Cheaters (film)
| Cheaters | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Produced by | Kevin Reidy Gloria Jean Sykes |
| Written by | |
| Starring |
Jeff Daniels Jena Malone Paul Sorvino Luke Edwards Blake Heron Dov Tiefenbach |
| Music by | Paul Haslinger |
| Cinematography | David Hennings |
| Edited by | Eric A. Sears, Scott K. Wallace |
| Distributed by |
HBO Films HBO Home Video Mainostelevisio Stardis Pictures mediacs AG |
|
Release date
|
May 20, 2000 |
|
Running time
|
108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cheaters is an HBO movie released in 2000 that chronicles the story of the 1994–1995 Steinmetz High School team that cheated in the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD). It is based on a true story. The movie was filmed in Toronto and Chicago.
Students at Steinmetz High School are less than enthusiastic about anything in the classroom, except for Jolie Fitch, a junior who enjoys Dr. Jerry Plecki's English class and is involved heavily in all discussions, especially on his favorite book Paradise Lost. Aside from teaching, Dr. Plecki is offered the position of Academic Decathlon coach, a job all the other teachers consider to be a waste of time for them as well as the students. Dr. Plecki holds an open call for the students after class, but no one arrives to participate. He is about to leave for the day when Jolie comes in and convinces him that he needs to look for the smarter students and recruit them. He succeeds in recruiting seven students (Darius, Matt, Paul, Dominik, Irwin, Agnieska, and Jolie). They spend the next few months studying hard for the regional competition.
On the day of competition, the team feels intimidated as they face their biggest competition: Whitney Young Magnet High School. The school has consistently won the regional and state competitions for almost a decade. At the end of the decathlon, as expected, Whitney Young is victorious and Steinmetz places 5th overall. Fortunately, any school that places in the top five moves on to the state competition. Overwhelmed with the anxiety of having to face Whitney Young in the next round, the students begin to feel that the whole decathlon is a waste of their time. However, an opportunity to cheat arises when Matt's friend steals a copy of the test for the state finals and gives it to him. Irwin takes the exam and gives it to Dr. Plecki. Dr. Plecki feels that using the test is the team's best chance to defeat Whitney Young at state.
After some persuasive discussion, all seven members agree to dismiss their conflicting feelings about cheating and begin reviewing the booklet, copying the answers on various items (calculators, shoes, a piece of gum, etc.). Dr. Plecki then takes Irwin out to the hall and explains that because he had the lowest scores in the group, he will be out of the state competition; however, he will be guaranteed a spot in nationals. Though Irwin is upset by the news, he agrees to go along with it.
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