Chalk: movie review

By Peter Tran, staff writer
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Put away your pencils and step up to the board. Chalk is an endearing mockumentary about the emotional journey of three young teachers and a rookie instructor as they venture through the life of high school. It is a perfect blend of teenage humor and affection.

The backbone of this mockumentary is the well-crafted characters. With a loose script, they give the movie its comedic effect without losing the "realness."

Mr. Lowrey (Troy Schremmer) is a clumsy first-year history teacher who stutters through his lectures. Initially, he has extreme difficulty controlling and connecting with his pupils. When a student asks how long he has been teaching, Lowrey replies with a wry, "I would say [uneasy pause as he looks at the clock] about 45 minutes."

Lowrey's foil character, Mr. Stroope, is a third year teacher who is committed to winning the title of Teacher of the Year. No one will forget his hilarious campaign and the face-reddening "Teacher of the Year Debate" scene, where the overzealous Stroope goes miles too far.

Coach Webb is the hilarious female P.E. teacher with an undoubtedly manly haircut; ironically, she wonders why men don't approach her. Who could resist her forward attitude, workplace crush, and seemingly overflowing pile of complaints?

Chalk is a must-see for any type of audience: high school students, college students, teachers, retired teachers, and even parents. The plot is real; the cast is charming; the situations are endearing, and in its vast piles of over-the-top humor and perfectly sensible wit, "Chalk" clearly breaks the curve.

Score: 10/10
Running Time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Rated PG-13 for some language