Fatal Lessons: The Good Teacher (2004)

Excellent, a Must See

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

And I don't mean the villain . This is a movie about a woman who all of a sudden befriends her daughters teacher. The new friend has a "I can't stand to see a family happy complex". So of course she goes out to destroy her family. This movie really bothered me because we have to suspend belief. We have to believe a wife of a doctor a fairly intelligent woman is going to not know something is very wrong with her new friend when things start happening right after she meets her. You see this new friend has a special tea she concocted and gave it to the Patricia Kalember character. This tea makes people forget things that they are suppose to do. So now we have this seemingly smart women forgetting all types of things and acting weird. But not only that she gives her family poison for dinner. Her hubby who before that seems like a blithering idiot decides to test the salad and finds poison is in it. Instead of sending her straight to get some counseling he takes a trip. Oh and the family dog ends up dead. But the most ridiculous thing about this flick is that instead of connecting the dots to the new friend she connects it to her trusty best friend. Even after her husband said her best friend would not do anything to her. They evidently have been best friends for years so all of a sudden the best friend is going to do terrible things to her including having a affair with her husband for no reason. Then she believes this strange man who knows about her new friends past but when he tells her he doesn't really know about her best friend she thinks that he is talking about her real best friend! Mind you the real best friend and her have not been talking now for a while. Or and of course the sociopath writes everything down. So we know sooner or later it is going to be read. The end is very predictable. She soon figures out that the new best friend is a nut it is very anti-climatic because she has read the plans her friend had wrote down. When she finally goes and apologizes to her real friend the friend accepts her apology. I am all for forgiveness but this women all through the movie disregarded her friendship with her best friend even against protests from her husband and let a newbie come in and take over. I would of told her forget about it because I would be weary of what would happen next time she met a new friend. THe actors do what they can with the script. But like I said one has to suspend belief to really feel any suspense, which is OK as long as the movie is Science Fiction, which this is not. I had no sympathy for the so called victim because of how she was so ready to blame everything on a long time trusted friend. I actually was rooting for the villain. Oh and why didn't anyone else in that family drink that ice tea? It was right in the refrigerator.

This made for TV movie is a mix of serial killer and other woman genres, that doesn't feature too many stupidities. (The biggest one is probably naming a character Samantha Stephens, as in Bewitched). The narrative doesn't supply much back-story or psychological motivation for the actions of the predator (and her spider-web stockings are a bit much), but then it doesn't make what she aspires to that attractive either - bland domesticity which "grows old". Also the notion of her writing a book of her story as she experiences it suggests that she wants to be caught, because her readership necessitates infamy, with the voice-activated word processor being a nice touch. Erika Eleniak is an acceptable villain, but she can't elevate the role into greatness. Whilst Patricia Kalember provides some tiny moments of pleasure within the confines of her role as doormat housewife, the best performance comes from Lori Triolo, who does wonders with a minor part and thankfully isn't punished. However, the climactic struggle to the death is too stunt-double obvious, with a denouement that is totally unbelievable.

I enjoyed this film. I had not seen Erica Eleniak in any particular role since "Under Siege." And I had never seen her in a leading role. She did a good job as a scary villain -- probably had a lot of fun doing it. Good on ya, Erica!" The rest of the cast was lack-luster -- even dowdy. They did not seem as glamorous as Erica. I wonder if this was an artistic decision by the director or the actors. I assume that this film was done for the television, video, and overseas market. One also wonders what someone watching late night TV in some foreign country would think of the film. This said, the film wasn't bad, for what it is.

FATAL LESSONS: THE GOOD TEACHER: Samantha Stephens and her unsuspecting family befriend a school teacher, Victoria, and suddenly a series of incidents occur, including mysterious phone calls, missing household items and strange family illnesses. Now Samantha must prevent Victoria from repeating her deadly actions of the past to save her family's future. Stars Patricia Kalember (Signs, Thirtysomething), Erika Eleniak (Baywatch, The Librarians, Betrayal) and Ken Tremblett (The Guilty, Tourist Trap, First Shot). Well the movie isn't that bad. If you don't have nothing good to watch, it's worth giving it a try. Patricia Kalembar must save her family from falling apart and all ends well..6/10