Release Year: 1995 Rating: R Duration: 127 minutes Director: John Singleton Producer: John Singleton, Paul Hall, Dwight Williams
synopsis
The third installment in John Singleton's trilogy about South Central Los Angeles, HIGHER LEARNING examines mid-1990s university politics from racial, sexual, and economic standpoints. At fictional Columbus University (where a statue of the explorer stands witness to the dominant culture's supremacy), three freshman arrive to find a campus ready to explode. Malik (Omar Epps) wavers among the influences of revolution-preaching super-senior Fudge (Ice Cube), no-excuses Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne), and his motivated girlfriend Deja (Tyra Banks). Kristen (Kristy Swanson), another neophyte, is thrown into sexual confusion when she meets a charismatic lesbian, while the socially inept Remy (Michael Rapaport) can only fit in with the local skinheads. The storylines cross and complicate as each character tries to discover what's right, but the potential for violence grows with every wrong choice they make. Singleton recruited an emsemble of considerable talent to flesh out the complex plot, which allows him to deal efficiently with a breadth of concerns without preaching.
cast
Bridgette Wilson as Nicole Busta Rhymes as Dreads Ice Cube as Fudge Jennifer Connelly as Taryn Kristy Swanson as Kristen Connor Laurence Fishburne as Professor Maurice Phipps Michael Rapaport as Remy Omar Epps as Malik Williams Tyra Banks as Deja Vitamin C as Festival Singer
quote
Fudge: Don't read them damn books for them classes and shit.
With his third feature, writer/director John Singleton (BOYZ 'N THE HOOD, POETIC JUSTICE) has turned his focus from the inner city to the college campus. Set on the grounds of a fictional California school, Columbus University, HIGHER LEARNING strives to examine the political, sexual, and racial undercurrents that coalesce in such a volatile atmosphere.
