The Principal poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

James Belushi, Louis Gossett Jr, Rae Dawn Chong, Michael Wright, J.J. Cohen ... see more see more... , Esai Morales , Troy Winbush , Jacob Vargas , Tommy Ryan , Reggie Johnson , Kelly Jo Minter , Ruth Beckford , Julian Brooks , Jeffrey Jay Cohen , Joe Flood , Tony Haney , J.J. Johnston , Marshall Jones , Kathryn Knotts , Danny Kovacs , Wat Takeshita , Sharon Thomas , Joan Valderrama , John Allen Vick , Frank Deese , Doug White , Danny Williams , Mark Anger , Ann Armour , Sean Allen Barnes , Steve W. Birger , Tom Bryant , Terry Coleman , Leo Downey , Richard Duppell , Peter Fitzsimmons , Zoltan Gray , James Edward Griffin , Rick Hamilton , Melissa Lee Holloman , Yuri Lane , Delores Mitchell , Martin Pistone , Bridgette Rodriguez , Daniel Royal , Elliott S. Valderrama , Joel Valentin , Nemon Wade , Eural Wills , Jessica Wilson , Tom Winston , Wood Josh , Bill Yarbrough , Luis Zuno , Gus Dimas , David Williams

An impulsive but determined white principal brings order and respect to a predominantly African-American and Latino high school in this comedy-drama from the director of Young Guns and That Was Then, ... read more read more...This Is Now. Rick Latimer (James Belushi), a high-school teacher, is in the process of a divorce when he sees his estranged wife at a bar having drinks with her attorney. Drunk and enraged, he smashes the guy's car up and receives a reprimand from the school board -- a new job as principal at rough-and-tumble Brandel High. Security guard Jake Phillips (Louis Gossett Jr.) is soon teaching his new boss the ropes, but Rick isn't willing to accept the violent and drug-ridden status quo. With a two-word motto -- "No More!" -- he sets about cleaning out the riff-raff, also taking time out to tutor students and get to know Jake. But when chief thug Victor (Michael Wright) refuses to back down, the violence escalates. Eventually, Victor's vengeance threatens the lives of steely history teacher Hilary Orozco (Rae Dawn Chong) -- and Rick himself. Kelly Minter, who plays one of Brandel High's troubled students, portrayed a dyslexic in the similarly themed Summer School the same year The Principal was released. Screenwriter Frank Deese would go on to write the Corey Haim/Corey Feldman vehicle License to Drive. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Flixster Users

56% liked it

6,979 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

10 critics

R, 1 hr. 49 min.

Directed by: Christopher Cain

Release Date: September 18, 1987

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: July 30, 2002

Get It:

Stats: 207 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

The Principal
Upload a Photo | View All The Principal Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (207)

  • fb100002359227440
    June 21, 2011
    fb100002359227440
    Exciting movie, entertaining and sometimes funny, The Principal, have the potential to be a good film. Problem: not so great direction and script.
  • ajv2688
    February 6, 2011
    ajv2688
    A horrible movie about a horrible school and the horrible teachers who do horrible things to the students to try and enforce some rules. I hated this movie.
  • Beefy
    May 13, 2007
    Beefy
    Another guilty pleasure from the 80's.
  • leekyle1968
    July 8, 2009
    leekyle1968
    This is one of the movies where you get to see James Belushi as a tough guy so I suggest you take a look at this teacher who takes no b.s. at his new job at a tough high school.
  • weelee18
    November 28, 2008
    weelee18
    great james belushi film..
  • TonyPolito
    November 13, 2010
    TonyPolito
    One of the many "tough school" films to fall from the loins of 1955's "Blackboard Jungle," "The Principal" follows Belushi and wingman Gossett as they go to the mat to save their out-of-control urban high school.

    To add suspense, the duo never even bring knives to their gun fig... read morehts.

    Chong plays the teacher that might (or might not) have enough sense to ski-daddle to a good prep school - as well as Belushi's tepid love interest ... of sorts.

