To Sir, with Love (1967)

I don’t know why there were so many of these delinquents being inspired by an idealistic teacher films in the 60s (nor their revival in the late 80s-early 90s) but there is so much sameness to them that they become fairly indistinguishable. Sidney Poitier is the teacher here, a Guianese immigrant to the UK who has taken the job temporarily while he awaits an engineering position. Poitier is always appealing and it’s interesting to see him here as a teacher when he was one of the thugs in the similar Blackboard Jungle. The moralizing lessons and condemnation of non-traditional ways can be eye-roll-y at times, but it’s sweet to see the students change, particularly the females, as they develop more confidence and awareness in themselves.