The Substitute

Plot synopsis:
Jonathan Shale (Berenger) is a mercenary and a Vietnam veteran who returns home to Miami after a botched covert operation in Cuba in which three men from his platoon were killed. He surprises his girlfriend, Jane Hetzko (Diane Venora) at her apartment and is warmly welcomed. On the outside, Jane is a schoolteacher at inner-city Columbus High School, an institution with a considerable gang problem. She is particularly disliked by Juan Lacas (Anthony), leader of the KOD ("Kings of Destruction") gang. While jogging one morning, Jane is attacked and has her leg broken. Jane and Shale believe this to be related to the KOD, which prompts the latter to go undercover as an Ivy League-educated, government-affiliated substitute teacher for his girlfriend's class.
Shale arrives at Columbus High School and is, at first, taken back by the lowly conditions. He is unable to control his class of poorly-educated students on the first day, but decides to use his street-smarts and military tactics to gain the upper hand. Soon enough, he is able to take command of the students by displaying his combat self-defence techniques when students attack him. He is warned not to use such methods by Principal Claude Rolle (Hudson), but gains the respect of his students when he bonds with them over the similarities between his early gang and Vietnam War experiences and their involvement in petty crime and street gangs. During this time, he befriends fellow schoolteacher Darrell Sherman (Plummer) and also crosses paths with Lacas, one of his students.
Suspicious of odd conditions within the high school, Shale sets up surveillance cameras throughout the building. He discovers that Lacas orchestrated the attack on Jane. He also discovers that Lacas is secretly working with Rolle to distribute cocaine around Miami for a major narcotics ring. Shale and his team raid a drug deal, using the stolen money to buy music and sports equipment in the form of a "school donation." While Sherman initially denies Shale's discovery, Sherman and a female student inadvertently witness the drugs being loaded into one of the school buses later that day. Sherman tells the student to warn Shale and Hetzko, and sacrifices himself by creating a distraction.
Rolle, who at this point is aware of Shale's interference orders a "car accident" for Shale, and sends Lacas after Hetzko. With the help of another student, Lacas is killed and Shale saves Hetzko, learning the full story from the female witness. Shale and his team garrison the school grounds to enter combat against the remaining K.O.D. members, a rival mercenary company led by Janus, and Rolle himself. Ultimately, Shale and Joey Six end up as the sole survivors of the battle, walking away from the school grounds discussing future operations as substitute teachers.

Tags: murder

Review:
Amanda Donohoe as Bette Davis.
Amanda Donohoe is exceptional in a character tailor made for Bette Davis.
This movie by the enigmatic Martin Donovan is a mix of extraordinary moments - cinematic, surprising, beautiful, frightening and funny as well a downright bad, amateurish moments - I'm trying to find everything Donovan has done.
Mark Wahlberg makes his film debut here looking straight into the camera.
As awkward as this film is, there are moments that can only be described as, sublime.
If you read the film through the faces of its characters you'll have a memorable experience.
The pain and anger in Amanda Donohue's face is as entertaining and shattering as anything Bette Davis has ever done.
Mark Whalberg ambles down into the film scene with a bang, looking straight into the camera, inviting us to "get busy".
The faces of the students, Molly Parker and Martin Cummins among them, tell us, in beautiful close ups, how much their murderous teacher has done for them.
Then the teacher tells them how much they mean to her, we see the kids faces from above as her point of view.
Last but not least is the amazing score by Gerald Gouriet (Madame Souzatska, Seeds of Tragedy) All in all I had the feeling that a genial mind was at work here, but chained to some kind of wall of mediocrity.
I was curious about "The Substitute" because it was Mark Whalberg's debut as an actor but I couldn't have imagined the pleasures that this off beat melodrama had to offer.
Elegantly told with unexpected holes in the narration here and there but with a thrilling central performance by Amanda Donohoe that left me kind of breathless.
Amanda Donohe looking at herself in the mirror at different times of her shattering journey gives you clues as to were her mind is.
What does she actually see when she looks into the mirror?
Question is: If the music was supposed to be a homage to Bernard Herrmann (the composer of Hitchcock's Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest, Marnie) then Mr Gouriet did a great job.