    This script almost certainly took its basic inspiration from the true story of New Jersey principal Joe Clark, whose story is more directly told in "Lean on Me," a film that debuted two years after this.

    Clark wielded a baseball bat, chained school doors shut and dosed out tough love - just as Bellushi does here - and Clark was taking much press just about the time this script would have been under development.

    Unlike the far superior "Lean On Me" however, which is solidly built on storyline and drama, this film employs a heavy dose of violence & gore - and, unfortunately, an inflammatory racial perspective - to bait the viewer along.

    Belushi, Chong and straight-up students all score serious bloody face-bashings. Belushi irrationally decides his High Noon should be held in a maze-like room, in which he scampers and cowers about for several minutes, not as a hero, but as a rat toting only a bat. Not inspiring in the least.

    Belushi probably hoped this would be his career-shifting dramatic vehicle, however his performance is barely adequate. Gossett and Chong apparently saw the graffiti on the wall - and so here are working only at paycheck-speed.

    The best delivery actually comes from Wright as the Machiavellian kid-hoodlum-capo. Wright deserved a ton of future work, based on what's seen here.

    RECOMMENDATION: Really only for teacher-genre completists.
  • stallonefan1
    June 28, 2008
    stallonefan1
    Belushi is really good in this role that inspired alot of later movies like Dangerous Minds and the awful 187 which this is wayy better even though people give it shit about being an 80s movie.
  • MovieGuruDude72
    June 8, 2007
    MovieGuruDude72
    Uh-oh, Jim Belushi is scowling, that means he's trying to play a dramatic role. Everyone cover your ears!
  • opheliagirl98
    June 7, 2007
    opheliagirl98
    I'm sorry, Belushi isn't scary. He'd be the principal you'd pants in the hallway & we all know this.
  • jeffman52001
    March 7, 2007
    jeffman52001
    Jim Belushi is so awesome in this 1987 film. Rick Lattimer, is forced to transfer to a high school which has drug dealers running it and tries to makes changes there. A gang leader named Victor Duncan tries to hold his power there. A great film and has some funny moments, too.

View All The Principal Reviews

Critic Reviews

Michael A. Smith
March 15, 2008
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review

I'd like to see Morgan Freeman take over THIS school.

Douglas Pratt
June 14, 2007
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser

James Belushi is great in The Principal, whether he is giving a speech, throwing out a one-liner, or just raising an eyebrow.

Chuck O'Leary
October 9, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

An arresting drama starring likable Jim Belushi as an antihero principal trying to clean up a violent, drug-infested high school. Won't be a favorite of ACLU members.

Ryan Cracknell
December 31, 2002
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide

Bypasses heart-warming stuff completely, going instead for macho yelling and simple two-word slogans. Class dismissed. Full Review

Clint Morris
September 17, 2002
Clint Morris, Moviehole

Violent, but still darkly humorous, Christopher Cain's "The Principal" takes the old 'new teacher comes to rough high school and takes out the garbage' theme and adds Belushi's renowned sense of wit a...

Walter Goodman
May 21, 2003
Walter Goodman, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Jake Euker
March 9, 2006
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

Robin Clifford
November 19, 2004
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Renaissance Man (Army Intelligence) (By the Book)
    Renaissance Man (Army Intelligence) (By the B... (100%)
  • Lean on Me
    Lean on Me (100%)
  • Soul Man
    Soul Man (75%)
  • Teachers
    Teachers (100%)

More Movies like The Principal

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Principal : Watch Free on TV

The Principal Trivia

  • On The Breakfast Club, who said this quote: "The next screw that falls out will be you."  Answer »
  • hell upside down was the principal tagline of this 1972 disaster flick  Answer »
  • What does the secretary say to the principal about Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?  Answer »
  • What was the name of the principal in "Ferris Beuller's Day Off"?  Answer »
More The Principal Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Principal. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Principal to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?