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Poster for Conrack

Conrack

One beautiful man. His story is true.

1974 · 1h 46m · PG Drama
Directed by Martin Ritt

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Overview

A young, white school teacher is assigned to Yamacraw Island, an isolated fishing community off the coast of South Carolina, populated mostly by poor black families. He finds that the basically illiterate, neglected children there know so little of the world outside their island.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
73%
Tomatometer
Rotten

The spirit behind Conrack is so relentlessly idealistic in tone and uplifting in intent that one feels vaguely guilty for not responding to the film generously and forgivingly.

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
Fresh

Few will totally resist the surefire appeal of this latest variation on Pygmalion mythology.

Variety Staff, Variety
Fresh

Despite Mr. Voight's skill, the teacher's character never jells.

Nora Sayre, New York Times
Rotten

It misses by less than a mile, but it misses.

Don Druker, Chicago Reader
Fresh

The potentially dubious aspects of the subject are mostly exorcised, in part by a strong script (adapted from the book by real-life teacher Pat Conroy), but largely by the engaging and persuasive performance Ritt draws from Voight.

Time Out

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