Taglines: Refuse to live life by the book.
The English Teacher is an American romantic comedy film directed by Craig Zisk. The film stars Julianne Moore, Greg Kinnear and Michael Angarano, and was written by Dan and Stacy Chariton.
Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) is a forty-year-old unmarried high school English teacher in the small town of Kingston, Pennsylvania. She shares a small apartment with two Siamese cats and her rich collection of great literature. She maintains no close personal relationships aside from those she has with her favorite authors and stories. Her life is far less complicated than the dramas she devours on the page, and she likes it that way.
But Linda’s simple life turns an unexpected page when former star pupil Jason Sherwood (Michael Angarano) returns to Kingston after trying to make it as a playwright in New York. Now in his 20s, Jason is on the verge of abandoning art, pressured by his overbearing father, Dr. Tom Sherwood (Greg Kinnear), to face reality and go to law school.
Linda can’t stand the thought of Jason giving up on his dreams so she decides to mount his play – a dark, angst-ridden, ambitious work – as a Kingston High School production, with flamboyant drama teacher Carl Kapinas (Nathan Lane) directing. As Linda, now well out of her normal comfort zone, takes further risks in life and love, the stage is set for highly comic downfall. With the play, her reputation, and her teaching career on the line, Linda finds an unlikely ally in herself. Amidst the ruins of her formerly perfect life, can she find a way to her own unique storybook ending?
About the Production (2013)
The English Teacher was first announced in September 2011. It was Zisk’s feature film directorial debut, following his work on several television shows including Weeds, The Big C, Scrubs and The United States of Tara.
The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2013, followed by a US theatrical release on May 17. It was released in 7 theaters, and earned $104,810 domestically at the box office, and $61,949 in foreign countries, for a worldwide gross of $166,759. The film also had a video on demand release.
The English Teacher received predominantly negative reviews. Review-aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes reports that 42% of reviews were positive, based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10.
The English Teacher (2013)
Directed by: Craig Zisk
Starring: Lily Collins, Julianne Moore, Michael Angarano, Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Jessica Hecht, Nikki Blonsky
Screenplay by: Dan Chariton, Stacy Chariton
Production Design by: Michael Shaw
Cinematography by: Vanja Cernjul
Film Editing by: Myron I. Kerstein
Costume Design by: Emma Potter
Set Decoration by: Sarah E. McMillan
Music by: Rob Simonsen
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Studio: Cinedigm
Release Date: May 17, 2013
Visits: 71
