Themes: College Life, Teachers and Students, Social Injustice
Main Cast: Tyra Banks, Laurence Fishburne, Busta Rhymes, Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rapaport, Jennifer Connelly, Ice Cube
Release Year: 1995
Country: US
Run Time: 127 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This drama examines the personal, political, and racial dilemmas facing a group of college freshmen as they begin their first semester at Columbus University. Malik (Omar Epps) is an African-American student attending on a track scholarship; academics are not his strong suit, and he goes in thinking that his athletic abilities will earn him a free ride through college. Fudge (Ice Cube), a "professional student" who has been at Columbus for six years so far, becomes friendly with Malik and challenges his views about race and politics in America, while Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne), a black man who teaches political science, firmly tells Malik that he will not be graded on a different standard either because of his race or his ability to run quickly. With Deja (Tyra Banks), Malik finds a girlfriend, a tutor, and a training partner all rolled into one. Meanwhile, Kristen (Kristy Swanson), a somewhat naive young woman from California, meets a boy named Billy (Jay R. Ferguson) after both have had too much to drink at a beer blast; Kristen soon becomes a victim of date rape and becomes involved with a campus feminist group to deal with the painful experience. While working with the women's group, Kristen gets to know Taryn (Jennifer Connelly), a strong but understanding woman who is also a lesbian, and she finds herself becoming attracted to her. And Remy (Michael Rappaport) is a confused young man from the Midwest who feels lost in the multi-cultural atmosphere of Columbus. He is approached by Scott (Cole Hauser), a member of a group of racist skinheads, who believe that Remy is a perfect candidate to help carry out his group's violent goals. Keep an eye peeled for Gwyneth Paltrow, who has a bit part as a student; rap stars Busta Rhymes, D-Knowledge and Mista Grimm also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Though it's overwrought and unrealistic, this ensemble drama from John Singleton was the first, and perhaps only, film to treat the identity politics of fin-de-siècle American universities as a subject for exploration rather than critique (Oleanna) or sophomoric parody (P.C.U.). Despite the heavy-handedness of Singleton's script, Higher Learning actually presents a pretty good cross section of the average state school, which often serves as the first taste for isolated teens of the melting pot they've been hearing about since the start of kindergarten. Omar Epps and Michael Rappaport turn in typically strong work as the track-star protagonist and his budding neo-Nazi foil; both characters come under the influence of ideological older men, setting the stage for both thoughtful character development and overwrought dramatics. Along the way we also get a typically fine supporting turn from Singleton regular Regina King and plenty of cool-cat attitude from a perfectly cast Ice Cube. The weakest of the three main plot strands is the one involving Kristy Swanson's date-rape survivor and tentative lesbian. Swanson actually acquits herself admirably, but the part is clumsily written; it's galling to see yet another film that thinks all lesbians are merely women who hate men, however justified. Throw in the inevitable Tori Amos track during the rape sequence and Jennifer Connelly's serene sapphic sister (named, of course, Taryn) and you've got so many lesbian clichés strung together that the film practically becomes a feminist camp classic. Still, Singleton's sympathetic look at the struggles of a variety of incoming freshmen gives the film breadth (and wider marketing opportunities than his previous efforts); the script also deftly intertwines the paths of its characters, resulting in a film that feels like a unified whole. Laurence Fishburne's regal, concerned professor may be a far cry from the clueless TAs who teach most freshmen courses at big schools, but his performance gives a much-needed grown-up perspective to a film that sometimes mirrors the callowness of its younger characters. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Jason Wiles - Wayne; Randall Batinkoff - Chad Shadowhill; Andrew Bryniarski - Knocko; Bradford English - Officer Bradley; Bill Evans - Security Guard; Laurence Fishburne - Professor Maurice Phipps; Colleen Fitzpatrick - Festival Singer; Adam Goldberg - David Isaacs; Cole Hauser - Scott Moss; Regina King - Monet; Malcolm Norrington - Cory; Warren Olney - T.V. Reporter; Gwyneth Paltrow; Alicia Stevenson - Monet's Friend; Bridgette Wilson - Nicole; Kari Wuhrer - Claudia; Rick Avery - Guard Beats Malik; Jay R. Ferguson - Billy; Graham Galloway - Frat Member; Skip O'Brien - Security Guard; Tyra Banks - Deja; Busta Rhymes - Dreads; J. Trevor Edmond - Eddie; Chad Dowdell - Disgruntled Yet Eager Student
Credit
Richard Holland - Art Director, Jaki Brown-Karman - Casting, Kimberly Hardin - Casting, Dwight Alonzo Williams - Co-producer, Carol Oditz - Costume Designer, Bruce Franklin - First Assistant Director, John Singleton - Director, Peter A. Ramsey - Second Unit Director, Bruce Cannon - Editor, Stanley Clarke - Composer (Music Score), Danny Bramson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Keith Brian Burns - Production Designer, Peter Lyons Collister - Cinematographer, John Singleton - Producer, Paul Hall - Producer, Michael C. Claypool - Set Designer, Charles Daboub, Jr. - Set Designer, Veda Campbell - Sound/Sound Designer, Danny Bramson - Supervisor/Manager, John Singleton - Screenwriter
