NPR Transcript: English Teachers Embrace New Film Adaptation of The Odyssey
High school English teachers have responded positively to Christopher Nolan's new film adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey," viewing it as a tool to engage students with the ancient epic poem in classroom settings.
A new film adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" opened as the biggest box office success for a live-action film this year, drawing millions of viewers including high school English teachers who view it as a classroom asset.
Casey Crowhurst, who has taught English at Monticello High School in eastern Illinois for 16 years, described the epic as historically challenging to present to students. He previously relied on clips from a 1997 Hallmark miniseries—which his students found outdated—to maintain engagement. After viewing the new adaptation, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Crowhurst posted on TikTok: "I just saw 'The Odyssey,' and I want to say, on behalf of all English teachers, thank you, Christopher Nolan. Thank you."
Crowhurst noted that the film's treatment of Zeus' Law—a principle emphasizing hospitality and equality—represents a thematic emphasis absent from previous adaptations. "That point was made so perfectly in the film, and I was just in awe," he said.
Erin Hall, an English teacher at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia, views the film as an additional resource for classroom instruction. "I'm so excited this movie is coming out because I love including any kind of outside media in my classroom that I can 'cause it gets kids excited to learn," Hall stated. Some of her students already possess familiarity with Greek mythology through works like "Percy Jackson And The Olympians."
At South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia, Sarah Noll teaches "The Odyssey" to multilingual learners, many of whom are immigrants from Central America, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, and Sudan. Rather than studying the original text, Noll employs film clips and adaptations stretched across several months, allowing students to build vocabulary around key terms such as ship, sea, king, and suitor. "Ultimately, it's the story of Odysseus having to leave his home, his family, and head out into the world not knowing if he'll ever come home," Noll explained. "It's a very powerful story."
For Noll's immigrant students, the narrative resonates personally. The epic's themes of displacement and the uncertain prospect of homecoming align with their own experiences, making the ancient text unexpectedly relevant to their circumstances.
