Film Images of Private Schools

Abstract

The public debate over private education is examined in one of its most influential forms, the Hollywood dramatic feature film. The four recent  films  highlighting   private schools  portray them  as homogeneously  negative, even  on  those dimensions  which private schools feel themselves  strongest, for example, effective leadership, parental involvement, and  character education. While films also portray public schools critically, minority  schools  show  dramatic improvement,  by dint of  hard work  alone. By  contrast, private schools  are portrayed  as socially divisive, unchangeable, and  opposed  to change. This negative  portrayal may be an important component of the "ordinary knowledge" which underlies policy decisions.