A Thematic Profile of the Images of Teachers in Film

The purpose of this article is to draw a thematic profile of the images of teachers in commercial film. Our interest in this project began with a conversation following a viewing of Dead Poets Society (1989). What struck us both about the film was that even though we had seen most of the previous films about teachers, this was the first time that we had seen a film image of a teacher which engendered such strong feelings of professional pride and admiration. Here at last was a portrayal of a teacher with subtlety and emotional range, a teacher with whom bright, ambitious career aspirants might want to identify. While we agreed that there have been other positive portrayals of teachers, we struggled to explain the Harold J. Burbach is a powerful and lingering appeal of Robin Williams' professor in the Mr. Keating. It was only in the process of an ongoing Department of dialogue that we began to understand that the answer Educational Studies, and lay in the development of a better understanding of Margo A. Figgins is a the power and subtlety of film imagery. professor in the According to Hunter (1991, p. 225), movies and Department of Curriculum other popular media define reality and play a key role and Instruction and in shaping history. This is done, he contends, in the Special Education, both in very selection of a movie theme in that it sends a the Curry School of powerful message to the members of society about Education, University of what is important. Moreover, he believes that the Virginia, Charlottesville. substance of a film serves as a filter through which