Good luck, Miss Wyckoff

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Movie
Original title Good luck, Miss Wyckoff
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1979
length 105 minutes
Rod
Director Marvin J. Chomsky
script Polly Platt
production Raymond Stross
music Ernest Gold
camera Álex Phillips Jr.
cut Rita Roland
occupation

Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff is an American drama directed by Marvin J. Chomsky from 1979. The screenplay written by Polly Platt is based on the novel by William Inge . Set in a fictional small town called Freedom in the 1950s , the film tells the story of a teacher who is publicly condemned and humiliated because of an affair with a black student.

action

In 1954, the single 35-year-old Latin teacher Evelyn Wyckoff taught at a high school in the fictional small town of Freedom in the US state of Kansas . Evelyn is committed to her profession and shows progressive views in a time of racial conflict; she campaigns for the rights of black students and supports a colleague who deals with Marxist doctrine in history class . Although she is respected by her students and colleagues, she feels lonely and becomes increasingly mentally unstable. Your doctor Dr. Neal diagnoses her with premature onset of menopause and recommends a psychiatrist in Wichita, Dr. Steiner. He attributes the psychological and physical problems of Evelyn, who is completely inexperienced in sexual and romantic matters, to her fear of love and sexuality. He helps her to accept her suppressed longing for intimacy and advises her to look for a partner. During her bus rides to Wichita, Evelyn meets the friendly bus driver Ed, who is interested in her. She feels flattered, but remains hesitant at first. When she decides to overcome her inhibitions, she finds, to her great disappointment, that Ed has left town.

Shortly afterwards, the arrogant black student Rafe Collins, who has to clean classrooms after class because of his scholarship, begins sexually molesting Evelyn. She tries to ignore his intrusiveness and avoid him until one day he brutally rapes her after school. Out of shame and fear of public shame, Evelyn does not dare to tell anyone about the traumatic incident. When the sadistic Rafe, who hates white people, tries to rape her again, Evelyn submits to her tormentor and even takes pleasure in the humiliation and abuse he inflicts on her. A sadomasochistic relationship develops between the two. Evelyn manages to keep the relationship a secret until the abuse escalates at one of her meetings at school and she is discovered by two students through Evelyn's screams. A scandal breaks out and Evelyn is mercilessly attacked and marginalized by the small town residents. She loses her job and apartment and is forced to leave town. Evelyn is desperate and wants to take her own life, but finally comes back and plans a new beginning in another city.

Reviews

" Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff expresses known facts about the painful conflict between the individual and society - but with a lingering impression of falsehood and a total lack of style."

- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

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