In the fall of 1994, a teacher at Chicago's run-down Steinmetz High conspires with the school's academic decathlon team to cheat on an academic competition.
Acting
Jena Malone's breakout—watch a star being born in real time.
Writing
Dialogue that makes you root for cheaters. Uncomfortably.
Direction
Stockwell captures Chicago's decaying hope like a documentary.
Director
John Stockwell
Jeff Daniels
Dr. Gerard Plecki
Jena Malone
Jolie Fitch
Paul Sorvino
Constantine Kiamos
Luke Edwards
Darius Bettus
Blake Heron
Matt Kur
Boyd Banks
State Speech Judge
Dov Tiefenbach
Irwin Flickas
Ned Eisenberg
Robert Clifford
Robert Joy
Larry Minkoff
Lenka Peterson
Mrs. Plecki
Alex Poch-Goldin
Jerry Marconi
Karen Glave
Corrine Davis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Dr. Plecki lost his teaching license and became a paralegal; the film shot at the actual Steinmetz High School with some original team members as extras.
Premiered on HBO in 2000 as part of their 'true crime' wave before the genre exploded—this helped establish the 'prestige TV movie' format.
US
