The Substitute (1996)

"The Substitute" (1996) is an action-thriller and cult classic directed by Robert Mandel and stars Tom Berenger and Ernie Hudson. By 1996, Hollywood established that films about white teachers coming to inner-city schools and turning things around were successful enough at the box office to continue to produce. For example, there was "The Principal" (1987), "Dangerous Minds" (1995), "Sunset Park" (1996), and "The Substitute." It was apparent enough that "High School High" was a spoof of those movies. Regardless, "The Substitute" stepped up the level and brought intense action to the inner-city high school theme. Additional cast members include William Forsythe, Marc Anthony, Glenn Plummer, Diane Venora, and Shar-Ron Corley. Inner-city high school-themed movies usually had primarily multicultural student populations. Mandel filmed "The Substitute" at Miami Sr. High School.

Director: Robert Mandel

Writers: Roy Frumkes, Rocco Simonelli, Alan Ormsby

Starring Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Marc Anthony, Glenn Plummer, Diane Venora, Shar-Ron Corley, William Forsythe, Raymond Cruz, William Forsythe, Luis Guzmán, Richard Brooks, Vincent Laresca, Maurice Compte, Beau Weaver, Cliff De Young, Willis Sparks, Noelle Beck, Jody Wilson, Jim Warne, Ian Marioles, María Celedonio, David Spates, David Hayes, Peggy Pope, Rodney A. Grant

Storyline

Inner-city Miami schoolteacher Jane Hetzko (Diane Venora) gets her knee broken when she stands up to the gang leader, Juan Lacas (Marc Anthony). Her boyfriend, mercenary combat specialist Jonathan Shale (Tom Berenger), goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the gang but soon discovers that Lacas is merely an underling for the actual criminal mastermind.

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

"Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993) is a comedy movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, who reprises her role as a Las Vegas entertainer, Deloris. Directed by Bill Duke, the writers loosely based the story on Crenshaw High School choir instructor Iris Stevenson. In this film, Delores accepts a position as a teacher at St. Francis Academy in San Francisco, where she is responsible for teaching music to a group of unruly teenagers. The movie was highly successful at the box office earning $125 million on a $38 budget. It also introduced Lauren Hill to a broader audience as she was the headline singer in the movie. While she was a member of the Fugees before starring in the film, the group still hadn't reached commercial success. This film was an excellent vehicle for Lauren Hill's career.

This movie follows the formula of the typical inner-city multicultural school-themed films from the 90s. It has a cheesy charm, but it is a Disney film, so expect a lot of fun and feel-good moments. The music is fantastic, with a soundtrack that went gold. It reached #74 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and #40 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Director: Bill Duke

Writers: James Orr, Jim Cruickshank, Judi Ann Mason, Paul Rudnick

Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Barnard Hughes, Mary Wickes, James Coburn, Michael Jeter, Wendy Makkena, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Robert Pastorelli, Thomas Gottschalk, Maggie Smith, Lauryn Hill, Brad Sullivan, Alanna Ubach, Ryan Toby, Ron Johnson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Devin Kamin, Christian Fitzharris, Tanya Blount, Mehran Marcos Sedghi

Storyline

In this sequel, Las Vegas performer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) is surprised by a visit from her nun friends, Sister Mary Patrick (Kathy Najimy) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Mary Wickes). It appears Deloris is needed in her nun guise as Sister Mary Clarence to help teach music to teens at a troubled school in hopes of keeping the facility from closing at the hands of Mr. Crisp (James Coburn), a callous administrator.