Tötet Mrs. Tingle!

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan, Barry Watson, Vivica A. Fox, Michael McKean, Molly Ringwald, Liz Stauber, Jeffrey Tambor, Lesley Ann Warren, D: Kevin Williamson. When falsely accused of cheating by a coldhearted history teacher, a straight-A student (Holmes) has her future plans and dreams sabotaged. Then while proving her innocence, Holmes and two friends accidentally knock her out, tie her up, and keep her hostage in her own house until she changes her ways. Good idea translates into this ludicrous premise that never accomplishes what it sets out to do, and with that never delivers real plot twists, just one tease after another. Mirren, the movie's most worthwhile feature, outshines the younger set with her hands literally tied behind her back. Disappointing film debut for SCREAM writer Williamson. Running Time: 95 minutes and rated PG-13 for some language, violence, and sexual content. **

I will have to disagree with many comments on this movie saying that it was only a bomb. I thought this movie was quite interesting, surely not a great one, but good. The high point of this movie, in fact, is Helen Mirren. I was quite impressed with her inspiring performance - it kind of reminded me of Kathy Bates in "Misery". It is quite rare to see such a great performance like Helen Mirren's in an horror/suspense movie and this is the main reason why I have decided to comment on "Teaching Mrs. Tingle".

The movie had a really good scenario - three students kidnap their most hated teacher to try and raise their grades. But it's sadly it's got a very poor script and the acting (APART FROM MIRREN WHO WAS AMAZING) was very poor,

perhaps williamson should stick to writng movies instead of making them.

Watchable for the brilliantly cold hearted performance by Helen Mirren but she deserved a better dialogue (she sounded like Anne Robinson from the weakest link) and better co-stars - who were admittedly gorgeous but should go back to acting school.

A+ for story & Mirren's pefromance D- for excecution

I was zapping until I saw Ms. Mirren's elegant face. Damn, this woman's hot! I think I missed about the first half hour but seeing the utter crap that this film is, I certainly haven't missed much. This is just another one of those trashy teen thrillers and the only good thing about it is (obviously) Helen Mirren. I loved the way she transforms from mean to vulnerable to manipulative. The character is not the best written character (then there's a whole lot wrong with the sloppy writing let alone inconsistency, plot holes and lack of characterization) but this woman pulls it off with brilliance. Katie Holmes is one of the most uninteresting actresses and she should just stick to that snoozefest soap 'Dawson's Creek' where she continues 'advising' her co-stars. Oh wait, that's been long cancelled, hasn't it? Barry Watson and Marisa Coughlan are equally pathetic. I'm sure the director and the writer hated their teachers which is why they want to teach the kids of today that it's alright to kidnap your teacher and beat her up, no matter how mean she is in class because that will surely get you an A.

Teaching Mrs. Tingle could've been a well executed black comedy but instead it falls flat on its face. The first half is well executed but as the film moves on it becomes an utter mess of a movie. Kevin Williamson had about 2 and a half good ideas in his body(Scream,Scream 2, and The Faculty). His other films are just plain generic and it's hard to believe that something like this was written by the guy who wrote scream.

The premise is a nice set-up for a potential good comedy. Mrs.Tingle is the most hated teacher at school because she's, for a lack of a better word, a b#$ch. Katie Holmes plays a student who is trying desperately be valedectorian so she can get out of the town and history-a class taught by tingle, is the only thing standing in her way. When Tingle discovers a copy of the final exam in her back-pack she intends on telling the principal. when herself and her friends go to her house to try and reason with her, lets just say that get more than they bargained for.

What I liked:

Marissa Coughlan is a good actress and her performnce is actually one of the saving graces of this film. She posseses a lot of spunk and energy. Her Exorcist scene, while unnecessary, is quite entertaining.

Helen Mirren is suitably devilish as Mrs. Tingle. She brings experience to an other-wise mediocre movie.

The first half of the film is actually pretty good. The class-room scene in the first half is really good. Too bad the rest of the film isn't all that great.

What I Didn't Like:

Katie Holmes was cute in this film and she gives a cute performance but i'm tired of seeing her talent given to drivel like this. Thank God she followed this up with Wonder Boys and The Gift.

Barry watson is plain boring in his role and i found him to be completely uninteresting in his role

The ending is jsut plain dumb. It ends on such a disappointing note. I wanted a better outcome and i got this garbage.

The cheesy love scene between holmes and watson was so unnecessary. They lacked chemistry to evne make the scene sizzle.

Good idea wasted in tepid film i expected better from williamson in his directorial debut but instead i get this. what a shame.

5.5/10