture 01 (20)
