Mr. Headmistress

Im 31 now and i still love this movie. Its got mystery, suspense, comedy and fun story for the whole family

Have watched this movie many times and have always thought it was nothing but fun. It's very funny especially Harland dressed and acting the part as a private school headmistress. Seems a bit of the inspiration for his performance was taken from Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Although she had a bit of a smaller role in the movie, I did really like Katey Sagals antagonistic role as the jealous vice principal Harriett Magnum.

Overall this movie is great and definitely a good show for kids. For me personally this movie is very special as it was filmed in my hometown St. Thomas, Ontario at the former Alma College. Alma College was itself a former school for girls and served as an educational and cultural centre of St. Thomas for over a century. This movie was shot at Alma after the school had closed but the buildings and grounds were still largely intact. Sadly shortly after production on Mr. Headmistress ended, Alma College would gradually fall into a state of decay and ruin. Despite best efforts from members of the community to save it, Alma College would be destroyed by fire in 2008.

Mr. Headmistress is just a wacky family fun movie made by Disney but it also shows one last look at an old school that was once a architectural and historical treasure for a community. A quote in one of the local papers covering the movie reads as follows "No matter what happens to the college in the future, it will be saved forever on film and seen in its original condition."

Made for TV movie or not, this movie is top notch and deserves better, quite frankly. Harland is simply amazing in this film. The jokes are fresh and the acting is great! Plus Katey Segal is in it!

Tucker is a conman and recent prisoner, now on parole. He still owes money to the bad guys, however, and needs to find a place to lay low. As luck would have it, a well-to-do girls boarding school is waiting for the arrival of their new headmistress. Tucker sees an opportunity and he takes it. Suddenly, he's dressed like a woman and stepping into the role of leader at the school. It works. Everyone is fooled. And, what's even more wonderful, a wealthy school patron will write out a big check to the headmistress if the girls' grades go up and if they can defeat a rival school's field hockey team. With dollar signs in front of his eyes, can the new lady in learning motivate the girls? We've all seen Tootsie and now we have Tucker. The delightful star of this film does very well in his new role as an educator and as a laugh-a-minute lady. The rest of the cast is fine, as are the costumes and production values. If you have a desire to sit your family down to a nice little comic movie, don't overlook this one. It has some good laughs and great messages to teach us all.

After overcoming the falsetto voice of Harland Williams (as a woman), which comes off like chalk on a blackboard, one must also make a huge leap of faith -

* To believe that a student would be unpunished for repeatedly assaulting school administrators, but expelled for having a portable TV;

* To believe that gun-toting bandits would not torture their captive with anything more a feather (for tickling his foot);

* To believe that these same gun-toting bandits would be unaware that an entire girls' field hockey team is in the same room, until they thwart them with repeated slap shots;

* To believe that when a school community learns that their headmistress is a male, a convicted felon, someone who has betrayed them, conned them, and tried to steal a $500,000 donation - that they register no surprise and beg him to stay.

The movie did have some funny lines and direction. Williams is amusing, and Shawna Waldron successfully pulls off a transition from a bratty, spoiled prep school girl to a sympathetic young woman by movie's end.