Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

gwnightscream Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Lynne Thigpen and Robert Guillaume star in John Avildsen's 1989 drama based on a true story. This takes place in New Jersey and Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption) plays Joe Clark, a former teacher turned principal who is asked to clean up inner-city high school, Eastside after 20 years that's become drug-infested and lacks education. He gets off to a rough start with his strict methods, but eventually turns things around and gains loyalty and respect of his students and staff. Todd plays Miss Levias, his assistant, the late, Thigpen plays Mrs. Barrett, a parent who dislikes him and Guillaume (Benson) plays Frank Napier, the school superintendent. Freeman is great in this as usual and I think it's one of his best films. I recommend this good 80's drama.

Austin S. Russell (arussell23) "This is an institution of learning, ladies and gentlemen. If you can't control it, how can you teach? Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm!" In the 1980s, Joe Louis Clark became the new principal of Eastside High School, located in Paterson, New Jersey, which was one of New Jersey's toughest inner city schools. He managed to turn the school around, despite the people who criticized him and tried to stop him. It's no wonder that a few years later, in 1989, a film version of his story was released. The film, which stars one of the best actors alive, Morgan Freeman, managed to gross 3x it's budget and became a big success due to it's storyline and characters. How does the film hold up twenty-six years later? Lean On Me follows a former teacher at Eastside High School who comes back twenty years later as the Principal, and finds that the school is in need of dire help in order to keep the state from gaining control of the school.I first heard about this film due to my mother, who watched it several times when I was younger, and that was how I remember scenes like the ending and the song, Lean On Me. So, when I saw the film was going to be on for the last time for a while, I recorded it and sat down to watch. Man, this is a pretty good film.The acting is phenomenal, most notably from Morgan Freeman. I have no idea how Freeman didn't get nominated for Best Actor for his role as Joe Clark, because he does a fantastic job, what with all the speeches and the powerful scenes he has to carry. Beverly Todd does a great job as Mrs. Levias, and the best scene she does is one toward the end of the film, fighting against Morgan Freeman's character about what he's supposed to be doing with the kids at the school.Alan North does a fine job as the Mayor. Robert Guillaume does a phenomenal job as well as Dr. Napier, and his best scene comes about midway through the film when he and Clark argue about Clark's methods of controlling his students. Lynne Thigpen does a deliciously evil job as Mrs. Barnett, a parent who doesn't agree with Clark from the beginning and does her best to get him fired.The music in the film was great. The instrumental music, composed by Bill Conti, was fantastic and fit all the songs they were used in. The other songs, which were songs like Welcome to the Jungle and of course, the titular song, Lean On Me, all worked very well. The cinematography, and set design, especially in the shots of the rundown Eastside High all look very convincing and the school looks even better when it's redone.The script was very riveting and was great at really portraying how these kids acted and how Mr. Clark was going to deal with them. It was all very refreshing, a script that really showed the reality of these kids and didn't just demonize them or praise them to make things more dramatic or interesting. Perhaps my only issue with the film is that the whole film feels very brutal, never really slowing enough to let some of the more emotional moments sink in.Overall, Lean On Me is a fantastic film. While I did have some issues with the overall brutal feel of the film, the acting, music, cinematography, set design and script are all fantastic and work about as well as they could have in this setting. I'm honestly shocked Morgan Freeman didn't get an Oscar nod for his revolutionary performance here. If you haven't seen it, go see it if only for the amazing performances that definitely should have received some Oscar nods.9/10. | Grade: A-

g-bodyl Lean on Me is certainly a film that gives an exaggerated version of tough love. It's a film about a high school principal who is dedicated for his students, but in the process, uses dictatorial powers to show his dedication. But this is a powerful film that shows a transformation from a school looking like a gang center to a school with high education results. There are not many films like these being made, so it's a treat seeing an inspirational film like this. The film itself may be a little outdated, but the messages still ring true even in today's world.John G Avildsen, known for his famous film Rocky, directs a film based on the true happenings of the East Paterson High School in New Jersey. Principal Joe Clark is brought in to save a school from completely collapsing. He expels the drug dealers and troublemakers and he chains the doors shut to keep the learners inside and the troublemakers outside....much to the disarray of the community.The acting is very good here. Morgan Freeman is one of the greatest actors Hollywood has ever had. This movie came out at a time before Freeman had his juicy roles, but this performance here is still top-notch. I may not agree with all the tactics Clark used to whip his school into shape, but Freeman does an excellent job in showing what a no-nonsense man Joe Clark was.Overall, Lean on Me is a very powerful film and is essentially a version of the old rags-to-rich tale, but here it's more of a dumb-to-smart tale. Led by a majestic performance by Morgan Freeman, this film is a must-see. Joe Clark was a stern man, but his sternness created glory for his school not seen in many years. "Lean on Me, when you're not strong. I'll be your pillow," as sung by the great Bill Withers in his classic song. I rate this film 9/10.

Ashley Holmes I loved this movie it was great. And i think its an very inspiring movie for teens.My favorite part in the movie was when the boys got caught in the bathroom,because i thought they were going to mess up but they didn't they sung perfectly.I think this movie can teach many people how to improve with their selves.Many problems in this movie are going on today in school.And just like they were fixed in this movie they can be fixed i schools today.Like they kids falling asleep in class, and listening to music, not studying, fighting. Im not saying the same way they fixed them in the movie is the same way they can be fixed, but i know there is an way for them to get fixed . I love this movie no matter how old it gets i will always love it.