Perhaps director Donovan prescribed the similarity on purpose, as many visual passages in this film have been resolved in the non-realistic -almost oneiric- way Hitchcok staged some scenes in his films.
A case in point: when Josh is reading the newspaper microfilms at the library, titles (in red) are superimposed over the pages of the newspaper.
When the camera shoots down on the smiling and hopeful faces of students is another moment where viewers realize a professional director is holding the reins.
An Explosive Amanda Donohoe.
Amanda Donohoe creates a very human monster.
That pain that you perceive in every one of her smiles is like an emotional ticking bomb that sooner or later is going to explode.
I had to be reminded this movie was made for cable TV about two decades ago and that may explain its inconsistencies.
There is a clear ambition, visual and dramatic in this surprising movie - look at that triangular moment at the school party.
Father, son and teacher.
It bears repeating that Amanda Donohoe's performance deserves some kind of trophy.
Dalton James, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Molly Parker and even Mark Wahlberg making his film debut have moments of beauty and power.
The film, made for Cable, is far from perfect but the truth is I was engrossed.
Amanda Donohoe gives a fantastic performance as someone trying to hide from her own past and failing in the most devastating way.
Great part of the film is just mesmerizing.
Young faces full of something lyrical and magic.
When i first saw this movie was a few years ago because i had it on VHS.Back then i thought that the movie deserved 5/10 (Average) but i bought the DVD with good image and sound it made to give this movie a 7.
The music score is excellent and the movie (instead of having some minor flaws) is very entertaining.In this film Mark Wahlberg made his debut and you can tell but he is acceptable because of his charisma&attitude.Amanda Donohoe has done the biggest role in her career in this movie.But this just my opinion.Watching this movie you'll not be disappointed because Amanda Donohoe is Bete Davis of our times..
I must admit, I am usually a bit dubious when looking at TV movies, as in most cases they are quite poor, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised.
This was mainly due to the superb performance of Amanda Donaghue, who made a convincing & sympathetic psychotic killer (why is it every feature film has to have a British nasty?
I know they are always good, but come on), which makes a change from the usual one diminsional characters.
The rest of the cast played the part too, & were quite good, making you at least believe in them, though there was the usual nonsense of ancient pupils, who were in alot of cases not much younger than Amanda Donaghue.
So although the film had nothing that hadn't been seen before, it is not bad, & worth a look if only for Miss Donaghue.
Now, why didn't I have a horny teacher like her when I was at school..
Martin Donovan directs this film with an inspired cast.
"The Substitute" seems to be a movie of the week feature that we had never seen.
It was shown on a cable channel the other night and while the film doesn't even attempt to break new ground on the horror genre, it will not bore the viewer.
Thankfully, it's only 87 minutes long!The best excuse for watching the movie is Amanda Donohue, an actress that has done some interesting work.
Her take on the evil teacher is right on target.
Ms. Donohue plays the dual role of Gayle/Laura with great style, something she has always brought to other roles.
She registers a lot of emotion without appearing ghoulish.The young supporting cast is good.
Dalton James plays Josh, a young man that gets a taste of what Laura is capable of doing.
He was still trying to find his way around the movie business.
Natasha Gregson Wagner plays a bland Jenny, Josh's girlfriend.
Finally, Eugene Robert Glazer is seen as Josh's father and the object of Laura's sudden interest.See the film with an open mind..
It has been awhile since audiences have seen Amanda Donohoe.
(Remember L.A. Law?).She is actually quite good as a teacher with less than good intentions; she looks mysterious and menacing.
It is surprising also that Mark Wahlberg (previously known as "Marky Mark") is in this film I recently saw him in "The Shooter" and he has come a long way.For a TV suspense film this is not bad.
Dalton James ("90210") also has a part as Ben's son, who realizes Donohoe is capable of murder.
There are a few scenes reminiscent of Psycho, when he is in the library collecting information about the teacher and her murderous history.
Natasha Gregson Wagner also has a small part as a student and Molly Parker ("Intensity").All in all, not a bad film for a rainy day..
I finally came to view this, yesterday, if only for Marky Mark Wahlberg.
He gives a kind of breakthrough, if memorable performance.
Suck factor: he dies 51 minutes into the movie, at which point I, turned off.
