The Kindergarten Teacher
Stuck in an unsatisfying marriage and with teenage children who ignore her, 40-year-old Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) treads water by teaching kindergarten with quiet dispassion. One day everything changes when Lisa discovers that Jimmy, a five-year-old boy in her class, may be a gifted poet and sees him as a ticket out of her mundane life.
When Lisa presents some of Jimmy’s work at her poetry class as her own work, and receives praise from her teacher (Gael García Bernal), her desire to mentor the child genius grows. As fascination turns into obsession, Lisa spirals downward on a dangerous and desperate path to channel her unfulfilled creative dreams into the protégée.
Critic Reviews:
- " Although it remains largely faithful to the original, there's a fresh source of vitality to be found in Gyllenhaal's presence. " – Clarisse Loughrey
- " Maggie Gyllenhaal never disappoints, and that's certainly true in The Kindergarten Teacher, an understated character study with a lot to say but no easy answers. " – Wenlei Ma
- " Exquisitely non-judgmental, this is one of those little films that restores your faith in indie cinema. " – Charlotte O'Sullivan