Educating Rita [DVD]

This is one of the great films of the second half of the twentieth century. It is, in essence, Pygmalion redux. Unlike GB Shaw's treatment, however, Michael Caine's Eng Lit professor is the sort of dissolute character of whom Henry Higgins would most certainly have disapproved. In the middle of an extended alcohol-soaked mid-life crisis, Dr Bryant is content to drift along on an ocean of self-pity and self-contempt. His original conception of himself as a poet fell apart when he realized he had no real talent. Now he lives out his life as a university lecturer in a parody of middle-class contentment.Into this life walks Rita. For viewers unfamiliar with England, and particularly of England before the Thatcher revolution permeated downward to undo centuries of rigid class system assumptions and automatic prejudices, it's important to understand that Rita's working-class (blue collar) life would never have come into contact with Bryant's middle-class existence except perhaps to serve him in a corner shop or clean his rooms for a pittance. Rita, however, is that rare thing: a person of above-average intelligence and drive, seeking a way out of the claustrophobic half-life she shares with her uneducated husband. Rita wants to better herself. She wants an education. And when Bryant demurres, she forces herself upon him.The core of the movie is Rita's acquisition not only of knowledge but of middle-class moeurs counterpointed by Bryant's ever-greater dissolution. Watching Rita wrap herself in the most cliched middle-class affectations, Bryant feels he's been party to helping her rob herself of her authenticity. At the same time it is also clear that as she becomes more accomplished his role in her life is reduced, and he resents this. The result is a scene in which a drunken Bryant scorns Rita for what she's become and she asserts her need to be more than she was.It may not be immediately apparent to non-British viewers just how dead-end life could feel in the UK prior to the Thatcher years. Britain was a place of strikes, of decay, of dashed hopes and dreary days. It was a place where few could feel optimistic about the future. As Bryant says towards the end of the movie, Britain back then was "a place that's just finishing." The power of this movie comes from Rita's determination not to sink without trace, without fighting.In the end both are redeemed. Bryant hits rock-bottom and is sent off to Australia ("It's a paradise for the likes of me") and Rita gets her degree despite having received a very object lesson in the thinness of the middle-class veneer she assumed was somehow more substantial than her working-class background. As she tells Bryant, "I had the choice." And having gained her degree a world of choices opens up to her.This is very satisfying movie because it works across all levels. The acting is first-rate, the dialog is both witty but also believable, and the final resolution is optimistic without being trite. All in all, this is a movie to see and enjoy and perhaps see again for its warmth and humanity.

This is a very enjoyable comedy and Michael Caine has an odd presence here.What happens when a working class "babe" decides to go back to school and make a culture for herself and meets a disillusioned and highly drunk literature professor, meant to tutor her in this endeavor?This is just the premise of this little comedy.What else is there? Well, the fact that two worlds, at the opposite to each other start to merge through two completely different people.Like Tom and Jerry, Tweety and Sylvester, this is truly a Cat and Mouse game.But who is the cat and who, the mouse?Even better would be the comparison with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.What's up Doc?For American audiences it may be a bit difficult to understand, since Julie Walters plays in a rather tight British local accent, but the storyline is so well written, that the action alone flaws smoothly and is very understandable.Earlier, I said that Michael Caine plays an odd role. What I mean by that, is that until this picture was shot, he had always played ordinary people, such like in "Alfie", "Get Carter", "The Italian Job" etc.In this one he was making a leap forward, in quality and in skills.By the way, he plays a wonderful "sober" drunk.The entire story is a close parallel to "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw. The only difference is that it was quite updated, and while Professor Henry Higgins, would never truly mingle and socialize with members of the working class (it wouldn't even cross his mind to abase himself in doing so), our modern Henry Higgins does it.But not enough. While Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion, "serves and adores" the Professor, the modern version is far more pragmatic and while she too admires the Professor, she quickly realizes that he is just a wreck and needs a touch of reality in his life.The entire picture is a delight, with bitter-sweet moments at times, but very hilarious moments throughout.The transfer in High Definition restores the picture to its original splendor, which even in theaters was never that brilliant. The sound is nothing special, being in plain two-channel Mono, but the dialogues are clear, and since the lines in such a picture are the most important element, this is fair enough.If you want to watch a true odd couple in action, then Michael Caine and Julie Walters are the couple you want.I can truly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

