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Movies / On DVD / To Be and To Have
To Be and To Have

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To Be and To Have (2003)

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Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:54

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8/10

Consensus: A small, sensitive, and moving portrait of a teacher and his students.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Sep 26, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $455,043

Synopsis: At a rural school in the Auvergne region of France, teacher Georges Lopez presides over a class of thirteen children, ages 4 to 11. Lopez teaches the different age groups separate lessons, making... At a rural school in the Auvergne region of France, teacher Georges Lopez presides over a class of thirteen children, ages 4 to 11. Lopez teaches the different age groups separate lessons, making rounds to ensure that each child understands the task at hand--whether it is coloring a picture, learning math, or making crepes. Problems do arise, though--one student is threatened with missing playtime if his work isn't finished, shoving matches must be mediated, and another student appears to have a significant problem communicating. Lopez, a 20-year teaching veteran on the verge of retirement, is a model of sensitivity and understanding in dealing with the children. Never raising his voice and never talking down to them, the trust and respect they have for him is as palpable as his affection for them. Director Nicholas Philibert's camera is a casual observer, choosing to capture, in an unfettered manner, Lopez's special way with the students--whether explaining to them that he will be retiring soon, or diffusing a long-running rivalry between two of the oldest boys. Inspiring, meditative, and delightful, TO BE AND TO HAVE is a bittersweet portrait of a man in the noblest of professions. [More]

Director: Nicolas Philibert

Director: Nicolas Philibert
Studio: New Yorker Films

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Release:

Oct 19, 2004

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for To Be and To Have

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/18/09
Lisa Nesselson
Lisa Nesselson
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The most unvarnished cinematic portrait of childhood I’ve ever seen.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

It demonstrates without overreaching what an actual teacher can do to shape lives.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
08/07/04
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of those rare movies that works as a humbling experience.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
06/04/04
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

This is a film that all aspiring teachers should see, as well as veteran teachers who might have lost track of what teaching is all about.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/04/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

As touching as Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), this is an excellent companion to Spellbound, another beguiling documentary about children.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
04/20/04
Kent Turner
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com

The American school system would do well to take a page from Mr. Lopez's slow-but-steady curriculum.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
03/10/04
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

It isn't just an ode to teaching -- it's a lesson in growing up.

Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
02/13/04
Donald Munro
Donald Munro
Fresno Bee

Auditing a class has never been more fun.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
02/13/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

More often than not you may find yourself unexpectedly smiling.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
02/02/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/31/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A counterintuitive film about a small schoolhouse in rural France, To Be and to Have gets its punch from simple scenes and conversations.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/30/04
Jonathan Curiel
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

To Be and to Have is a movie every teacher should see, and every parent, too.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
01/23/04
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

At times, it feels as stultifying as watching paint dry, without the recompense of sniffing fumes.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
01/23/04
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/18/04
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

(Lopez's) teaching is simply one of the purest expressions of love I’ve ever seen on film.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
01/15/04
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
 
 
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