In 1995, Michelle Pfeiffer made hated the original title of a movie. It was only changed after she called the producer an asshole
Michelle Pfeiffer successfully pressed for the 1995 film starring her, Dangerous Minds, to be renamed from My Posse Don’t Do Homework. She argued the original title was misleading and undermined a film dealing with race, and the dispute illustrates how forcefully she felt she had to argue to have her view taken seriously.
Pfeiffer said she disliked the title and clashed with producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who had initially defended it as attention-grabbing. The film drew criticism for its use of racial stereotypes, while Pfeiffer’s performance earned an MTV Movie Awards nomination and its soundtrack helped popularise Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”. Dangerous Minds grossed $179.5 million against a $23 million budget.
In short
- Pfeiffer helped change the film’s title.
- She called the original misleading and “really dumb”.
- Dangerous Minds grossed $179.5 million worldwide.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Pfeiffer’s case was that My Posse Don’t Do Homework reduced a film about race and education to a glib, racially loaded slogan, risking a misleading impression of its subject. As its star, she had a legitimate interest in how the film was presented, and pressing the producers to reconsider could be seen as responsible advocacy for the work’s intended seriousness.
The case against
The producers could reasonably argue that the original title was distinctive and attention-grabbing, helping the film stand out in a crowded market. A provocative title does not by itself determine a film’s meaning, and they may have believed it would attract audiences without preventing the story from addressing race and education.
Explained simply
Dangerous Minds is a 1995 drama starring Michelle Pfeiffer as a former US Marine who teaches at a high school in a poor neighbourhood. The story follows her efforts to connect with pupils facing difficult circumstances, and touches on race and education in the United States.
The film was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, whose titles were known for seeking to attract audiences. Its portrayal of Black pupils drew criticism for relying on stereotypes. The soundtrack featured Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which became widely popular, and the film earned far more at the box office than it cost to make.