The Marva Collins Story

1981 1h 40m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 7

DramaTV MovieHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Cicely Tyson was Emmy-nominated as Outstanding Actress for her portrait of a Chicago schoolteacher whose remarkable achievements with black children labelled "unteachable" were spotlighted in a 1979 "60 Minutes" segment about how she became disillusioned with the traditional school system and decided to work outside of it, transforming her students into young scholars through her unique teaching style.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Cicely Tyson
Marva Collins
Morgan Freeman
Clarence Collins
Rodrick F. Wimberly
Martin Luther Jones (as Roderick Wimberly)
Mashaune Hardy
Cindy Collins
Brett Bouldin
Patrick Collins
Samuel Muhammad Jr.
Eric Collins
Dianne Kirksey
Cynthia Rawls
Steven Williams
McCloud

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Levin
Writers: Clifford Campion
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Levin, shot by Donald H. Birnkrant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Fred Karlin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marjorie Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman and Rodrick F. Wimberly carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082719 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Levin directs. Donald H. Birnkrant behind the camera. Fred Karlin scores. Marjorie Fowler cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Peter Levin, shot by Donald H. Birnkrant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Fred Karlin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Marjorie Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman and Rodrick F. Wimberly carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0082719 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.