Hey, let us know what you picked and whether or not somebody found a reason to complain!
Perhaps you could show something with subtitles so that they are forced to READ during movie time. heh heh.
Are the “mixed ages” middle school or high school?
A Face In The Crowd - A great older film about the rise and fall of a populist entertainer/politician. Stars Andy Grffith(!)
Any Aaron Sorkin movie, like A Few Good Men or the American President.
If not for the boobies, Shakespeare In Love.
How about “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, starring Jimmy Stewart? Nothing objectionable about that one, and it has his filibuster.
StG
If you want a really oddball choice, try David Mamet’s House of Games. It’s about a psychologist who attaches herself to a group of con artists for research purposes, and winds up involved with a lot more than she bargained with.
It’s rated R, but that’s simply because they say “fuck” a lot. It is Mamet, after all.
It might be interesting from a speech-class standpoint because the acting is so deliberately mannered. There’s a lot of ignorant commentary on IMDb claiming the acting in the movie is bad, but of course it’s a deliberate choice on the part of the writer/director to present the material that way. Specifically, one of the themes of the film centers on masks and artificiality of interpersonal representation; the peculiar performance style underlines the connection between the psychologist, who comes to suspect she’s running a con game on her patients insofar as she really isn’t doing them very much good despite how much they pay her, and the con artists, who likewise soak their targets for money but without any pretention of helping them.
I don’t know if I’d make it my primary choice, if you can only show one (I’d go with Sampiro’s suggestion, Inherit the Wind, in that case), but if you can show two, then consider making this a companion piece, the flipside of careful speech in a one-on-one context.
October Sky Its got trigonometry in it that is important to the plot. “Rated PG for language, brief teen sensuality and alcohol use, and for some thematic elements”
Brian
I thought of that one. Mainly because I’m remembering Homer and Mel Gibson’s remake of it on the Simpsons.
How about the more recent versions of Hamlet or Henry V? Lots of speechifying, and blood! 
Someone beat me to The Candidate but I second it for its take on politics and ideals, as well as the conflict of content to image in political ads and speeches, the use of talking points in debates, etc.
The Verdict (1982) starring Paul Newman might be a good choice for its trial sequences and the personal struggles of the main character to redeem himself while trying to do right by his client. A good morality tale that isn’t preachy. Has an R rating for language though.
This might be a stretch but how about Paths Of Glory starring Kirk Douglas. An intelligent story of the horrors and absurdity of war, the arrogance of power, and the necessity of questioning authority sometimes. There is a trial, and Douglas makes some good use speeches there and elsewhere. The battle sequence will get their attention.
It doesn’t have a lot to do with public speaking but The Right Stuff is an excellent film about an important part of American history. It has enough action, plot, and epic scope to hold their interest, and enough humor to draw them in. It’s safe enough you wouldn’t have to worry about ratings trouble, it’s PG, and it’s one of the few movies I can think of right off that people rarely dislike.
Thank You, my doper friends!
I will be busy hunting for and viewing some of your recommendations. I will let you know what I end up going with!
Also, Judgement at Nuremberg starring Spencer Tracy.
What about that part where someone gets impaled by the American flag?
I was gonna say Mr. Smith…
but another one chock full of fancy speechifyin’-
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
A couple of recent ones to consider:
A Beautiful Mind
The Emperor’s Club
And one of my personal favorites: The Empire of the Sun
Four recommendations:
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS---Sir Thomas More's conflict with his king movingly demonstrates how language (and, in particular, oaths) reflect our personal sense of integrity and truth.
MY FAIR LADY (or its source, Shaw's PYGMALION)
And what story better demonstrates the beauty and humanity of communication and the concepts of language than the struggles dramatized in THE MIRACLE WORKER? (the Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke version, please---NOT the Disney remake with the repellant Hallie Eisenberg)[hijack] Hey - maybe the first part of your research should be to check runtimes! “Glory” “A Man for all Seasons,” and “The Right Stuff” are two hours long, at least.
Everything I thought of is either equally long or in regular cable rotation.
Clever choice, Ranchoth—too bad, however, that the movie’s central premise is so unbelievably idiotic and offensive
Not speech, but writing: Finding For®ester
Brian
How about “A Beautiful Mind”?? With Russell Crowe?