Higher Learning (1995)

It is a performances centric movie

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Absolutely Brilliant!

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Hello. I am a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. Looking at the cast, it seems the Gwyneth has a little part as student in this movie. But I am not able to find her in any scene. Can you please help me to identify her ? Thank You Very Much in advance. Bruno.

The excitement, of anticipation, is the boredom of the present. The present is the inability to expect. The inability to expect is the inability to know - the inability to know is the ability to not know.The ability to not know is boring. The ability to not know is not the same as not knowing - the ability to not know is an insincere type of ignorance.The experience of boredom is an insincere type of ignorance. An insincere ignorance is a sincere knowledge. A sincere knowledge is not sincerity or knowledge - a sincere knowledge is the same as an insincere sincerity. The experience of boredom, or, the experience of no importance is the same as an insincere sincerity - a dangerous honesty.Unimportance is a dangerous honesty - importance is an honesty that's not dangerous.Importance is an honesty that's acceptable. An acceptable honesty is not acceptable.Importance is not acceptable - unimportance is the only force of nature that can be acceptable.The only way for reality to be acceptable, is if reality is unimportant. The worthiness of reality is dependent on the unworthiness of reality: the ability of worthiness is predicated on worthiness hating itselfThe ability to destroy hatred has to be preceded by hatred having already been accepted; the ability to not hate must be preceded by the ability to hate

The movie title is an accurate definition because it gives a lesson worthy of an university (and that should be taught before too!) In other words: the wise one doesn't follow opinions but formulate them. Thanks to Jen, i'm happy to have discover this challenging movie because so far I only knew the later « American History X » to diagnostic radically the racial question in America. In France, the so-called cradle of human rights, we are so afraid of this thematic that we don't do movies about this or when they exist, they can't get screens ! Here, freedom of expression allows to hear all opinions, bad as good. Sure, all the characters are stereotypes and the story is easily guessed but at least we have something to ponder! The choice for a campus is intelligent as we can follow different characters in a same location and it's indeed a special place : faraway from our families, we are on our own and we must affirm ourselves to find a path. For those like me who miss those years, this movie is great, all the more than we can discover what UCLA looks like. At last, Singleton is a talented and inspired director because he gives vibes, rhythm and soul to his story when others one sinks into sleeping, tedious lesson (see « the butler »).

I had never heard of Higher Learning until I saw it on BET during a night of insomnia. So I had no idea what to expect when I started watching it.The film follows the story of three incoming freshman at the fictional Columbus University, both plagued by tragedies. Kristen (Kristy Swanson) is nearly raped, loses her useless friends, and questions her sexuality, or so it is implied. Malik (Omar Epps) faces racial tension, tuition woes, and the realization he isn't sure what he wants in life. Remy (Michael Rappaport) deals with loneliness, and his eventual decline into white supremacism. So it's an upbeat film.Director John Singleton had a unique opportunity to show the reality of racial tensions and the struggles of college life. In some ways, he succeeds. In other ways, the film is extremely dishonest. You won't find a single redeemable white male character. Based on the movie, you would have to conclude most white males are either skinheads, frat rapists, or moronic racist campus police. The only truly positive white female character happens to be a lesbian (Jennifer Connelly), whose place in the film is mystifying for me until I read a lot of her relationship with Kristen is cut out (Could it be sexuality is more scary than race? I don't know why they cut it out, just a possibility). I don't count Kristen as a positive character because she is portrayed as being so weak. The film also dumbs itself down at times, as in the scene where Malik rants about Christopher Columbus for example (Malik doesn't know anything about Frederick Douglass, but he's suddenly an expert on colonial history?). And Remy's descent into white supremacy is laughable (He's becoming racist because his black roommates wouldn't turn down their stereo?). The white supremacists are so poorly acted (aside from Cole Hauser) and so much caricatures, it's hard to see why they should be feared (Real skinheads are much more frightening).And yet, there are some superb scenes. The conclusion of Remy's story was powerful. It would have been interesting to hear Malik's thoughts on Remy after that moment. Does he pity Remy? Does he forgive him? Maybe that's just me though, as I've experienced the anger that comes with having a friend murdered.The moments where we see Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne) struggling to reach Malik are also gripping. And any scene with Michael Rappaport is powerful. Despite the ridiculous lack of justification for his transformation, he makes it work well.In the end, the performances are what redeems the movie, starting with Rappaport. Fishburne is excellent, and every scene he is in keeps your eyes glued to the screen, despite an accent that disappears at times. Ice Cube is great as a perpetual senior, who is also the smartest character in the movie. It makes you wonder why he isn't getting more serious roles. Regina King, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks round out the honorable mentions. Although part of me felt Goldberg's role was a stereotype. Kristy Swanson does a respectable job, but her storyline is a mess. At the beginning she is shown being nervous around Malik because he's black. Yet she has no issue with Regina King's character? And she's the one the filmmakers chose to organize a unity rally? I suppose it's the scene were King has Ice Cube and his friends rough up the frat boy that tried to rape her that's supposed to represent her transformation, but I think that should have been explored more. They never really showed her coming to terms with the attempted rape. And the lesbian angle remains unresolved. Her story just didn't make much sense.In the end, this film is worth seeing, if only for the excellent cast. It doesn't treat politics, race, or sex with any real honesty. Films like Do the Right Thing and Remember the Titans are much better at presenting racial issues. If you are homosexual, you are likely to feel slighted. And most races could find something to be offended by. If you went to college, this won't at all resemble your experience. But there are single moments of truth.