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Posted: 10/7/2011
Bringing an entirely fresh and witty perspective to the cinematic tradition of inspirational classroom dramas such as The Dead Poet's Society, Finding Forrester and The Emperors Club comes The History Boys, a sly, funny yet thought-provoking story about the real meaning and value of 'getting an education.' Based on the play that won the hearts of Broadway audiences and garnered six Tony Awards this year, The History Boys follows an unruly bunch of sharp, talented but rough-edged British schoolboys whose worlds are changed forever when two teachers with opposing viewpoints on education engage in a battle to get them into Oxford and Cambridge.
It all begins at a small public boys' school in industrial Northern England where an unprecedented eight students are about to pursue the ultimate British dream: to gain acceptance into one of England's two legendary universities. Distracted by sex, sports and the chaos of growing up in the 1980s, the boys are helped, and sometimes hindered, in their quest by two teachers who are diametrically different in their methods. New to the school is the slick Irwin, a recent graduate of Oxford who has been hired by the ambitious Headmaster to whip the boys into exam-ready shape with his aggressive focus on strategy and 'spin.' Then there is the maverick literature teacher Hector, who thinks himself a fool yet breaks all the rules in trying to help the boys discover their own wisdom. As both teachers vie for the boys' loyalty, minds, and even hearts, they impart vital lessons and reveal their own human flaws.
Through biting wit and rapid-fire dialogue - not to mention music, song, vintage movie scenes, impassioned debates and moments of stark emotional truth - The History Boys humorously brings to the fore the serious subject of how one generation passes its wisdom on to the next.