Teaching Mrs. Tingle

Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a 1999 dark comedythriller film and the directing debut of screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream and Screamalso from Dimension Films. The film stars Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan, Barry Watson, and Jeffrey Tambor and was released on August 20, 1999. It was originally titled Killing Mrs. Tingle, but was delayed and retitled due to the uproar over teen violence in films after the Columbine High School massacre. The film follows a trio of seniors who must prove their innocence to their vindictive history teacher. But this proves difficult, especially when they have her tied to a bed in her own house. The film received mainly negative reviews from critics and was a box office failure. It has since gained a small cult following.

Leigh Ann, Jo Lynn, and Luke head to Mrs. Tingles house that night and try to convince Mrs. Tingle that Leigh Ann is innocent. Mrs. Tingle, however, refuses to listen. Luke picks up a loaded crossbow and aims it at Mrs. Tingle, threatening her. A physical struggle ensues, the crossbow goes off, and in the ensuing mle Mrs. Tingle is accidentally knocked unconscious. The students panic and tie Mrs. Tingle to her bed. Leigh Ann returns to her house and promises to return in the morning, while Luke and Jo Lynn are left to watch Mrs. Tingle in the bedroom. While under Jo Lynns watch, Mrs. Tingle regains consciousness and playing on her guilt, Mrs. Tingle feigns dizziness and understanding for the prank and asks to be untied. Jo Lynn proceeds to untie her from the bed, and Mrs. Tingle immediately attacks Jo Lynn and tries to throttle her on the bed. Luke, with loaded crossbow aimed at Mrs. Tingle, convinces her otherwise, and she is retied to her bed.The trio gathers together at Mrs. Tingless house the next morning. Jo Lynn then calls the school and impersonates Mrs. Tingle calling in sick in order to buy the trio some time, but all are unsure of what they should do next. Leigh Ann and Luke go to school, leaving Jo Lynn to watch Mrs. Tingle. When they return home, the trio devise a plan to blackmail Mrs. Tingle by using fake photos of Luke and Mrs. Tingle in bed together, suggesting they were having an affair. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tingle plays mindgames with Jo Lynn, planting seeds of jealousy about Leigh Anns supposed relationship with Luke. Later that day, the plan goes awry when the schools gym teacher, Richard Wenchell Jeffrey Tambor, called Spanky by Mrs. Tingle, arrives and is revealed to be having an affair with her. Jo Lynn, again, impersonates Mrs. Tingle and blindfolds Mr. Wenchell to hide her identity. When Mr. Wenchell passes out after a high intake of alcohol, Leigh Ann, Luke, and Jo Lynn decide to blackmail Mrs. Tingle by producing photographic evidence of her l

Source: Wikipedia