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One Eight Seven

Play trailer Poster for One Eight Seven R 1997 1h 59m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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30% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When a student writes the police code for homicide, 187, inside a textbook owned by teacher Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson), he feels threatened. The principal dismisses the incident, but, soon after, Trevor is stabbed by the same student. Fifteen months later, a physically and emotionally scarred Trevor relocates to California and takes up substitute teaching. To his dismay, his new school is as full of dangerously undisciplined students as the last one, driving Trevor over the edge.
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One Eight Seven

Critics Reviews

View All (27) Critics Reviews
Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Rated: 1.5/5 Mar 10, 2003 Full Review Susan Stark Detroit News Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It feels like the movie lost the nerve of its original story impulse and sought safety in elements borrowed from thrillers. Its destination doesn't have much to do with how it got there. Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Chuck O'Leary FulvueDrive-in.com A compelling, sobering drama about a well-intentioned high-school teacher driven over the edge by criminal student predators. Jackson gives a commanding, very empathetic performance. Rated: 8/10 Mar 5, 2006 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jul 18, 2005 Full Review Greg Maki Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) Rated: 3/5 Jan 31, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (566) audience reviews
Audience Member Grossly underrated and well-worth the watch and reflection. I don't really get the poor reviews, but to each their own. I think it's a thoughtful, sobering tragedy, with no heroes or moralizations, only humans pushing and pulling against their principles, and the horrific lengths they will go to embody them. The actors' performances are awesome. My main complaint is that, for the sake of realism, the high schoolers should have been played by actual high schoolers. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/24 Full Review Cassie D The entire script relies on stereotypes and tropes. It's bad writing and it's driving hysteria and fear about certain groups of people. The performances are solid, they just had garbage to work with. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Audience Member Not convincing on so many levels starting with a cast of “high school students” that have to be at least 25 to 30 years old. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/15/24 Full Review Chief B Underrated gem I don't get the low score it gets.. L jackson is fantastic so is the whole cast. The movie has a great soundtrack plus the cinematography is pretty unique. The colors used fantastic. Great movie Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/17/23 Full Review Wayne K The first top-billed role of Samuel L. Jacksons career, a man who's had the greatest success as a supporting player when I really think about it, 187 claims that ~90% of the events depicted actually took place. As exaggerated as that number might seem, having watched the film last night, I'm inclined to believe it. I've worked as a teacher for years, and the idea of meeting and spending time with a group of complete strangers can be as inspiring as it is terrifying. Some have complained that the film contains elements more closely associated with a war or gangster movie, but that's the point. The violent and tumultuous lives these student live outside of school are obviously going to influence their behaviour when they actually come to class. Living in a very gang orientated area of the city means you're inevitably going to encounter people who are involved in such activities, willingly or otherwise. Jackson plays a man who's fallen out of love with his profession because of how the system has failed him in the past, but he's still trying to do his best even when the odds are against him. The film goes down some pretty dark roads, and it doesn't feel like it cops out and offers up any easy solutions or trite conclusions. Even when our lead takes seemingly extreme measures, the situation he's in makes these actions understandable. I can guarantee you that even the kindest and most patient of teachers has had ill thoughts regarding some students of theres. Most will watch or revisit it because of Mr. Jackson, and that's understandable, but it's raw, unflinching look at the education system, especially in dangerous, deprived areas, is more than worth 2 hours of your time. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm sure they weren't tryna win no academy awards with this one but I've always liked this film! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/02/22 Full Review Read all reviews
One Eight Seven

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a student writes the police code for homicide, 187, inside a textbook owned by teacher Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson), he feels threatened. The principal dismisses the incident, but, soon after, Trevor is stabbed by the same student. Fifteen months later, a physically and emotionally scarred Trevor relocates to California and takes up substitute teaching. To his dismay, his new school is as full of dangerously undisciplined students as the last one, driving Trevor over the edge.
Director
Kevin Reynolds
Producer
Bruce Davey, Stephen McEveety
Screenwriter
Scott Yagemann
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 21, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.7M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Surround
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