Killing MM in this film, is like sticking a knife right in the belly of it, his life, taken by the murderous crazed, hottie teach, Donahue, a human sex magnet to the eyes of any male, much more ones, who are undersexed.
She killed her former hottie husband, after catching him in bed with one of her students, and from there, she just loses it, where cut to the present, she's starting a whole new life, in a new town, and new school, substituting for an old hag, the students were glad to see go.
She catches the eye of a young good male student, whose hormones are working overtime.
The Substitute, the same title taken a few years later by that Berenger school yard film, is stupid, but marvelously and addictively entertaining, shot how 90's t.v movies were shot, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
Donahue, gives a memorably knock out performance, while Wahlberg, generates so much charm, and natural ease in it's acting.
You can look at it, as bad, or is it?
I'm sorry I turned off after 51 minutes, but it just wasn't right, disposing of Wahlberg, like a down right low kick to the guts..
Amanda Donohoe's performance is the highlight of this TV film.Gale had it all.
Students who loved her and an adoring husband.
Apparently, he found another love and when he was caught in the act, he is killed along with his lover.Gale runs off to Minnesota and begins a new teaching career.
With Mrs. Fisher, the regular teacher, out on sick leave and probably taking early retirement, Laura Ellington, her new name, gets a long-term position and works with extremely difficult youngsters.She now looks like a witch and is quite a character.
When Mrs. Fisher announces her surprise return, Laura does away with her so as to get the teaching position permanently.The film, as is the case with many others of this type, begins to deteriorate as the bodies pile up.
Laura goes to bed with one of the students and then takes up with his widowed father.
Mark Wahlberg plays a troubled student.
When he follows Ms. Ellington to Mrs. Fisher's house, she kills him.I'll stop here because the ending is contrived ...but wild.
Our school systems stink but a teacher like this, wow!.
Amanda Donohue stars as a wonderful teacher with a dark side - she kills people.
Amanda Donohue was flawless in her portrayal of both a high school teacher and a psycho loon.
This film also marks Mark Wahlberg's acting debut and you can tell.
Dalton James was alright, but Natasha Gregson Wagner, who looks she's balding, was quite boring.More suspense was needed as was some development of the supporting characters (Wagner, Wahlberg, etc...).
Aside from a few lost plots, bad performances and scenes of standard thriller fare, check it out.
this movie starts well but.....
What can i tell about this movie is that it is one of that movies which could have been great but instead it remained mediocre eventually.The theme is great could have been a great scary movie but it doesn't have gore in it and boys will be disappointed because Amanda Donohoe doesn't show some flesh.The positive sides of this movie are the performance of Mark Wahlberg billed here as Marky Mark and Amanda Donohue.Unfortunately for Marky Mark fans,he didn't sing in this movie.He appeared almost until the middle of the movie, so until here the movie was pretty interesting but after Marky Mark disappears the movie appears to be pretty boring.So Amanda Donohue and Marky Mark bring some attitude and talent to this movie but it is not enough for a movie to be good.THE SUBSTITUTE has a mediocre story,it isn't suspenseful enough and the rest of the cast didn't make a good job and yeah Amanda Donohue is like Bette Davis in this film.if will appear a DVD with an unrated version of this movie where we can see the 2 sex scenes extended and gore scenes also then maybe i will buy the DVD and i would enjoy it..
Somewhere Between Good And Evil.
This surprising film made for Paramount television includes some startling cinematic strokes and a phenomenal performance by Amanda Donohoe.
She plays not just a good teacher but a great one.
Discovering that her husband is cheating on her with one of her students, something inside her snaps.
She kills her husband and his lover, burns the house down and disappears.
We find her some time later in another school becoming a substitute teacher with a brand new identity.
That's all I'm going to say, those are the first few minutes of the movie.
Amanda Donohoe never look so beautiful, so strong or so vulnerable.
We are aware of her internal struggle between the goodness that she always nurtured and the evil that made a home inside her.
The film has extraordinary moment of lyrical beauty.
But what's good is really terrific and makes the film a worthy case for re-evaluation/ 8 out of 10.
All She Ever Wanted Was A New Start in Life!.
