I watched the Hepburn/Tracy classic DESK SET today and was struck once again by what a great depiction it is of reference librarians (even though that particular term is never used). It definitely is dated (the computer looks like something off a Buster Crabbe/Flash Gordon set and Tracy’s way of stating that the reference department is to be enlarged is “it’ll be so busy here we’ll have to hire some new girls!” (guy-brarians have issues with gender role attachments, but I digress), but all in all it’s one of the best depictions of reference work you’ll ever see, plus Hepburn and Tracy are even believable ages for people in their positions. (Today it’d be cast with Christina Ricci and Ryan Philippe.)
One of my favorite literary depiction of librarians has got to be the orangutan in the Discworld novels of course, and while Giles of BTVS is a flattering depiction most librarians don’t much respect his reference skills. (He’s never in the library, apparently has never considered compiling a database, and if you’ll look closely you’ll notice that several of the books are on the shelf upside down.) So DESK SET remains my favorite depiction of librarianship on screen.
So what do you think is one of the most accurate and enjoyable depictions in movies or on television for how you earn your keep? Or, flip side, what do you think is one of the most unrealistic* depictions of your job? I’m particularly interested in people who work in law enforcement, medicine, and as lawyers.
*One of my favorite misrepresentations of a job I’ve had: Years ago when I was working my way through college I was a desk clerk in several hotels. Desk clerks have one of the most overstressed and underpaid jobs in the First World- they get yelled at all day by customers (usually for things that aren’t their fault), have to deal with constant managerial idiocy and turnover, are responsible for mega-recordkeeping, must continue to smile no matter what happens, etc., and for all this they’re lucky if they’re paid $1 more than minimum wage.
At the time one of the hit shows on TV was Aaron Spelling’s HOTEL, in which the desk clerks could leave the desk (which never got busy) anytime they wanted, intermingled with the guests constantly, and could afford to live in spacious flats in the historic district of San Francisco. In reality they’d probably be fired for leaving their post, written up for fraternizing with customers, and would be sharing a 3rd floor walk-up at the Sanford Arms.
Front Page the 1931 version, the one with Adolphe Menjou and Pat O’Brien. Of course, as I have aged through my profession I have traveled from Hildy Johnson to Walter Burns, but it’s still fun.
Office Space didn’t depict my exact job (I’m in tech support), but it was so much like my life that it was somewhat disturbing. Having scenes where characters are stuck in traffic on the exact same highway I get stuck in traffic on didn’t help.
I can’t think of a movie, but “Scrubs” is a very apt portrayal of life as a medicine resident. I can’t count the number of times it has hit home.
It may surprise you that life in the hospital is best summed up by a half-hour sitcom packed with dream sequences and absurdist humor, but it doesn’t surprise me at all.
Van Wylder. Everyone is hot and parties 24/7. That’s how my life is as a college student. Seriously. I don’t live in the library and am never overwhelmed with work. I don’t study, I don’t ever have to write research papers, I never have anything to do other than live it up with my fellow sexy coeds. I never worry about midterms, finals, paying for books, food or tuition. I’m having the time of my life, have no worries, am drop dead gorgeous and so are all of my classmates. It’s a good life.
Not a movie, but The Simpsons ( i.e. Homer’s place of employment ). We even had a dead ringer for Monty Burns ( the big hontcho for my section at one time - also sometimes referred to as ‘Nosferatu’ ) ) and his sycophantic underling ( lesser boss ) who resembled Smithers.
Even though I grew up in the small town south, my number one pick for high school movie I could relate to would be FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. I recognized all the “types” and was really impressed that they used the same history textbook I used.
A movie I couldn’t relate to was BREAKFAST CLUB. The school and the students were too beautiful. And of course all the 317 prestigious New England all-boys prep school movies- exactly how many people can relate to that that it has such a huge number of movies (DEAD POETS, SCHOOL TIES, SCENT OF A WOMAN, etc etc)? I think a lot more people can relate to going to school in trailer classrooms or run-down inner city schools, and from my limited experience teaching I would have to say that HEAD OF THE CLASS is only two steps ahead of SAVED BY THE BELL in terms of warts and all portrayals of classroom teaching.
Music isn’t my area, but Mr. Holland’s Opus depicts the life of us high school teachers pretty accurately. The movie shows how emotionally demanding the job can be, and how it can become so involving that it detracts from your personal/family life if you let it. His passion for his subject and how he grew into a love of teaching really hit home for me. As well as his love of the kids he taught.
Strangely enough, I’ve never really liked Dead Poets’ Society. Maybe because it dealt with prep-school kids. And I never liked how the kids all sold the teacher out (albeit at his advice) and then standing up on their desks and saying “Oh Captain, my Captain” is supposed to make up for it? I haven’t seen it since I was in high school, though, so I might like it more now–maybe I should give it another try.
The majority of his scenes for the first three seasons were in the library. After that, of course, the school was destroyed, and many of his scenes were in the magic shop, which contains a magic refernce library.
He did exactly this in season one. He had Willow begin scanning the books into the school computers to create an easily searchable record. One of the first few books she scanned was an incantation for releasing a long imprisoned demon. The demon, in effect was scanned into the schools computrers, and got loose on the internet. Giles has been mistrustful of computers evers since, with good reason I think.
Set dressers mistake.
As for the OP, although there have been a few characters in movies that were elementary school teachers, the only movie in which this was the focus that I know of is Kindergarten Cop.
