187 (2024)

187

187 is the title of a movie that tells the tale of a teacher from high school who loses his reasoning faculty. This can be easily believed, especially based on the schools in the film, where classrooms are ruled by violent bullies and administrators are spineless, scared of lawsuits, unwilling to defend their teachers. However, for its more reflective viewers, this is what makes it an unsettling film.

“Trevor” is played by Samuel L. Jackson; he’s a very dedicated and skilled teacher who demonstrates centrifugal force before me with which I wanted to experiment. The pages of his textbook have ‘187’ written on them; this number is a police code for “homicide.” It’s a threat from one of his students that he concludes. His principal doesn’t show any empathy or support him in any way by saying “You know what your problem is?

On the one hand you think someone is going to kill you and on the other hand you actually think kids are paying attention in your class.” Trevor was assaulted because his fears were real; he was seriously hurt and then 15 months later, found himself with a new job as a substitute science teacher in San Fernando Valley after moving to California from New York City. He has changed though. The robbery of my passion, my spark , my unguarded self,” Trevor admits to Ellen (Kelly Rowan), another teacher friend.

“I miss them.” Not even in California was there an improvement over New York. If these same educators try to discipline them they will threaten court actions against their own parents outside their schools while at school Thugs and gangsters along with bandits challenge all teachers for classroom control throwing tantrums about being sued if anyone intervenes illegally This seems like it is not done anywhere within this whole education system Students fake their readiness for studying while teachers pretend teaching without rocking anyone’s boat.

However, Trevor isn’t like every other person; he is not just a teacher. Although he grows closer to her, she can feel that there is a barrier that will never be broken down between them, and he quotes the desperate cry of Thomas Wolfe that loneliness is the human condition. He does his best. He suggests tutoring for a girl called Rita, but she misinterprets him and offers herself to have sex with him in return.

And I wished I hadn’t once set my foot into Benny’s house; it was where the violent delinquent lived. Childress (John Heard), a jaded teacher who learns that he’s also the famous one formerly attacked out East, talks Trevor through this: “I’m giving advice to a guy with a Purple Heart.” Afterward, everything falls into place in ways that I am not going to talk about here but which raise serious questions concerning motivation and even whether the movie should have had climaxing finale as such at all?

The screenplay written by Scott Yagemann and helmed by Kevin Reynolds (“Waterworld”) has aspects which are thoughtful and hard about inner city schools and other elements that belong more in an action or war film.

At last, I know Trevor has gone nuts. This fact I understand and believe in it though. However, it seems like the movie lost sight of its original story impulse and chose instead to rely on thriller clichés for safety reasons. What has happened doesn’t seem connected with how they got there at all.

In spite of that, “187” is an excellent film because it is a great piece of Jackson’s work, which contains many notes; here he can almost quite bring the teacher to life but towards the end this opportunity is wasted by plot manipulations. I also enjoyed the slight sweetness in Rowan as a friendly teacher, although it doesn’t seem to have been resolved effectively enough. The young actors playing dangerous students are focused and direct: i.e., Lobo Sebastian as Benny and Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez as Cesar.

However, I’m not sure. If you watched the movie, ask yourself if the last third was really interesting to see. Was there another way to present similar frustration and despair? In the final showdown do they prove anything at all? What do they think they are proving? Motivation seems to be hazy on each side though.

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