To Sir, With Love (1967)

Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  It's interesting to see this movie after having seen Blackboard Jungle where Poitier plays the student, and now in this movie he's the teacher. The story is pretty good, but it's overly sentimental in the end if you ask me. It's an alright movie, though.

• First L

  
  Sidney Poitier can go over the top (in the grand tradition of live theater, see "A Raisin in the Sun") or he can give a subtle delivery, as he does here, in To Sir With Love. It's not a terribly revolutionary film, but it's not pretending to be. It's a… More
  Sidney Poitier can go over the top (in the grand tradition of live theater, see "A Raisin in the Sun") or he can give a subtle delivery, as he does here, in To Sir With Love. It's not a terribly revolutionary film, but it's not pretending to be. It's a simple, well-thought out tale of a teacher who comes to a rough, inner city school and attempts to reach the kids by relating to them as adults rather than children. It's certainly not easy, as the kids have their own prejudices, against blacks, against authority figures, and against adults in general. An engineer by profession, Poitier takes the teaching assignment as a means of making a living while looking for work in his chosen field. It's a job that's not likely to be in high demand anyway, teaching kids in a tough east end London school. His first day, he's greeted in the faculty lounge by one of his cynical co-workers, who tells him to let the little monsters wither on the vine, as education isn't necessary in their lives. He has other ideas though, and seeks a way in which to break through to the students. Much like Poitier's earlier effort, "Lilies of the Field", it's a subtle, understated, yet totally dominating performance he delivers. So many actors (of any color) would be unable to play this role without infusing it with a certain level of martyrdom, but Poitier plays his character not as a saint, but as an intelligent and controlled man. The film is a relaxed, slow-moving, character-driven story that's never dull. In fact, it's actually quite sweet and charming.

• Lanning :

  
  Although the music may seem a bit dated, <i>To Sir, with Love</i> is not. A timeless tale about coming of age, and one of the best in the "How I stumbled into teaching" genre. Sidney Poitier is excellent as the supremely sensitive teacher of students who are… More
  Although the music may seem a bit dated, <i>To Sir, with Love</i> is not. A timeless tale about coming of age, and one of the best in the "How I stumbled into teaching" genre. Sidney Poitier is excellent as the supremely sensitive teacher of students who are in great need a sensitive teacher. <p>I was just watching a program that dealt with, among other things, teaching Nathaniel Hawthorne to today's generation. One thing I kept thinking is that you actually have to love a piece of literature in order to teach it. If you do not <b>love</b> it, your students surely never will. Good teachers are born, not made. No amount of education, no bag of tricks, can make a good teacher out of someone who is not passionate about teaching. <p>Judy Geeson should have had a bigger career.

• Red L

  
  I loved this movie when I saw it almost 40 years ago. Not too many movies you can remember for 40 years.

• Lafe F

  
  A wonderful movie. Each scene sparkles. You really see the teens going from unruly punks to responsible adults by the end. The Lulu theme song is awesome.

• Dean M

  
  Sidney Poitier does his finest performance as an out of work engineer who turns to teaching in London's tough East End.

• Leigh R

  
  I love this film...

• Byron B

  
  The montage of the class field trip is psychedelic and kind of laughable today. However, I love the theme of the idealistic teacher trying to reach out to troubled kids. Poitier again gives a strong, intelligent performance. He can dance and have a good time to the beats of the… More
  The montage of the class field trip is psychedelic and kind of laughable today. However, I love the theme of the idealistic teacher trying to reach out to troubled kids. Poitier again gives a strong, intelligent performance. He can dance and have a good time to the beats of the British pop scene, but he doesn't feel the kids are hopeless. He encourages them to pay attention to what's going on around them, have respect for themselves and others, and take responsibility for their lives!

• Deb S

  
  Sidney Poitier is masterful as the titular character, Mark Thackeray, assigned to teach a classroom full of delinquent London teens. Mark comes up with a revolutionary method of teaching which he hopes can be used to bring about a change in the spoiled bunch of kids. The message is… More
  Sidney Poitier is masterful as the titular character, Mark Thackeray, assigned to teach a classroom full of delinquent London teens. Mark comes up with a revolutionary method of teaching which he hopes can be used to bring about a change in the spoiled bunch of kids. The message is obvious: regardless of race, creed, color, or even gender or social position, every person is deserving of the same level of respect. My favorite scene is when the actress Lulu sings the title song "To Sir, With Love!" and the most emotional scene is when Poitier realizes that it is his purpose in life to help kids transform into men and the scene where he tears up his appointment letter as a radio engineer sums up the message of the movie effectively. This movie may be dated and in all fairness, the sentiments and messages of the film may have been radical at the time but I say that the film perfectly reflects the culture, society, prejudices and morality of that era. It's touching to think that a teacher might care as deeply about his students as Poitier's character does in this film. ... I'll like to think that one person can affect many people by being persistent and patient and you don't even have to be rich or famous to do it. Simply magnificent!

• Donna D

  
  A wonderful movie! Sidney Poitier is endearing as the sensitive teacher that helps change the ways of thinking in his rebellious students in a 1960's London High School. Great song also by Lulu who sings the title "To Sir, With Love" Thumbs up! :)

• Marcus W

  
  Like Dangerous Minds only a lot better. Poitier is excellent and the teenagers are not only likeable but you feel for them. In fact I'll go so far as to say that it's the best film I've ever seen that stars Poitier as a teacher of unruly youngsters. Ever.

• Dimitris S

  
  Screenwriter Clavell offers Poitier a dynamic performance placing the antagonism on a counterculture highschool.A term harsh yet severely distinguished from the "noneducational" term.It's a cute film,It's also the pin-point of the Dangerous Minds type of films a… More
  Screenwriter Clavell offers Poitier a dynamic performance placing the antagonism on a counterculture highschool.A term harsh yet severely distinguished from the "noneducational" term.It's a cute film,It's also the pin-point of the Dangerous Minds type of films a few decades later,certainly...we all realize Clavell's film will be the one to stand the test of time,yes?

• Emily B

  
  Charming film with a good soundtrack (provided by The Mindbenders and Lulu). Great peformance by Sidney Poitier. And another thing, look out for Reardon Street (if your a Morrissey fan you will know what I'm talking about)

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