The Principal
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| The Principal | |
|---|---|
 The Principal DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Christopher Cain |
| Produced by | Thomas H. Brodek |
| Written by | Frank Deese |
| Starring | James Belushi Louis Gossett, Jr. Rae Dawn Chong Michael Wright J.J. Cohen Esai Morales Kelly Jo Minter |
| Music by | Jay Gruska |
| Cinematography | Arthur Albert |
| Editing by | Jack Hofstra |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1987 |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Principal is a 1987 film starring James Belushi and Louis Gossett, Jr. It was directed by Christopher Cain and written by Frank Deese.
Contents |
[edit] Tagline
- He's teaching the students at Brandel High two words: NO MORE.
[edit] Plot
Rick Latimer (Belushi) is a high-school teacher with a drinking problem. Spotting his ex-wife in a bar one night, he gets into a fight with the man she's with, culminating in his beating the hapless man's car with a baseball bat. The board of educators decides the best way to deal with Rick is to transfer him out to another school - Brandel High, known as a run-down school where gangs rule the hallways, where Rick will be the new principal. Rather than sitting back and letting things stay the same, Rick attempts to have a school assembly to declare his intentions for the school - "No more." No more drugs, running in the hallways or being late to class. While he's giving his speech, Victor Duncan, the leader of the main gang in the school, walks in, derides Rick in front of everyone, then walks out, which eventually results in a small riot, which earns Rick the enimity of not only the teachers but also school custodian Jake (Gossett Jr.).
Eventually, Rick manages to enforce his policy of getting rid of the drugs being dealt in the bathrooms and clearing out the hallways - but not always with success. Because the students are now forced to go to class, some of the more unruly students disrupt the class, including White Zac (J.J. Cohen), who eventually attempts to rape one of the teachers, Ms. Orozco (Chong). Victor, meanwhile, continues to assert his influence on the school, going so far as to brutally beat a former member of his gang and hang him by his ankles when the member warms to Rick and actually starts learning. The clash between Rick and Victor eventually leads to a showdown in the school halls, where Jake is temporarily locked inside a supply closet while Victor and his gang hunt down Rick. In the end, Victor and Rick fight each other with their fists, with Victor seemingly having the upper hand until Jake stops him and declares, "My turn!" Rick then beats Victor, pushing him back until he knocks Victor out in front of the rest of the school, which had been waiting outside to see who would win. When some of the students start fighting each other over the result, Rick again declares "No more!" Victor is taken away in a police car, and Rick rides off on his motorcycle, declaring to a student who derisively asks "Who does he think he is man?" "I'm the principal, man!"
[edit] Cast
- James Belushi .... Rick Latimer
- Louis Gossett Jr. .... Jake Phillips
- Rae Dawn Chong .... Hilary Orozco
- Michael Wright .... Victor Duncan
- J.J. Cohen .... White Zac (as Jeffrey Jay Cohen)
- Kelly Jo Minter .... Treena Lester (as Kelly Minter)
- Esai Morales .... Raymi Rojas
- Troy Winbush .... Baby Emile
- Jacob Vargas .... Arturo Diego
