Dangerous Minds

Dangerous Minds (1995)

  • 29% of critics liked it
    (38 reviews)

  • 66% of users liked it
    (96,433 ratings)

In this drama, a school teacher discovers that it takes more than the ABCs to get through to a class of "uneducatable" kids. When Lou Anne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer), a nine-year veteran of the Marine Corps with a degree in education, begins a new job at an inner-city school in California, the… More

R, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By
John N. Smith
Written By
Ron Bass
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Aug 11, 1995 Wide
On DVD
Jul 13, 1999

Critic Reviews

  • Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    Pfeiffer gives a funny, scrappy performance that makes you feel a committed teacher's fire to make a difference.

  • Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

    The tale screenwriter Ronald Bass came up with, and the way director John N. Smith tells it, is stereotypical, predictable and simplified to the point of meaninglessness.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    The movie pretends to show poor black kids being bribed into literacy by Dylan and candy bars, but actually it is the crossover white audience that is being bribed with mind-candy in the form of safe words by the two Dylans.

  • Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

    A no-frills, single-minded drama driven by Pfeiffer's totally committed performance.

  • Tom Keogh, Film.com

    Pfeiffer has a lot of good moments as Johnson.

Read all 9 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Film C


    I like movies like these, although its not as good as films like freedom writers, it is an entertaining enough movie. Its not the most inspirational drama that gives you the wow factor at the end of the movie but it is funny and keeps you interested. I absolutely love the soundtrack… More

  • Wildaly M


    Stereotypical, predictable and unrealistic.

  • Jason O


    Been spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise.

  • Lenny M


    Michelle Pfeiffer looking hot in the ghetto trying to teach knowledge.

  • Candy R


    Michelle is a teacher in an inner-city school. Love the soundtrack.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

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