Ben Larson I not only consider this to be the best film that Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy, Coming Home) has ever done, but a real tribute to teachers.Despite incredible odds, Pat Conroy (Voight) managed to reach a group of students and bring them from nowhere to a basic literacy and awareness of the world. His methods made be criticized by bureaucratic dinosaurs like Mr. Skeffington (Hume Cronyn), but teachers like Conroy will always be winners. Voight really showed that he had a love for teaching and that it was a natural high for him. He didn't overplay the role, and I found him to be totally believable. Voight is Conrack. Besides a love of teaching, we also see another important point in this film. No matter how good you are at your job, if you rock the boat, the bureaucrats will get you.

ferguson_mike Just watched Conrack for the first time. Although the last third of the movie leaves something to be desired, it is a very touching and heartwarming study of a man's evolution to overcome his youth and upbringing in a prejudiced south and a teacher's creativity in connecting with students despite different backgrounds and difficult circumstances. As an educator, seeing a teacher adapt to his students and prepare them for all of the challenges life has to offer, not just the lessons found in textbooks, is a valuable concept of which we all need to be reminded. The thread concerning the Vietnam war rings true even today. Well worth a look.

dbjanssen This movie is a piece of the time in which it was made..... Realistic. Movies were not candy coated during the late 60s and early 70s. The producers did not try to create some happy ending that didn't exist. The lack of a happy ending would create agitation in the audience that, hopefully would spur them on to action. At least that's how it seemed at the time. In today's movie world this movie would probably not be done. There would, definitely, not be this ending, however realistic. The sad fact is that the movie depicted a situation which could not be improved upon without action from the improvement of the relationship between the white southern traditional thinking and the progressive movements of that time.

Ken Lyon (kwlyon) This film, as has already been pointed out, is of the "idealistic teacher meets challenging class in unsupportive environment and triumphs" class. And it's nicely done.But the ending sure touched a nerve in me. Our idealistic teacher who has been very successful in teaching his class many important things then chooses to abdicate his responsibility to his students rather than give up behaving any old way he pleases. His few attempts to work with those who must take responsibility for his work are actually greeted with some movement on the part of the authorities. But he changes not at all, continuing to teach his charges by example that self-discipline and willingness to face and cope with adversity are not important. Appropriately, the music played as our teacher abdicates his young charges is the "death knocking at the door" theme of Beethoven's 5th.