A Teacher
| A Teacher | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hannah Fidell |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Hannah Fidell |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Brian McOmber |
| Cinematography | Andrew Droz Palermo |
| Edited by | Sofi Marshall |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Teacher is a 2013 independent drama film about a female high school teacher's illicit sexual relationship with a male student that turns from infatuation into obsession. This is the first feature film directed by Hannah Fidell.[1] Principal photography for the film took place in Austin, Texas.[2]
The film had its premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013, and was released theatrically on September 6, 2013 in the United States.
Cast
- Lindsay Burdge as Diana Watts
- Will Brittain as Eric Tull
- Jennifer Prediger as Sophia
- Jonny Mars as Hunter Watts
- Julie Phillips as Jessica
- Chris Doubek as Eric's Father
Release
A Teacher was premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013,[3] and was subsequently screened at festivals such as SXSW Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival and Oldenburg International Film Festival.[4][5][6] It was acquired for U.S. distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories. In the Netherlands, it was distributed by Film1 Sundance Channel. The film was given a limited release in U.S. theaters on September 6, 2013.
Box office
The film was released in a limited release on September 6, 2013 and made $4,684 from 2 theaters, ranking #87 on the box office chart. The film went on to earn a total domestic gross of $8,348. The film's widest release was in 7 theaters.[7]
Television adaptation
In February 2014, it was revealed that A Teacher would be adapted for television by HBO. Fidell would write and executive produce the series along with Danny Brocklehurst, the former showrunner of the UK television series Shameless.[8] On March 21, 2015, Fidell tweeted that she was writing the A Teacher pilot.[9]
Reception
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from film critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 32% from 31 reviews.[10] Marsha McCreadie from RogerEbert.com wrote: "A Teacher will leave you feeling drained, even exhausted. That's about right for a movie about obsession, one with no resolution except waiting for the other thud to drop... Much of the movie takes place in dark interiors. The love-making scenes are steamy, seemingly passionate; risqué not pornographic. Happily, a little something is left to the imagination. Though after awhile you're itchy to get out of the bedroom, or the old high school staple, the car. The "one-room" claustrophobia is reminiscent of being trapped in the love-nest of Last Tango in Paris... To her great credit, director Fidell – named by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film – takes on a tricky topic. She even gets us to empathize with the person in the power spot."[11]
The New York Post wrote: "A teacher sexually obsessed with the high school student with whom she's having an illicit affair gradually loses her bearings in an evocative but ultimately hollow indie drama. Writer-director Hannah Fidell makes the common indie mistake of thinking that a dramatic situation is all you need for a movie, but demonstrates an impressive restraint and an ability to manufacture queasy suspense without much dialogue."[12] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky from The A.V. Club gave a positive review, writing: "Because contemporary indies tend to overvalue broad generational statements, A Teacher – which is candid, character focused, and only 75 minutes long – initially feels like a breath of fresh air. (The movie draws inevitable comparisons to the recent The Lifeguard, which is also about a female ephebophile.) Very little time is wasted on exposition; when the movie starts, Burdge is already meeting for regular trysts with teenager Will Brittain... Writer-director Hannah Fidell works in a style that's arty but simple: naturalistic lighting, camera movement that always follows character movement, and a modernist score (by Brian McOmber, formerly of Dirty Projectors) that conveys dread without ever suggesting outright horror."[13]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Champs-Élysées Film Festival | US in Progress Official Selection | A Teacher | Won |
| 2013 | Just Film Award | Best Youth Film | Nominated | |
| Oldenburg International Film Festival | German Independence Award – Audience Award | Hannah Fidell | Nominated | |
| SXSW Film Festival | Emerging Woman Award | Won | ||
| Camerimage | Best Cinematography Debut | Andrew Droz Palermo | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Rooney, David (2013-01-18). "A Teacher: Sundance Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ A Teacher at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "A Teacher". Sundance Institute.
- ↑ "SXSW: "A Teacher" Confronts the Inappropriate Student-Teacher Relationship". Texas Monthly. March 16, 2013.
- ↑ "Maryland Film Festival 2013". Maryland a Film a Festival Blog. June 4, 2013.
- ↑ "A Teacher Filmfest Oldenburg". Oldenburg Film Festival.
- ↑ "A Teacher (2013)". Box Office Mojo.
- ↑ "Hannah Fidell's A Teacher To Be Adapted at HBO". Filmmaker Magazine. February 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Hannah Fidell on Twitter". Twitter. March 21, 2015.
- ↑ "A Teacher – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ↑ "A Teacher Movie a Review & Film Summary (2013)". RogerEbert.com. September 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Poor Lesson Plan". The New York Post. September 6, 2013.
- ↑ "A Teacher - Movie Review - The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. September 5, 2013.