The Substitute

"The Substitute" is not high art. Ebert reviewed it as a serious film and gave it a very negative review. But as a B-movie where the teachers get revenge, the bad guy dope-peddling punks and principal get their due, it is a virtual "The Patriot" for the high school system. You can't help but smile and root and rejoice when punk after punk gets thrown out the upper floor window by Beringer while the principal relaxes in his office, assuming the punks will prevail.

Beringer plays a mercenary who becomes the substitute when the real teacher is injured by the punks. With his background in covert operations, and his support network, the punks are no match for him. I've seen it several times on network TV, its one of those films I just can't stop watching. Roy Frumkes, who wrote each of the "Substitute" movies wasn't trying to create a classic, just fun entertainment. In a personal communication he said, " Not only did that film surprise everyone by doing as well as it did, but when it came time for the three sequels, my contract was worded so that they couldn't get rid of me!" Thus providing his retirement fund. Hey! Some people win the lottery. His was a different kind of lottery.

I like "The Substitute" a lot. I think Roy Frumkes is a classy guy. It is destined to be one of those cult films that lasts much longer than logic says it should.

Edit AUG 2023: Watching it yet again after 21 years it occurs to me it also hits hard on two issues - fighting drug trafficking and encouraging students to pursue a good education instead of becoming a member of a gang.

Maybe, maybe not. But as far as the action flick genre is concerned this might just rank up there as at least one of the best. Sorry FT. Berenger gives the performance of his life here as a mercenary who goes undercover as a teacher at a school run by drug dealing thugs. Additional kudos go to Ernie Hudson who gives a riveting performance as the high school principal on the brink. Even J Lo's present squeeze Marc Anthony gets into the act as the surly gang leading nemisis to Berenger's good guy portrayal. Director Robert Mandel of School Ties fame does a phenomenal job tying up all the loose ends presented throughout Roy Frumkes and Rocco Simonelli's brilliant screenplay and treating the viewer to a climax that is both intensely shocking as well as entertaining. The beach scene where Berenger's girlfriend played by the lovely Diane Verona a perfect example of why this movie is a real standout. Verona is first seen jogging along the beach while the viewer is treated to the soundtrack's Mongo Jerry's "In the Summertime". Then out of the blue, in broad daylight, in front of dozen's of onlookers, a thug runs up and whacks her knee with a lead pipe ala Nancy Kerigan's Olympic ordeal. Tom Berenger then comes (out of the blue) to her aid and carries her off to the hospital. My only complaint was that were not more scenes in the movie like this one.

"The Substitute" is a pure 90's Action Thriller with a dangerous urban setting like alot of Thriller films had back in the 90's, as there was abit of a sub-genre about Urban dangers, films like Judgment Night, Falling Down, Dangerous Minds, Trespass, Unlawful Entry, Out For Justice, Marked For Death amongst others, the fear of the street gangs & the thugs & the drug dealers was everywhere during the 90's & fed into the movies!!!

"The Substitute" is about a tough lawless School where gangs rule & teachers are threatened until a new kind of "Substitute" teacher comes to the tough Miami School to sort out the Drugs & the Gangs. Tom Berenger plays tough mercenary Jonathan Shale who comes to the violent inner-city Miami School when his girlfriend & teacher there Jane (Diane Venora) is injured by the local thugs & the corrupted head of the school, played very slimy by Ernie Hudson doesn't seem to want to help.

Now what really surprised me about this little B-movie Gem was the excellent cast & the gritty urban setting, i love these Action Thriller's set in the decaying Urban settings as there's a sense of realism & an atmosphere of fear because it can happen & does. Tom Berenger's Shale is a mercenary with a Cool team of Awesome actors such as the excellent William Forsythe as Hollan, the great Raymond Cruz as Joey Six, the funny Luis Guzman as Rem & the Cool Richard Brooks as Wellman, now this Awesome team come more into the film later on as Shale calls on his old team for help as he uncovers a big Drugs operation within the School & each Cool member of Mercenary team gets to do some great Action with shootouts & fighting & it's Awesome!!! The sequence where the School becomes under siege is just excellent & full of great Action, i was so impressed & i loved the team of mercenaries against the local Drugs gang. "The Principle" may be a typical B-movie action film like many that came out during the 90's but it's Excellent Cast of B-movie faves & gritty exciting action scenes make this a great one from the glory days of straight to video Action films!!! Raymond Cruz & William Forsythe are the best Characters here & i always have loved these guys in movies, both underrated but great.

Tom Berenger stars as Shale, a professional mercenary suddenly out of a job. When he returns home to his girlfriend Jane (Diane Venora), a teacher, he's in time to witness her getting her legs broken by a thug who represents a gang. So Shale sets himself up as "Smith", the substitute teacher for Janes' class. He therefore divides his time between trying to pass himself off as a teacher, and combatting the schools' overwhelming drug problem.

As others have said, this movie was never meant to come off as "high art". It's just straightforward action entertainment. And it serves its purpose well, offering plenty of violence - gunshots, explosions, etc. The protagonists are generally worth rooting for, and the villains are all despicable scum who can't die soon enough. Yes, this is very much formula filmmaking, but it works, thanks to efficient direction by Robert Mandel, decent action sequences, and a pretty good cast for this kind of exploitation fodder.

Berenger is engaging in the lead, receiving strong support from the appealing and under-rated Venora, and Ernie Hudson, the latter cast as the principal of the school. Raymond Cruz, Luis Guzman, Richard Brooks, and William Forsythe play the various members of Shales' team of mercs, and singer Marc Anthony and Rodney A. Grant are among the assorted bad guys. Glenn Plummer plays a teacher, Shar-Ron Corley and Maria Celedonio two of the students in Janes' class. Cliff De Young (with whom Mandel previously worked on "Independence Day" (1983) and "F/X") has one of his typically weaselly roles as a lawyer whose farts are a running gag.

All in all, good fun. The writers (Roy Frumkes, Rocco Simonelli, and Alan Ormsby) know that you don't have to reinvent the wheel to show an audience a good time, and "The Substitute" entertains sufficiently even as it runs close to two hours long. It does have a sense of humour, which helps: the scene where Shale throws punk after punk out a second story window is priceless.

Followed by three direct-to-home-video sequels, each starring Treat Williams.

Seven out of 10.

On a Friday, some weeks ago: the so-called television highlight for this evening was the "The Substitute", a film that got nothing but bad reviews by the TV guides. Nevertheless I decided to watch this flick - and after all it was really better than I had expected, because this movie contains enough action and suspense to keep you awake! The story is quite far-fetched but interesting in any case and actors like Tom Berenger, Diane Venora or Ernie Hudson do a solid job. Not as demanding as the brilliant "One Eight Seven" starring Samuel L. Jackson but definitely good entertainment!

6/10