She did not, she says, attempt to teach the kids about poetry by organising a Dylan Thomas v Bob Dylan contest (one of its most famous scenes) rather, she used rap lyrics. Johnson visited the set once, and soon twigged that her story was being changed beyond recognition. “They came to my classroom, with Pfeiffer – I knew who she was, but when they introduced themselves I said: ‘So Mr Bruckheimer, have you made any movies I might have seen?’ And he said Flashdance, Sleeping With The Enemy, and I said: ‘Oh! If I’d known you were famous I’d have been more impressed.’ I was kidding, but they didn’t know what to think!” Perpetuating a myth “I think Bruckheimer and Don Simpson were insulted because I didn’t know how famous they were,” she says. Johnson, who describes herself as “outspoken”, had no interest in kowtowing to Hollywood royalty. I said: ‘I know you didn’t, therefore I won’t rip your lips off – although I have been trained to do that!’” I think it was Jerry Bruckheimer who said: ‘Michelle probably won’t play it because she’s too pretty to be a teacher. Who do you think should play you?’ I said: ‘Oh, I don’t know… Bette Midler?’ Then they told me that Michelle Pfeiffer read it and wanted to do it.

She recalls the project’s genesis with a combination of fondness and bemusement: “They called me and said: ‘We are going to make a movie.

It could even afford to leave an entire romantic subplot between Pfeiffer and then-Hollywood heartthrob Andy Garcia on the cutting room floor.ĭangerous Minds was based on the autobiographical 1992 book My Posse Don’t Do Homework by US Marine-turned-teacher LouAnne Johnson, who is now in her 60s and still teaching. Reviews were generally poor (“stereotypical, predictable and simplified to the point of meaninglessness”, complained the Los Angeles Times “sentimental and often strains credibility”, said Variety) but they didn’t matter: the film’s lead performance – Pfeiffer floats through the film without dislodging a single honeyed, shimmering lock – and triumph-over-adversity narrative struck a chord with audiences nationwide.

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