Editing Higher Learning

{{short description|1995  film by John Singleton}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Higher Learning
| image          = Higher Learning (movie).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            =
| writer         = John Singleton
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jennifer Connelly]]
* [[Ice Cube]]
* [[Omar Epps]]
* [[Michael Rapaport]]
* [[Kristy Swanson]]
* [[Laurence Fishburne]]
}}
| director       = [[John Singleton]]
| producer       = John Singleton<br/>Paul Hall
| music          = [[Stanley Clarke]]
| cinematography = [[Peter Lyons Collister]]
| editing        = Bruce Cannon
| studio         = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| distributor    = [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
| released       = {{Film date|1995|01|11}}
| runtime        = 127 minutes
| country        = United States
| budget         =
| gross          = $38.3 million
}}
'''''Higher Learning''''' is a 1995 American [[crime drama|crime drama film]] written and directed by [[John Singleton]] and starring an [[ensemble cast]]. The film follows the changing lives of three incoming freshmen at the fictional Columbus University: Malik Williams ([[Omar Epps]]), a track star who struggles with academics; Kristen Connor ([[Kristy Swanson]]), a shy and naive girl; and Remy ([[Michael Rapaport]]), a lonely and confused man seemingly out of place in his new environment.<ref>{{cite news |title=Violence Erupts in Opening Week of 'Higher Learning' |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 20, 1995 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-20-ca-22364-story.html |access-date=June 3, 2012 |first=Richard |last=Natale |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812153735/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-01-20/entertainment/ca-22364_1_higher-learning |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film also featured [[Tyra Banks]]'s first performance in a theatrical film. [[Laurence Fishburne]] won an [[NAACP Image Award]] for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture"; [[Ice Cube]] was also nominated for the award. This was the last film appearance of Dedrick D. Gobert, who was shot dead in 1994 prior to the film's release.

The exterior shots and outdoor scenes were shot on the campus of [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) while the interiors were shot at [[Sony Pictures Studios]].

==Plot==
Kristen Connor, a friendly but naïve white woman from [[Orange County, California]], and Malik Williams, a black high-school track star on an athletic scholarship, both incoming freshmen at the fictional Columbus University, attend a dorm party hosted by Fudge White, a militant Afrocentric activist who has been attending the university for 6 years. Fudge's roommate Remy, a quiet white man from [[Boise, Idaho|Boise (Idaho)]] and fellow freshman who is studying to become an [[Engineer|engineer]], contacts campus police to break up the party due to the loud [[rap music]]. Fudge argues that the police unfairly target black students while ignoring white students playing loud "[[country music|hillbilly music]]".

Taryn, an openly [[LGBT|lesbian]] [[feminist]] junior, warns Kristen about walking alone at night on campus and invites her to join her student group. Meanwhile, Malik and Kristen both take a [[political science]] class taught by Maurice Phipps, a [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] black man from the [[British West Indies]]. Phipps assigns his students a semester-long project of formulating their own [[Political ideologies in the United States|political ideologies]] instead of allowing others to categorize them.

A turning point occurs when [[Fraternities and sororities|frat boy]] Billy McDonald rapes Kristen, ignoring her refusal to have [[Non-consensual condom removal|sex without a condom]]. Monet, Kristen's roommate, discovers her crying and receives a racially offensive call from Billy; she then decides to seek help from Fudge, who recruits his friends to confront Billy at a frat party to severely assault him for the racist remark, and Kristen identifies Billy to the black students, who force him to apologize to Monet for racially insulting her during his phone call, unaware that he sexually assaulted Kristen. Shortly afterwards, Kristen joins Taryn's student group, confiding in her about the rape, and Taryn encourages her to report the crime. As they grow closer, Kristen begins developing romantic feelings for Taryn. Eventually, Kristen decides to continue a relationship with Wayne, a college student and roommate of Malik she was already dating before meeting Taryn.

When Remy criticizes Fudge's habit of constantly disrupting his studies with loud music, Fudge mockingly threatens him. He moves out and gets a new Jewish roommate named David Isaacs, but his frustration grows when Malik mocks him after winning a video game. Shortly afterwards, feeling increasingly isolated from his peers at the University, Remy befriends a group of [[White supremacy|white supremacists]] led by Scott Moss, who live close to the Campus; influenced by their [[neo-nazi]] racist beliefs, he eventually joins their ranks as a [[White power skinhead|Nazi skinhead]].

