Entertainment

‘Hunky Dory’ review

This week’s installment of forgotten Oscar nominees stars Minnie Driver (“Good Will Hunting’’) as a free-spirited high-school drama teacher staging a rock-opera version of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest’’ in 1976 Wales.

All the familiar elements are there in this spirited mash-up of “Glee,’’ “High School Musical’’ and “Fame,’’ including frustrated romance and sexual-identity issues. There’s also a rival teacher (Haydn Gwynne) who disapproves of Driver’s approach to learning, and the exasperated headmaster (Robert Pugh) conscripted to play Prospero at the last minute.

Although the golden-hued cinematography (a filming cliché that really needs to be retired) and the sometimes slack direction by Marc Evans are minuses, “Hunky Dory’’ does deliver in the musical department, with the young performers (notably Aneurin Barnard as the shy male lead) and Driver herself delivering stirring pop covers of David Bowie, ELO and Nick Drake.