To Sir, With Love

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3:17

To Sir, With Love

1967

1h 45m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

American Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) recently received his degree in engineering, but cannot find work. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a teacher in a rough London East End school populated mostly with troublemakers who were rejected from other schools for their behavior. While the students at first see Thackeray as just another teacher open for ridicule and bullying, his calm demeanor and desire to see them succeed gradually earn him their respect.

Critics Consensus

While it's a bit dated and overly schmaltzy, To Sir, With Love remains compelling because of Sidney Poitier's outstanding performance -- and the catchy theme song is a classic.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

04/23/2021

4/5

It's dated, yes, but Poitier remains magnetic throughout.

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TIME Magazine

08/24/2010

Even the weak moments are saved by Poitier, who invests his role with a subtle warmth.

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Variety Staff

Variety

12/10/2008

Sidney Poitier stars in an excellent performance.

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

12/28/2018

6/10

The film collapses under the weight of its own niceties.

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

04/04/2015

3/4

It beat Dead Poets Society to the punch by over two decades.

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Jess Lomas

Quickflix

04/28/2014

4/5

Sentimental reflections on an inspirational teacher are often the makings of weak dishwater films, but in James Clavell's To Sir, with Love, a strong cast and an unforgettable title song make this an undeniable classic.

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Fouad

02/21/2022

I liked the forever concepts of life.

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Jani H

@jjnewberry Mar 7

Just watched "To Sir With Love." I’ve seen it many, many times over the years, but it seems as current and engaging as ever. Sydney Poitier is brilliant, and if you haven’t seen it lately, do yourself a favor. It did take me back to the 60’s, with the clothes and music, which felt fun and young, for a change, instead of worried and nervous for the future.

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rex w

@RT11010153 Feb 17

"To Sir, with Love" is the first film depicting a Black person overseeing White people. However, Sidney Poitier's character is not portrayed racially. He is simply a teacher in charge of a classroom of young students. Any Hollywood star could have played Poitier's character word-for-word without changing anything in the plot. The classroom and the viewing audience accepted Poitier from start to finish, without question. That is one of the main reasons the film is such a classic. The song helps, too.

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Ian W

@The_Last_Politician Jan 25

A beautiful record of those times. When Britain was at the juncture of the rebuilding of its war torn economy and cities like London. The point when Britain began to turn the corner. While much of Britain's GDP was still taken up paying off Lend Lease, and we did not pay off that Debt until 2006, we had at the time of this film reached the stage where we were no longer on rationing, we had money for fun, fashion, film and music. And with that freedom the beginnings British Culture was re-emerging in films like this and the blossoming of the music shown in the film. it was a time of Hope that the film reflects. It was a time I lived through in schools much like this.

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Kathy G.

@TheKatspaa Dec 15

Absolutely my fave of all time and I'm 69!!

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Debra A

@RT65999145 Sep 18

I have always loved this movie ever since I was young (my young teens) 70’s!!! I enjoyed the meaning, the respect that he taught them and demonstrated to them and earned from them (the students & staff)… To me it was a feel good… life lesson… learning/thinking movie!!!

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To Sir, With Love: Trailer 1

3:17

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Synopsis

American Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) recently received his degree in engineering, but cannot find work. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a teacher in a rough London East End school populated mostly with troublemakers who were rejected from other schools for their behavior. While the students at first see Thackeray as just another teacher open for ridicule and bullying, his calm demeanor and desire to see them succeed gradually earn him their respect.

Director: James Clavell
Producer: James Clavell
Screenwriter: E.R. Braithwaite, James Clavell
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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