Teaching Mrs. Tingle

Teaching Mrs. Tingle is directed by Kevin Williamson, writer of the Scream series as well as creator of "Dawson’s Creek," the popular TV show. Williamson, making his directorial debut, tries to turn Teaching Mrs. Tingle into a black comedy-thriller. The movie isn’t very funny, and there aren’t any thrills, either.

The word is that the movie was originally called "Killing Mrs. Tingle," but Miramax Films, those denizens of good taste, changed the title and delayed its release in light of the Columbine High School tragedy. Several questionable scenes were reshot. So instead of killing a high school teacher, they decided to kidnap one. How thoughtful!

The heroine is Leigh Ann Watson (Katie Holmes), a high school senior. Her single mom (an unbilled Lesley Ann Warren) works double shifts as a waitress. Leigh Ann needs to be class valedictorian in order to get a scholarship to go to college. As someone who knows a thing or two about student financial aid, I just rolled my eyes at that one.

Mrs. Tingle (Helen Mirren) is the history teacher from hell. She has a bee in her bonnet about Leigh Ann and gives her a C on a project. There goes Leigh Ann’s grade point average. Compounding matters, Mrs. Tingle catches Leigh Ann with a copy of the history final exam in her backpack. The theft is actually the work of a slacker named Luke (Barry Watson), who looks like a GAP model.

Leigh Ann, Luke, and best bud Jo Lynn (Marisa Coughlin), armed with a medieval crossbow (?!), go to Mrs. T’s house to reason with her. One thing leads to another, and the next thing you know Mrs. Tingle is gagged and tied to her bedpost for two days. Let’s see, in Texas that would be good for a second degree felony. I sat and wondered when they let the poor woman have a potty break.

From the obvious miscasting of a talented actress like Helen Mirren to the film’s preposterous ending, Teaching Mrs. Tingle is yet another teen flick that treats its intended audience as abject morons.