James Belushi, Louis Gossett Jr., Rae Dawn Chong, Michael Wright, J.J. Cohen, Kelly Jo Minter, Esai Morales, Troy Winbush, Jacob Vargas, Thomas Ryan,...
Runtime:
109 min
MPAA Rating:
R
In Theaters:
Sep 18, 1987
Distribution:
Sony / Columbia
Production:
Dorica Film, ML Delphi Premier Productions, TriStar Pictures
Rick Latimer is a high-school teacher with a drinking problem. Spotting his ex-wife in a bar one night, Rick gets into a fight with the man she's with, culminating in his beating the hapless man's car with a baseball bat. The board of education then decides that the best way to deal with Rick is to kick him upstairs - transferring him to another school, Brandel High, known as a run-down school where gangs rule the hallways, while promoting him to the no-win position of new principal. Rather than sitting back and letting things stay the same, Rick attempts to have a school assembly to declare his intentions for the school - "No more." No more drugs, running in the hallways or being late to class. While he's giving his speech, Victor Duncan, the leader of the main gang in the school, walks in, derides Rick in front of everyone, then walks out, which eventually results in a small riot, which earns Rick the enmity of not only the teachers but also school custodian Jake.
Eventually, Rick manages to enforce his policy of getting rid of the drugs being dealt in the bathrooms and clearing out the hallways - but not always with success. Because the students are now forced to go to class, some of the more unruly students disrupt the class, including White Zac, who eventually attempts to rape one of the teachers, Ms. Orozco. Victor, meanwhile, continues to assert his influence on the school, going so far as to brutally beat a former member of his gang and hang him by his ankles when the member warms to Rick and actually starts learning. The clash between Rick and Victor eventually leads to a showdown in the school halls, where Jake is temporarily locked inside a supply closet while Victor and his gang hunt down Rick. In the end, Victor and Rick fight each other with their fists, with Victor seemingly having the upper hand until Rick stops him and declares, "My turn!" Rick then beats Victor, pushing him back until he knocks Victor out in front of the rest of the school, which had been waiting outside to see who would win. When some of the students start fighting each other over the result, Rick again declares "No more!" Victor is taken away in a police car, and as a student derisively asks "Hey man, who the hell do you think you are?", Rick responds "I'm the principal, man!" and rides away on his motorcycle.
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