After Malik confronts Phipps over a dismal grade on a midterm essay and accuses him of selling out to the white establishment, Phipps explains the various spelling and grammar errors and emphasizes the importance of taking personal responsibility. He shares with Malik his perspective that black people have to work twice as hard to triumph over societal prejudice and to attain the same socio-economic status as white people as well. Afterwards, Malik improves his writing skills with the help of his girlfriend, fellow track athlete Deja, and learns valuable lessons about self-improvement.

Conversely, Remy's hatred and racism escalate as he pulls a gun on Malik and David, using racial slurs. He eventually drops out of the university and, encouraged by his Neo-Nazi friends, attacks with a [[sniper rifle]] from a rooftop during a peace festival organized by Kristen and Monet. Deja is killed and Malik finds and beats Remy before being himself violently restrained and beaten by the campus police, who ironically forget about Remy's presence until he pulls a pistol. While suffering a [[nervous breakdown]] Remy tries to apologize for his actions, laments that he will never become an engineer, and (in a last effort to avoid further humiliation and imprisonment) commits suicide in front of Malik and the police by shooting himself in the mouth.

Later on at night, the racist skinheads gather in Scott Moss' apartment, eagerly waiting to hear news from Remy, while confident that there is nothing to connect the former to either Moss or his skinheads. The group then watch a TV news report of the university shooting and Remy's death. The neonazis celebrate Remy's actions, hailing him as a hero, making the [[nazi salute]] and loudly chanting "[[White pride|white power]]", while Moss quietly sits back and slowly starts to smile.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Malik discusses his future with Phipps, explaining that he feels discouraged and unsure about continuing his studies after all that has happened. Phipps expresses trust in Malik's judgment and future choice. Malik and Kristen, who have previously had minimal interaction with each other, have a conversation near a converted [[Christopher Columbus]] statue, reflecting on the recent events. While Kristen believes the shooting was her fault for organizing the peace festival, Malik reassures her that she is not to blame, and that it was the right thing to do at the time, before walking away from the campus, leaving his fate at the university undisclosed. The film concludes with Fudge, Taryn, and others graduating from Columbus University. The closing shot features Professor Phipps walking beneath the American flag, with the caption "Unlearn" superimposed over it.

==Cast==
* [[Omar Epps]] as Malik Williams
* [[Kristy Swanson]] as Kristen Connor
* [[Michael Rapaport]] as Remy 
* [[Ice Cube]] as "Fudge" White
* [[Jennifer Connelly]] as Taryn
* [[Tyra Banks]] as Deja
* [[Regina King]] as Monet
* [[Jason Wiles]] as Wayne
* [[Cole Hauser]] as Scott Moss
* [[Busta Rhymes]] as "Dreads"
* [[Laurence Fishburne]] as Professor Maurice Phipps
* [[Bradford English]] as Officer Bradley
* [[Jay R. Ferguson]] as Billy
* [[J. Trevor Edmond]] as Eddie
* [[Andrew Bryniarski]] as Knocko
* [[Trevor St. John]] as James
* Talbert Morton as Erik
* [[Adam Goldberg]] as David Isaacs
* [[Bridgette Wilson]] as Nicole
* [[Kari Wuhrer]] as Claudia
* [[Randall Batinkoff]] as Chad Shadowhill
* Dedrick D. Gobert as Fudge's Homie
* Malcolm Norrington as Cory
* [[Morris Chestnut]] as Track Anchor (uncredited)
* [[Jeanette Bolden]] as Deja Track Coach (uncredited)

The band [[Eve's Plum]] performs, as themselves, at the Peace Fest.

==Reception {{anchor|Box office}} ==
''Higher Learning'' grossed $38,290,723 in the United States, with $20,200,000 in rentals. It ranked #44 for yearly domestic gross and #17 amongst R-rated films in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=Higher Learning (1995) - Box Office Mojo|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=higherlearning.htm|website=www.boxofficemojo.com|access-date=May 26, 2017 |archive-date=May 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518202154/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=higherlearning.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Higher Learning (1995) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Higher-Learning#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] }}</ref>{{Anchor|Awards}}