**SOME SPOILERS** You can't deny the fact that Laura Ellington, Amanda Donohoe,is a great teacher in both looks, looking like a very glamorous classy and much younger Margot Kidder, and in motivating her students in her high-school English study class when she brings out their inner most and creative feelings when their made to recite the great classics of 17th 18th 19th and even 20th Century English Literature.
The only drawback that Laura has, and it's a big one,is that she's a fugitive from justice in the murder and arson of her cheating husband Doug, Martin Martinuzzi, and his lover Claire Bilino, Justine Priesttey.
This happened back in Albany New York when she was Gayle Richards the year before.With a new identity and new job at the Barker Spring Minn.
high school Laura takes her job very seriously and makes sure her students do the same thing by getting them off their butts and in their books.
Before you, and the school administration, know it the worst bunch of Barker Spring High students become candidates for Rhodes Scholarship's due to Laura's exceptional teaching methods.At the school Laura takes a very strong liking to one of her students.
The sensitive, he's trying to get over the recent tragic death of his mom, and very handsome 18 year-old Josh Wyatt, Dalton James.
One night running into Josh she invites him over at her place where in no time at all seduced the startled and at the same time happy young man.
Telling Josh to keep the affair with her to himself Laura really messes up his mind later when she starts to have an affair with Josh's widowed father Ben,Eugune Robert Glazer.
This so greatly upsets the young man that it causes Josh to fall behind in his studies and at the same time develop a number of serious psychological problems that just about destroys his social life.Everything goes very well for Laura until she's suddenly called into Principal Beatty, Patricia Grge, office and told that the the teacher that she's been replacing a Mrs. Fisher (Sheila Patterson), who was thought by everyone was going to retire, was coming back to teach in the school and that Laura would have to be let go.
Sneaking into Mrs. Fisher's house Laura get's the elderly woman, who looks like she's in her 80's, to have a fatal heart-attack by sticking her pet cat into the oven roasting the poor kiddie to a crisp.
Laura doesn't know that she was seen by one of her students the class loudmouth Ryan Westernberg, Mark Wahlberg, entering Mrs. Fisher's house the night that she died.
Big mouth Ryan now threatens to tell the cops all he knows unless Laura puts him, who has the worst academic scores in school, on the list to receive a full scholarship!Meeting Ryan outside his home Laura instead of agreeing to give the blackmailing creep a scholarship slices his throat open with a broken whiskey bottle, that he was drinking out of and offered her a free swig, leaving Ryan unconscious and bleeding to death.
Josh going to check out the local police criminal database finds out about Laura's past as the fugitive murderess Gayle Richards.
With the walls now starting to close in on Laura she becomes more and more unstable and unpredictable.The movie leads up to a double attack on both Josh's father Ben and girlfriend Jenny, Natasha Gegson Wagner, by the now insane Laura as her past, as Gayle Richards, finally catches up with her.
With her ending up trapped on the roof of the high school confronted by Josh with the Baker Spring PD surrounding the place.***SPOILERS*** Trying to talk Laura into giving herself up Josh is unable to keep her from slipping and falling to her "death" which looked so ridicules since Laura fell no more then ten feet without as much as even mussing up her hair much less breaking her neck.
We later learn that Laura indeed survived her fall as we see her applying for a new job, with a blond wig, as a teacher at another school.
We can only hope that the students there don't suffer the same fate that those, as well the the teachers students families and administrators, suffered at Baker Springs High..
"Gayle Richards" (Amanda Donohoe) is a successful high school teacher who comes home from work to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary with her husband.
So, she tells her husband she has to go away for a few days to see her mother.
That evening she catches him in bed with that same student.
Feeling betrayed and ridiculed she ends up killing both of them and sets the entire house on fire.
After that she leaves New York and drops out of sight for a year and then turns up in a small town in Minnesota under the name of "Laura Ellington".
Unfortunately, she is still unable to come to terms with her past and not long afterward sleeps with one of her students named "Josh Wyatt" (Dalton James).
Besides being inappropriate it also causes problems for both of them when she starts dating Josh's father, "Ben Wyatt" (Eugene Glazer).
At any rate, because this film was a "made-for-television" production it goes without saying that some scenes were toned down to accommodate a general television audience.
This caused the film to seem less intense than it could have been.
Even so, it was still entertaining to a certain degree and probably merits an average score, all things considered.