Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poignant drama of teacher and gifted child; language, nudity
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Kindergarten Teacher
What's the Story?
Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has been teaching kindergarten for a long time in THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. She's very good at it -- nurturing, smart, perceptive, and keenly aware of the long-lasting positive effects of her life's work. Nonetheless, Lisa is searching for more. Her teen children need her less and are separating from her. Partly to fill that void, Lisa hopes to exercise whatever artistic bent she has by taking a poetry class. So, at this profound time of transition, the kindergarten teacher is stunned to realize that one of her students, Jimmy Roy (Parker Sevak), a seemingly normal, healthy, 5-year-old boy, is a genius of "Mozartian-dimension." Jimmy is a poet -- a brilliant poet, an inexplicably sophisticated poet. And, she marvels, this unexpected treasure has been placed in her classroom for safekeeping. Unfortunately, the current culture values technology, consumerism, money-making -- not genius. When Lisa's efforts to elicit the support of Jimmy's family go unheeded, she's crestfallen. Now, frantic that the child's unique gift will be overlooked, Lisa makes an astonishing number of decisions that put both boy and teacher in great danger.
Is It Any Good?
Sara Colangelo's masterful film hopes to enlighten about the rarity and significance of great art in today's world; Maggie Gyllenhaal's extraordinary performance gives testimony to her premise. Surrounded by a pitch-perfect musical score, a beautiful production, and a wonderful supporting cast and the sensational young Parker Sevak as Jimmy Roy, Gyllenhaal has simply never been better. The Kindergarten Teacher isn't afraid of having its leading character fall from grace. Lisa's journey makes the story all the more impactful. Though her passion trumps her good sense, her challenge is a challenge faced by all of us: to value art at its purest and to advocate for those whose miraculous gifts come this way so seldom.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the filmmakers created the specific cultural environment that led Lisa Spinelli to her actions. Think about how the teacher's own children and Jimmy Roy's father were portrayed. What did the kindergarten teacher see in them that made her justify her behavior toward Jimmy?
At the very end of The Kindergarten Teacher, Jimmy's voice is heard twice, repeating "I have a poem." How does this one memorable line embody the theme of the entire movie? How does the little boy's plaintive voice represent everything that Lisa Spinelli was afraid of?
A movie's production design provides a visual environment to enhance the story and themes. How did this film's production design -- settings, costumes, and lighting -- contribute to the plot, the mood, and your understanding of the characters?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 12, 2018
- Cast : Maggie Gyllenhaal , Parker Sevak , Gael Garcia Bernal
- Director : Sara Colangelo
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language and nudity
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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