Educating Rita is a British 1983 drama/comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert. The film stars Michael Caine, Julie Walters, Michael Williams, & Maureen Lipman. Just as a warning, make sure you order a region format that will work in your player. Here are the pros & cons of this film as I see it, I hope this helps you.Pros:1. Overall a very good story2. Julie Walters does an outstanding job as an actress in this film3. My advice to intelligent woman is education over a man who holds you back any dayCons:1. The DVD I received has poor transfer quality and the film is a little grainy in appearance2. Some of the film is a little bit disjointed and could have been directed and edited a bit better

It is, absolutely. The picture quality is still not the greatest, and the soft focus used on Rita/Susan is a little embarrassing to modern eyes, but it's massively better than the DVD. The film you've doubtless already made your mind up on, but for me (and despite rather variable support from the rest of the cast) neither of the leads ever topped their performances here.

Combining an excellent script with brilliant acting from Michael Caine and Julie Walters and a good supporting cast marks this film out as a class act. The story line of a bored housewife, Rita, suffocating within her restricted world and then deciding to try and do something to expand her horizons and discover new aspirations is both funny and sad in equal measure, beautiful pathos. She signs up for Open University English Literature course and finds herself saddled with a drunken lecturer, Frank, who seems to have settled for letting the rest of his life pass him by.Both of the lead characters are expertly played as vulnerable, confused and complicated personalities, Rita looking for something new, a challenge to stretch and find herself whilst Frank has settled for a drunken path of least resistance and is suddenly awoken by the fresh purity and honesty of Rita's take on various pieces of 'deep' classical English Literature and life in general.As the story evolves and they spark new interests in each other about the world around them, they both blossom for a while and then nearly fall to the bottom of the pit again before getting their acts together in a common cause in the end. Overall it is an uplifting film about breaking away from a rut and discovering what you want out of life rather than the role others expect you to play in life.

**THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**Educating Rita is a 1983 drama/comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert with a screenplay by Willy Russell based on Russell's stage play. The film stars Michael Caine, Julie Walters, and Maureen Lipman. It won multiple major awards for best actor and best actress and was nominated for three Oscars.Liverpudlian working-class young woman Rita (Walters) wants to better herself by studying literature. Her assigned Open University professor, Frank Bryant (Caine), however, has long ago openly taken to the bottle, and soon develops misgivings about Rita's ability to adapt to academia. Bryant is a jaded university lecturer, who describes his occupational ability as 'appalling but good enough for his appalling students'. His passion for literature is reignited by Rita, whose technical ability for the subject is limited by her lack of education but whose enthusiasm Frank finds refreshing.The film focuses on Rita's unhappiness with her life in her blue-collar, working-class environment including with her husband who wants to have a family, as well as her struggles to fit into a new educated middle-class existence in academia, while seeking a "better song to sing". Rita's original preconceptions that the educated classes have better lives and are happier people are brought into question throughout the film through Frank's failing social life and alcoholism and her flatmate Trish's attempted suicide. Rita, her search, and her search's meaning for her all evolve as she adapts to academia and grows as a person.Despite not having seen this film before buying it on DVD, I really enjoyed watching Educating Rita, a film which relied on a very well-written storyline and very good direction, and also relied on a wealth of talented actors. Educating Rita was one of Michael Caine's most successful films of the 1980s if not THE most successful film of that decade for the actor, and it was Julie Walters's debut feature-length film. I am currently studying a part-time IT course at college (starting from 31st March 2014 up until whenever I finish the course), so in that respect I've been influenced somewhat even though I watched the film the day after I started my course.Going back to the film, Educating Rita is a great film and it is one that I would watch again in my lifetime. Very highly recommended.

I saw this when it first came out at the cinema.If you want a romance, then look elsewhere.If you want a hilarious but moving story about how two human beings coming at life from different angles can save eachother. It is about how the educator becomes the educated.It is a story of hope.I was telling a good friend about it who had never come across it.So I got it for her and she was blown away.But how could you not be?Just look at the first class cast and writer.How could it fail to be a work of genius?

A fabulous & fantastic film that always moves me to tears. For Julie Walters, known for her amazing comedy acting she is brilliant! Funny & able to make you cry from one scene to the next. There is a poinient scene (one of many) in the pub where Rita is with family but knows she doesn't belong/can do more/wants more. The look on her face & music! Oh, it's got Michael Caine in it as well! Brilliant! Just brilliant, all of the cast - perfect.