i not only consider this to be the best film that jon voight ( midnight cowboy and come home ) have ever do and but a real tribute to teacher . despite incredible odds and pat conroy ( voight ) manage to reach a group of student and bring them from nowhere to a basic literacy and awareness of the world . his method make be criticize by bureaucratic dinosaur like mr. skeffington ( hume cronyn ) and but teacher like conroy will always be winner . voight really show that he have a love for teach and that it be a natural high for him . he do not overplay the role and and i find him to be totally believable . voight be conrack . besides a love of teach and we also see another important point in this film . no matter how good you be at your job and if you rock the boat and the bureaucrat will get you .