I'm technically a third-generation teacher, but only my mom was really in it for the long haul: she taught music at several inner-city public schools for over 20 years and, not surprisingly, had to endure her fair share of chaos both in and out of the classroom. But even if you only taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Kansas like my late grandmother or led art classes in a private gallery like me, it's a difficult job that can burn you out quickly if you're not fully committed to it. Worse yet, most teachers usually face opposition on both sides: from students who won't want to be there, and from administrators that have vastly different opinions on how they should be doing their job. Anyone who's ever said "teachers have it easy" or "they get paid all year but take the summer off" is speaking from inexperience, just like those who abuse waiters and waitresses without having worked in a busy restaurant kitchen.

Arthur Hiller's Teachers (1984) is aimed at those who taught in the trenches...but to be fair, anyone who's peeked behind the curtain of public schooling will likely be in on the joke. I'd imagine those expecting a more traditional comedy or feel-good drama would likely switch it off before the 20-minute mark, but make no mistake about it: Teachers is two-thirds Network with its wild swipes at inept administrators, red tape, and other easy targets...and even though it switches gears much too often (especially near the end, where it flashes something of a compromised smile), there's enough meat here to rank it as more of an overlooked gem than a dated relic from the Reagan years.

Nick Nolte stars as Alex Jurel, a teacher of fifteen years at overcrowded, chaotic John F. Kennedy High School. The administrators, led by Principal Eugene Horn (William Schallert) and Vice Principal Roger Rubell (Judd Hirsch), are facing a lawsuit for graduating an illiterate young man. Former student and current lawyer Lisa Hammond (JoBeth Williams) handles depositions from the other teachers including a burned-out "busy work" enthusiast (Royal Dano), an escaped mental patient disguised as a popular substitute (Richard Mulligan), and a flustered teacher whose best intentions are squandered by his students' disrespect (Allen Garfield). Meanwhile, the administrators attempt to brush this lawsuit under the rug, convinced that eliminating bad PR is better than fixing the problem at hand.

There's a lot going on during Teachers and most of it sticks pretty well, even more than 30 years later. The film's late third-act shift to "uplifting drama" still rings hollow, but what has aged well are the film's razor sharp one-liners and terrific supporting performances by Ralph Macchio (as Eddie Pilikian, a disinterested young student of Jurel with unsupportive parents) Crispin Glover (as Danny Reese, an anti-social loose cannon), Laura Dern (Diane Warren, a somewhat timid young student carrying a teacher's baby), and Morgan Freeman (Alan Lewis, a lawyer who attempts to steer the depositions in the administration's favor), among others. The end result feels a bit uneven at times, and first-time viewers (especially non-teachers) might be scared off or balk at the film's not-so-subtle message: you can't blame one person for a failing school system, and it's not something that can be fixed overnight.

Teachers was only released once on DVD by MGM back in 2007; it's apparently gone out-of-print and was also never reviewed anywhere. This means that Olive Films' new Blu-ray may or may not represent a huge upgrade in image quality; it certainly looks and sounds pretty good this time around, but the complete lack of bonus features (especially considering its deep supporting cast) is disappointing. Even so, the film's strengths are obvious more often than not, enough to make this a passable stand-alone package that should definitely appeal to established fans.

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Teachers earns passing marks in high definition. I don't own MGM's 2007 DVD and couldn't locate any reviews online in regards to its image quality...but based on what's here, I can reasonably assume that it most likely uses the same master. Dirt and debris are present but hardly distracting, while the overall image displays a good amount of detail with accurate color reproduction and an overall look that's right in line with films from the era. Snowy exterior shots also look more subdued than the school's fluorescent-lit hallways, as they should. So while this isn't a squeaky-clean and vivid presentation, Teachers aims for a down-and-dirty, natural appearance that ties in with its genre-bending ambitions. No glaring digital imperfections could be spotted on this single-layered disc, aside from trace amounts of digital noise. Overall, die-hard fans should be pleased.

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation replicates the film's stereo roots nicely, but I'm not aware if any attempts were made to create a 5.1 remix for the DVD. Dialogue and music are typically clean and well-defined without fighting for attention, while plenty of moments also feature strong channel separation and modest depth (noisy classrooms, soundtrack cues, etc.). Don't get me wrong: your speakers or subwoofer won't get much of a workout overall, but what we get here is more than acceptable for any film from this era. Unfortunately, no optional English subtitles or captions have been included during the main feature, which isn't all that surprising for an Olive disc.

If you've never taught a year in your life---or at least caught a whiff of what goes on behind the scenes at your average public school---Arthur Hiller's Teachers is probably not for you. The film's dark and wild swipes at inept administration, red tape, and other easy targets make this underrated 1984 satire feel like a scrappy cousin of Network, but it also has a bad habit of switching gears too often. The result is usually entertaining but frequently jarring, which might scare off first-timers that aren't ready for its wild mood swings. Either way, the performances are strong with reliable turns by Nick Nolte and post-Karate Kid Ralph Macchio, among others, as well as future well-knowns including Morgan Freeman, Crispin Glover, and Laura Dern. Olive Films' Blu-ray is meant to replace MGM's out-of-print 2007 DVD...and though I'm not sure of that disc's specs or quality, this Blu-ray has a solid A/V presentation and no extras. Recommended for established fans, but those new to the film should rent it first.