Opération Shakespeare

Renaissance Man is directed by Penny Marshall and stars Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, Mark Wahlberg, Stacey Dash and Kadeem Hardison. Hans Zimmer scores the film and it's written by Jim Burnstein. The story sees DeVito as Bill Rago, a divorced advertising executive who loses his job and finds himself unemployed. Not only that, but the relationship with his daughter has started to feel the financial strain. However, the unemployment agency find him a short time position at U.S. Army training base, Fort McClane. The position entails him to teach basic comprehension to a class of academic under achievers. Initially he's not enthused by the job, nor are the class particularly responsive to his civilian status. But just maybe this odd coupling may turn out to be good for both parties? That is if Drill Sergeant Cass (Hines) lets them that is?

A box office flop that was first marketed as a comedy, then as a drama {it's very much both}, Renaissance Man holds no surprises what so ever. The formula remains the same as every other piece featuring a teacher and an unruly/troubled/under educated class. So with that in mind, and considering the film has largely been kicked by the professional critics, I'm not here to sell this movie to anyone, because sometimes you have to acknowledge that a film can hit a spot of your own personal psyche, yet at the same time be a million miles away from someone else's.

The choices we make dictate the life we lead

For me personally, Renaissance Man is one such film. It was one dark rainy night back in the mid 90s and I had the blues, I popped over to the video store to see what was available, I couldn't find anything that remotely sounded like something to lift me out of the stupor I was in. I then spied a copy of Renaissance Man, a film I hadn't heard anything about, and although I took that as a bad sign, Danny DeVito's beaming smile on the cover of the box lured me in. I was thinking how much I had enjoyed him in Twins at the back end of 1988, so to me it didn't seem such a bad gamble to take. I was expecting a comedy and I got one, but the bonus was that what I also got was a very uplifting dramatic tale about the human condition, people learning from each other, a tale that shows the power of artistry and how it can unite and lift people. A tale that shows that maybe some folk aren't as clever as others, but if they can grasp a straw and be all that they can be, then their heads will be well and truly held up high.

Renaissance Man, I believe, is a sadly undervalued film on this, or any other film related site. But that's just me, because hey! We all got different psyche's right. Right? 8/10

Unless life has kicked you in the nuts as an adult a few times, then you may not appreciate the thought and point that has gone into this little masterpiece.

This movie is about how a self serving man (typical adman in NYC) working in a self serving profession (advertising), learns to be unselfish by serving others. He does this first because he has to (get a job because the Government is stopping your welfare), but after a bit of experience, he does it because he wants to.

Yep, it's that simple, but makes some very true and adult points. Devito's character isn't seen to have kids, isn't seen to have a wife, or anything happy in his life at all except an expensive apartment, but the expensive apartment doesn't apparently give him any contentment either.

I for one would be interested in seeing a sequel because i would like to see if the main character reverted to type if he got a job in advertising in say, Nunchuck South Dakota, or did he end up as teacher in a prestigious East Coast finishing school. Yay, let's all throw our hats in the air!

What a polarity of opinions on this one! It's either love it or hate it time. Put me definitely in the camp of this movie's admirers and supporters. I noticed that many of this film's fans were from all over: Texas, Canada, Scotland, Brooklyn, Australia, and Paris! Many noticed the similarity to Dead Poets Society as did I. Other movies it could be compared to are Mr. Holland's Opus and Konrack, and the more recent French film, The Chorus, movies in which other teachers too are celebrated for enriching the lives and spirits of their students. I think your Parisian correspondent sums it up the best: to see fine art working its way into the psyches of those previously unaware of it and to see people growing in spirit as a result of their exposure to and interactivity with it: that's what makes this story such a treat and an inspiration. It's what makes being a teacher worthwhile and justified. It moved and touched me. I had a personal connection to this movie's plot line as well: I knew a teacher who used to go into inner city schools and also taught the kids Shakespeare, especially the old-fashioned swear words the author used in the plays! Quite successfully too. Also, I grew up in Detroit so I appreciated the opening of the film set on familiar streets of the Motor City. A beautiful and touching film. None of the film's critics or supporters commented on the plot line in which the teacher recovered the true history of his recruit's father's unrecognized heroism. That was beautiful too. Go see this film and be inspired.

This is a feel good movie, not very deep BUT well conceived, written and acted. DeVito is excellent as a failing marketing man being transformed into a thoughtful, caring army educator. As important is the film's excellent presentation and discussion of the works of Shakespeare.

No surprise, DeVito's self centered abrasiveness meets with antipathy. Army officers don't care. Convinced of their own worthlessness, DeVito's students are disinterested, at best. During the semester, DeVito, mellows, students learn enough to advance,and Army brass begins to appreciates the new teacher.

The best part of this film is not DeVito's or the student's redemption but the film's beguiling Shakespeare presentation. DeVito teaches the Bard with passion. The writers deliver illuminating, focused student dialog. As one who didn't "get" Shakespeare until seeing MacBeth a year after graduation. This movie was a better class than anything I took in high school or college.

Enjoy the film and the class.

I love this movie. I first saw it when I was about eight, and it inspired me to read Shakespeare. Of course, because of my age, I was unable to understand HAMLET, but I thought I would just mention it. This movie is a great portrayl of how a formerly selfish man changed himself and his students through Shakespeare. This movie is deep, but it's also very funny and entertaining. There are some great, brilliant moments in here, especially when DeVito says, "All I know is, the choices you make dictate the life you lead. To thine own self be true. " There is also an excellent scene where one of the students recites Shakespeare for Hines, the drill sergeant. This is a fantastic movie that I absolutely loved, as did my English teacher. I highly recommend it. Of course, if you only find Bruce Willis movies entertaining, this movie is not for you.