Miss Stevens

Miss Stevens is a 2016 American comedy-drama film directed by Julia Hart, in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Hart and Jordan Horowitz. The film stars Lily Rabe, Timothée Chalamet, Lili Reinhart, Anthony Quintal, Oscar Nunez, and Rob Huebel. The plot follows a teacher who chaperones a small group of high school students to a weekend state drama competition. The film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 12, 2016. It began a theatrical limited release on September 16, 2016, before being released on video on demand on September 20, 2016, by The Orchard. Plot Rachel Stevens (Lily Rabe) is a 29-year-old California high school English teacher who volunteers to chaperone three of her students to a drama competition for the weekend: the organized Margot (Lili Reinhart), affable Sam (Anthony Quintal), and the struggling but talented Billy (Timothée Chalamet). On Friday, she meets with the principal (Oscar Nunez) to discuss details and learns Billy is on medication for a behavioral disorder. Arriving at the hotel, the group checks in and, during a mixer, Rachel meets another teacher named Walter (Rob Huebel). They hint about their attraction to each other despite his wife and later have awkward sex in his hotel room. While coming back to her room, she sees Billy sitting with his head in his hands outside his room. When she confronts him, he laughs it off and says he lost his key. Rachel returns and spends the rest of the night drinking in her bedroom and rehearsing dialogue that she uses in the classroom. The next day, Rachel goes to a car mechanic to repair a flat tire. Billy insists on joining her while the other students rehearse their monologues. He tells her that the rehearsals are optional, and they drive to the mechanic together. Upon learning that they must wait an hour at the shop, they decide to walk a mile to a local diner. While walking back roads, they discuss the conversations from the previous night's dinner. Billy asks her if she is a lesbian, as it was hinted at during the dinner, and she replies that the conversation has turned inappropriate. They return to the hotel, and Sam explains to Billy that he missed the important rehearsals. He walks it off and joins others in the auditorium. During the first round of competition, Margot forgets her monologue from A Streetcar Named Desire and Rachel consoles her. Margot reveals that the trip was not paid for by the school but by her parents.