Emperors Club, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -1

St. Benedict School for Boys assistant headmaster William Hundert (Kevin Kline) teaches teenage boys lifes lessons through the study of the Classics. In 1972 the highly respected teacher meets the challenge of his career when arrogant Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch) saunters into his classroom with a smirk on his face. Soon the newcomer convinces his classmates that Roman emperors and Greek philosophers are boring. To win him over and to preserve his other students eagerness to excel, Hundert challenges Sedgewick to enter the annual Emperors Club competition. but in his quest to reform Sedgewick, the teachers idealism clashes with a cruel taste of realism. Twenty-five years later, Hundert is invited to a reunion of the class of 1972, where he learns more about himself as he reconnects with his now mature former students. Uplifting, unpredictable and inspirational, THE EMPERORS CLUB honors teachers who dedicate their lives to make a positive difference. What a lovely way to start the holidays.

Hundert must wrestle with his conscience as he compromises his principles to accommodate and encourage Sedgewick. Only the top three students can compete in the emperors contest, and Sedgewick ranks fourth. Will the teachers vote of confidence in a borderline student justify cheating a more deserving student of a chance for a college scholarship? Sedgewick certainly needs reforming he lies, cheats and manipulates his friends. Like one rotten apple ruining a barrel of apples, his influence on the other students spreads quickly. He shares his stash of porn magazines with them and talks them into sneaking over to the girls school across the lake and going skinny dipping. Glimpses of magazine pictures and some crude remarks about them are mildly suggestive and nudity is only implied in the skinny dipping scene. The films only offensive elements are the four obscenities and 10 profanities, making it a perfect candidate for a filtering device such as TVGuardian. Anyone ever influenced by a teacher (isnt that all of us?) will find much to admire in THE EMPERORS CLUB.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Universal Pictures, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91606