REVIEW: ‘About a Teacher’
Photo: About a Teacher, directed by Hanan Harchol, stars Dov Tiefenbach. Photo courtesy of Hanan Harchol Productions LLC / Provided by press rep with permission.
There’s something sweet, instructive and infectious about the new film About a Teacher, which details the difficulties faced by a public high school teacher in New York City. At times, the narrative can grow tiresome and cliche (20 minutes could have been shaved from the running time), but there’s no doubting that this tale of Hanna Harchol’s struggles in the public education system has a lot of heart and authenticity — and a lot to say.
Dov Tiefenbach plays Mr. Harchol, a character based off the director and his real-life examples of working as a high school teacher. He is a bit lost in life and trying to find his way, and he eventually lands as a media teacher at a local high school. This may be a step in the right direction for his career, or it may be a horrible mistake. Guiding him on this journey is the helpful mentorship of his father, played effectively and funnily by Tibor Feldman.
Mr. Harchol heads to the front of the classroom on day one and almost immediately faces an uphill struggle. The students are talking, not paying attention and laughing at his every word. He is unable to get them quiet and loses control of the classroom.
Watching Mr. Harchol’s trials and tribulations is the ever-present Ms. Murry (Leslie Hendrix), who offers a constant stream of critiques about his teaching style (or lack thereof) and what the state mandates as far as testing and oversight. If he doesn’t get control of his classroom and right this ship, there’s no way he’ll live to see another school year.
The cliche aspect of a film about an educator is probably inevitable. In so many narratives about teachers trying to help out a group of students, eventually progress is made, a rhythm is achieved and success is found. The same goes for About a Teacher, which is now available on Amazon Prime. One can predict what is going to happen, and that’s both a good thing and a bad thing. It makes the movie accessible and safe, but also the story can drag at parts, perhaps because of the audience’s preconceived knowledge that Mr. Harchol is going to dig his way out of this conundrum.
Tiefenbach is an excellent actor, and he is expertly directed by Harchol. No doubt that must have been an interesting dynamic on set because Tiefenbach is essentially playing Harchol himself. In his full-body performance, he is a basket case of nerves and self-doubting, and he meets every furrowed brow with an impassioned plea for help and guidance.
What is the ultimate takeaway from About a Teacher is its tremendous heart. There is a real sense that Mr. Harchol cares and wants to be a genuine mentor to these students, some of whom need help with the media skills he’s teaching them, but also some life skills. Harchol, the character and no doubt the real man, is able to sensitively guide these students — many of them with diverse backgrounds and each with a unique story — to a sense of self-importance, self-respect and mastery of the broadcasting art form.
Harchol, who is making his feature-length debut with About a Teacher, is a voice to watch. He has crafted a deeply personal and at times quite moving exposé on what it means to be an educator in the United States in the 21st century. For this reporter, who is also an educator, that perspective is greatly appreciated.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
About a Teacher (2020). Written and directed by Hanan Harchol. Starring Dov Tiefenbach, Leslie Hendrix, Tibor Feldman and Kate Eastman. Running time: 112 minutes. Rating: 
