Pat Conroy's autobiographical book "The Water Is Wide" proves to be something of a Southern "Up The Down Staircase", yet despite the teacher-going-against-the-odds formula, "Conrack" really does move the audience with each little breakthrough and creative flash. These students (uneducated black kids on an island off South Carolina) are actually shown learning, and their collective wide-eyed innocence is remarkably sweet. The one actual actress in the bunch (Tina Andrews, an amazing performer) plays the "tough nut" Conrack has to crack, and once she falls under his charms, it all seems a breeze. But the story is not ready-made for a happy ending, and I wasn't prepared for the quiet simplicity of the finale. It's beautifully done. The script veers off course every now and then, but director Martin Ritt is very smart to always fall back on Jon Voight's solid presence. Scenes such as the one where he drives around in his van venting his frustrations over a loudspeaker don't add up to much, but the whole film is filled with episodes which spark emotion, and the actual ending is their payoff. **1/2 out of ****

Superb story of a dedicated young teacher who sets out teaching minority children in an area off South Carolina.

Jon Voight is just tremendous as the headstrong, dedicated, idealistic teacher who faces this challenge despite a principal, who believes in stern discipline and has little regard for modern educational techniques as well as a crusty old school superintendent, played with relish by the late Hume Cronyn. Madge Sinclair is the principal who loves her babies.

As I'm a retired teacher, I could in some ways relate to this excellent film. The ignorance shown here as well as the lack of cooperation with officials is also quite apparent in urban areas.

Voight realizes that these children need far more than the traditional teachings of a classroom. He has them go out and experience life by themselves by learning outdoors.

The end is a definite downer but so true to life.

Amazing that such backward students had a zest for learning and were well disciplined. I guess that answers my question. The behavior was there and they were motivated to succeed despite their environment.

The ending will just tug at your heart. It was memorable and so well poignant.

Jon Voight may have given his best screen performance in this true story of Pat Conroy a white teacher wo plies his trade at a rural South Carolina school district. The school is located on an island in the middle of one of South Carolina's rivers and it has an all black population. People rarely get off the island and their exposure to the outside world is limited.

Even school principal Madge Sinclair expects little of her pupils. Voight not only teaches, but exposes them to a wider world than they ever dreamed of beyond their island.

Conrack which is what they call Voight because they can't quite get is name pronounced right joins a nice list of films like Stand And Deliver and Up The Down Staircase about dedicated teachers. Folks to be treasured in this life because there are too few of them.

Conrack also bears comparison to a fine film directed by Elia Kazan, The Wild River about the Tennessee Valley in the 30s as the Tennessee Valley Authority is getting started. The white people who live on the island in the Tennessee River about to be flooded out live pretty much the same way the black population does here. Both Kazan and Martin Ritt in this film show rural poverty as graphically as it has ever been shown on the big screen.

Conrack should have gotten some Oscar recognition it is a real classic work, one of the best of the 70s.