Marisa Coughlan and Katie Holmes in "Teaching Mrs. Tingle."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film an: Stars: Helen Mirren and Katie Holmes Director: Kevin Williamson Rated: PG-13, with profanity, violence, implied sex Length: 94 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(Aug. 20, 1999) -- A high school teacher gives a top student a "C" on a major project when she clearly deserve an "A." And that "C" means the girl won't get a much-needed college scholarship.

Who can blame the student for dreaming about revenge?

In Teaching Mrs. Tingle, a modest black comedy strictly for the adolescent crowd, Leigh Ann Watson (Katie Holmes) finds her dark fantasies coming true.

The film originally was titled Killing Mrs. Tingle and scheduled for an earlier release. Its title and release date were changed, though, in the wake of the Columbine High School tragedy, and a few new scenes were filmed.

As it turns out, Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a better title, anyway. And the final film contains nothing that could be tied to serious, real-life high school tragedies. It's even rated PG-13, which is a rarity among modern teen movies.

But while Teaching Mrs. Tingle isn't exploitative, it lacks the satirical edge or intelligence of other recent films set in high school, including Election.

Hot writer Kevin Williamson (Scream and TV's Dawson's Creek) makes a bland directorial debut that will make few viewers tingle. He creates little tension or excitement on his own and leans heavily on the inestimable Helen Mirren to generate the film's few sparks as the dastardly Mrs. Tingle. (The stage-trained veteran has starred in PBS's Prime Suspect and the daring The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.)

Holmes (also of Dawson's Creek) is the smart, immensely likable Leigh Ann. She's clearly the bright prospect among her friends, which include Jo Lynn (Marisa Coughlan), who dreams of becoming a movie star, and Luke Churner (Barry Watson), who doesn't dream much at all.

Senior history teacher Mrs. Tingle, though, has an immense chip on her shoulder (which this superficial script never fully explains). She does everything she can to undercut the high achievers in her class, especially Leigh Ann.

One night, Leigh Ann and two of her friends nervously visit the home of the mean-spirited Mrs. Tingle to beg for fairness. When they're thwarted, things turn progressively ugly until the teacher is knocked backward and hits her head.

When she awakens, she finds that the trio has tied her hands to bedposts and are plotting to blackmail or threaten her into giving them fair grades.

In other words, the students don't go looking for trouble. They trip haphazardly into it -- and then mess up even more.

Williamson's script generates an appropriate set-up for a black comedy but never fully develops it, and the film winds down to a simplistic, user-friendly finale.

Holmes is appealing as Leigh Ann, though she fails to adequately explore her character's deepening moral dilemma.

Coughlan is more playful as the flamboyant Jo Lynn, even contributing a funny imitation of Linda Blair in The Exorcist. Barry Watson nearly disappears, though, as the under-written Luke.

Of course, the film's young actors could learn a lot from Mirren's performance. Even though she's slumming in this film, Mirren is a charismatic, thoughtful actress who enlivens every scene she's in.

All in all, this latest high school project is a mixed offering. Unlike Leigh Ann's "A" work, Teaching Mrs. Tingle gets -- and deserves -- a "C."