For their performances in ''Higher Learning'', Laurence Fishburne and Ice Cube were nominated for the 1996 [[Image Award]] for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Fishburne won.<ref>{{cite web|title=Image Awards (1996)|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/1996|website=IMDb|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=March 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326075912/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/1996|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical response {{anchor|Film Reviews|Critics}} ===
The film received mixed reviews. [[Roger Ebert]] commended John Singleton's direction of the film: "He sees with a clear eye and a strong will, and is not persuaded by fashionable ideologies. His movies are thought-provoking because he uses familiar kinds of characters and then asks hard questions about them." He awarded the film three out of four stars.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=January 11, 1995|title=Higher Learning|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/higher-learning-1995|url-status=live|via=RogerEbert.com|access-date=February 5, 2021|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126030035/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/higher-learning-1995}}</ref>
''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' wrote: "A stylish, intelligent film-maker, Singleton interweaves the threads of his demographic tapestry with assurance, passion and a welcome awareness of the complexities of the college community's contradictory impulses towards integration and separatism."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72021/higher_learning.html |title=Higher Learning Review |magazine=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] |date=<!--undated--> |access-date=January 27, 2015 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516172058/http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72021/higher_learning.html |archive-date=May 16, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Writing in ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Janet Maslin]] felt that the movie fell short of its goal, saying it "turns out to be an inadvertent example of the same small-mindedness it deplores".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/11/movies/film-review-higher-learning-short-course-in-racism-on-a-college-campus.html|title=FILM REVIEW: HIGHER LEARNING; Short Course in Racism On a College Campus|first=Janet|last=Maslin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 11, 1995|access-date=April 30, 2019|archive-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430155107/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/11/movies/film-review-higher-learning-short-course-in-racism-on-a-college-campus.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
''Reel Film Reviews'' wrote that the film is "consistently entertaining and well-acted all around. While it's not a perfect movie – Cube's character disappears for a 30-minute stretch and Singleton's approach often veers into heavy-handedness – it is nevertheless an intriguing look at the differences between races and how such differences can clash", and awarded it 3.5 stars out of 4.<ref>{{cite web
|title=The Films of John Singleton: Higher Learning. |url=http://www.reelfilm.com/sngleton.htm#higher |website=Reel Film Reviews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013161733/http://reelfilm.com/sngleton.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=live |first=David |last=Nusair |date=June 24, 2001}}</ref>

''Higher Learning'' holds a 46% rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The site's consensus states; "It's hard to fault ''Higher Learning''{{'}}s goals; unfortunately, writer-director John Singleton too often struggles to fit his themes within a consistently engaging story."<ref>{{cite web |title=Higher Learning (1994) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/higher_learning/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-date=November 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128121340/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/higher_learning|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a score of 54% based on review from 20 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Higher Learning |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/higher-learning |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2022-04-01 }}</ref>
Singleton commented: "If you look at ''Higher Learning'', which I was 25 years old making it, I'm like chock full of everything that would concern young people: lesbianism, and racism, and everything I could put in that movie. It was a great movie. A fun movie to do. But you could never get that movie made now. Never. The guy shoots everybody, know what I mean?"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/johnsingletoninterview.html|title=DVD Talk Interview - John Singleton|website=www.dvdtalk.com|access-date=April 30, 2019|archive-date=February 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011946/https://www.dvdtalk.com/johnsingletoninterview.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Soundtrack {{anchor|Music|Score}} ==
{{main|Higher Learning (soundtrack)}}
The [[Higher Learning (soundtrack)|soundtrack]], containing hip hop, R&B, rock and jazz music, was released on January 3, 1995 by [[John Singleton]]'s New Deal Music label through [[550 Music]]/[[Epic Soundtrax]]. It peaked at number 39 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number 9 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sAsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=when+was+higher+learning+soundtrack+ranked+number+39+on+top+200+Billboard&pg=PA132 |title=Billboard |date=February 4, 1995 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref>
In addition to "Higher", performed by Ice Cube, the soundtrack includes original music by [[OutKast]], [[Liz Phair]], [[Tori Amos]] and [[Rage Against the Machine]].

==Pop culture==
The character Malik, played by the same actor, Omar Epps, appears in ''[[Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood]]'', a comedy movie that parodied some popular black movies of the 1990s. A year later, after the graduation of a friend, Malik had returned to the university where he was shot and killed by a new Skinheads member.

==References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}

{{John Singleton}}

[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1995 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:1995 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s gang films]]
[[Category:African-American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Films about academia]]
[[Category:Films about female bisexuality]]
[[Category:Films about neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Films about racism in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about rape in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about school violence]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Singleton]]
[[Category:Films scored by Stanley Clarke]]
[[Category:Films set in universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by John Singleton]]
[[Category:Lesbian-related films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related crime drama films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Skinhead films]]