Teaching Mrs. Tingle

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)

Before school lets out, Mrs. Tingle's class is going to need a substitute teacher.

A bright high-school senior has her impending status as valedictorian jeopardized when her bitter history teacher, Mrs. Tingle, gives her a poor grade on a project. When an attempt to get ahead in Mrs. Tingle's class goes awry, mayhem ensues and friendships, loyalties and trust are tested by the teacher's intricate mind-games.

Date of release
1999-08-20
TMDB
5.5 / 10 (376)
Runtime
1h 36m
Genres
Comedy, Thriller
Director
Kevin Williamson

Casting

Interesting facts

Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a 1999 American teen black comedy thriller film written and directed by Kevin Williamson in his directorial debut, and starring Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Barry Watson, Marisa Coughlan, and Jeffrey Tambor. It follows a trio of high school seniors who must prove their innocence to their vindictive history teacher, who accuses them of cheating on their final exams. Williamson wrote the script before his work on Scream and Dawson's Creek. Following the success of those projects, his script was picked up and production of the film proceeded.

Production

Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Sigourney Weaver and Sally Field were considered for the role of Mrs. Eve Tingle, the antagonist. Gillian Anderson was offered the role of Mrs. Tingle, but turned it down. Alicia Silverstone was considered for the role of Leigh Ann Watson, the protagonist.

Katie Holmes, who then had a principal role on Kevin Williamson's TV series Dawson's Creek, was cast as Leigh Ann in February 1998. Shortly after, Helen Mirren was cast in the role of Mrs. Tingle. Of Mirren, Williamson said, "I think Helen Mirren is one of the greatest living actresses that we have and the fact that she wanted to play this role was amazing. She elevated Mrs. Tingle to a new level."

Of her casting, Mirren said: "This is not the sort of film that I'm usually associated with, so I was thrilled that Kevin would think of me for this role." Mirren commented: "For me Teaching Mrs. Tingle addresses teenagers' insecurities, ambitions, and fears about the future. Remembering back to the ages of Leigh Ann, Luke, and Jo Lynn, fear of the future is the most powerful thing driving you on.

Production began in April 1998 on a budget of $14 million. The film was entirely shot in the Los Angeles area and wrapped in July 1998. The fictional Grandsboro High School was a combination of location work filmed at Rose City High School in Pasadena, Culver City High School in Culver City, and sound stage sets at Culver Studios. Exterior shots of Mrs. Tingle's house took place at a Victorian-style residence in Pasadena.

Originally called Killing Mrs. Tingle, the film was intended to have an earlier release date and an R rating. Its overall tone was darker, with certain characters being killed off. Holmes' character, Leigh Ann, was also much less sympathetic; in a 2023 interview, Williamson revealed the character was supposed to be a "take no prisoners" type of person, who had no issue with people dying if it meant accomplishing her goals.

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