Cheaters (2000) (TV)

Director:

John Stockwell

Writer (WGA):

John Stockwell (written by)

Release Date:

20 May 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Putting The System To The Test

Plot:

Eleven students conspire with their teacher to cheat on an academic competition.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | Cheating | Competition | Chicago Illinois | Motivation

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Dr. Gerard Plecki
Jena Malone	...	Jolie Fitch
Paul Sorvino	...	Constantine Kiamos
Luke Edwards	...	Darius Bettus
Blake Heron	...	Matt Kur
Dov Tiefenbach	...	Irwin Flickas
Dan Warry-Smith	...	Paul Kurgan
Anna Raj	...	Agnieska Maryniarczyk
Dominik Podbielski	...	Dominik Wesolowski
Ned Eisenberg	...	Robert Clifford
Robert Joy	...	Larry Minkoff
Lenka Peterson	...	Mrs. Plecki
Alex Poch-Goldin	...	Jerry Marconi (as Alex Poch Goldin)
Karen Glave	...	Corrine Davis
Marcia Bennett	...	Joan Isenberg

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:R | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Central Tech. High School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

De Passe Entertainment

Trivia:

During filming, director John Stockwell and his production crew discovered that they were prohibited from entering the real-life Steinmetz High School just to film on location in the building. Therefore, even though they were unwelcomed and uninvited on the campus grounds, they managed to film the outside front of the building. Most of the filming took place inside a Toronto high school, which was used in place of the real school.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. Plecki and the students are watching "Stand and Deliver" at his house, the scenes from that movie are shown out of order in "Cheaters".

Quotes:

Dr. Gerald Plecki: Do you think Bill Gates fired the guys who brought him the Apple Operating system code? He probably promoted them.

Movie Connections:

References Rocky (1976)

Brilliant - Seek Out This Movie!

I was so stunned by the power of this movie that I had to watch it a second time to give it a more objective assessment. I came away from the second viewing every bit as impressed.

We learn from the opening scene of the movie that things will turn out badly for the cheaters, the kids who made up the 1994-95 Academic Decathlon team for Chicago's working-class Steinmetz High, and that their downfall was of their own making. But this movie refuses to be a simple morality play. It looks at the scandal from the viewpoint of the participants, and examines why they cheated and how they came to justify their actions. It's a refreshingly honest look at how effectively the mind can blur the distinction between right and wrong. Each character's moment of decision is captured so effectively that the viewer may very well find himself rooting for the teacher and his students as they exult in their short-lived triumph.

The whole story plays out in a realistically-portrayed inner city school, and succinctly presents the values that flourish in such an environment, where ideas of what's fair are colored by the feeling that life hasn't been very fair to these kids from the very beginning. One comes to realize that the central characters' greatest triumph came not in their ill-gotten victory, but in simply wanting to overachieve against all odds in such an environment.

The acting in this movie is top-notch across the board, from Paul Sorvino, Jeff Daniels, and each of the seven kids. But special mention has to go to Jena Malone for her memorable portrayal of Jolie, the brilliant and sharp-tongued inspirational leader of the team who remains defiant to the very end.

I give this movie a 10!