The Kindergarten Teacher

The Kindergarten Teacher

Year: 2015

Runtime: 119 min

Language: Hebrew

Director: Nadav Lapid

Drama

A kindergarten teacher named Nira recognizes a remarkable talent for poetry in one of her students, Yoav. Driven by her passion and fascination, she becomes increasingly determined to nurture his gift. However, her dedication blurs the lines between mentorship and obsession, leading her to confront complex issues in her relationship with Yoav and his family. Nira struggles to protect his innocence while navigating a delicate and increasingly challenging situation.

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Timeline – The Kindergarten Teacher (2015)

Trace every key event in The Kindergarten Teacher (2015) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Lisa's Dissatisfaction

Lisa Spinelli, a kindergarten teacher, faces dissatisfaction in her personal life. Although she is in a loving marriage with her husband Grant, the passion is lacking, and her teenage children, Josh and Lainie, have grown distant.

Staten Island
2

Poetry Class Struggles

Each week, Lisa attends a poetry class led by Simon, where her work is dismissed as derivative. This dismissive feedback adds to Lisa's feelings of inadequacy and longing for validation.

Local Poetry Class
3

Discovery of Talent

Lisa overhears her student, Jimmy, reciting a poem while waiting for his late babysitter. Inspired by his ability, she recognizes the potential in his talent and decides to take a personal interest in fostering his creativity.

School
4

Reading Jimmy's Poem

Lisa brings Jimmy's poem to her poetry class to share. Her classmates, including Simon, are captivated by the poem's depth and originality, leading them to commend her talent, further fueling her desire to nurture Jimmy's gift.

Local Poetry Class
5

Partnership with Becca

Lisa enlists Jimmy's babysitter, Becca, to document the poems Jimmy creates. However, Lisa quickly grows concerned that Becca is coddling Jimmy, which she feels is hindering his artistic development.

6

Encouraging Nikhil

Meeting Jimmy's father, Nikhil, Lisa expresses her excitement about his son's poetic talent. Despite his father's wishes for Jimmy to lead a normal life, Lisa pushes Nikhil to let go of Becca and seeks to take a more active role in guiding Jimmy's artistry.

7

The Poetry Reading

Despite Nikhil's caution, Lisa takes Jimmy to a poetry reading event in Manhattan instead of baseball practice. The audience receives Jimmy's poetry warmly, but Simon confronts Lisa afterwards about her deceit regarding the authorship of the poems.

Manhattan
8

Consequences of Lying

Following the poetry reading, Nikhil learns from Lisa's deception and angrily decides to move Jimmy to another kindergarten. This confrontation highlights the tension between Lisa's ambitions for Jimmy and the expectations of his parents.

9

The Kidnapping

Driven by her obsession, Lisa follows Jimmy to his new school and abducts him. She takes him to a motel near the beach, revealing her intent to escape to Canada with him, as she believes it to be an opportunity for him to flourish.

Motel near the beach
10

Jimmy Calls for Help

While Lisa bathes, Jimmy, feeling threatened by the situation, calls 911 to report his kidnapping. Despite Lisa's attempts to convince him of the world’s lack of understanding of his talent, he reaches out for help.

Motel
11

Police Arrival

Law enforcement arrives at the motel following Jimmy's emergency call. In the chaotic aftermath, Lisa is presumably arrested while Jimmy expresses his need to share a poem, which sadly goes unheard in the commotion.

Motel

Last Updated: December 24, 2024 at 10:01

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The Kindergarten Teacher Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Kindergarten Teacher

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