Lean on Me

Plot synopsis:
In 1987, Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, is plagued with numerous problems, especially drugs and gang violence. Furthermore, the students scored poorly on the state's test of minimum basic skills.During the opening credits sequence, after a teacher is brutally beaten in the cafeteria for trying to break up a fight and the state legislature has recently passed a law proclaiming that schools that cannot meet minimum test requirements will be put in receivership, Mayor Bottman (Alan North) consults school superintendent Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume), who suggests the school hire elementary school principal Joe Louis Clark, aka "Crazy Joe" (Morgan Freeman), who was a teacher at Eastside High 20 years before, as the new principal. The mayor is reluctant at first as he knows about the trouble the radical Clark has caused in the past with his tyrant-like methods, but Clark is hired. Tension arises immediately when Clark dismisses from the school hundreds of students identified as drug dealers or abusers and troublemakers. A meeting between the parents of those students and the academic board only fans the flames as the parents side with their trouble-making kids, either refusing to believe that their kids are bad seeds or not caring about their kids actions (mostly because the parents were themselves troublemakers and bad seeds when they were in school). Clark refuses to re-admit the expelled students despite lawsuits and pressure from the parents.The next day, Clark runs into one of the expelled youths, Thomas Sams (Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins), who asks to be let back into the school. In a dramatic rooftop scene, Clark gives him a sharp lecture about crack and what can happen to Sams if he keeps on using it. Clark then dares Sams to commit suicide by jumping off the roof, but Sams, breaking down in tears, refuses and promises to clean up his act. Clark grants him a second chance to turn things around.However, another expelled student manages to get inside the school and attack another student before Clark comes to break up the fight. Knowing he is breaking the fire code, Clark orders all doors chained and locked during school hours to keep drug dealers out, and enlists security guards to keep the fire chief out of the school. Clark's unusual and brutal methods lead him to clash with numerous teachers and with his vice principal Joan Levias (Beverly Todd). He fires one teacher for not singing to the school anthem, and he suspends another for arguing with him in front of the students, though the suspension is reversed by the superintendent.The students take a practice version of the basic skills test, but only 33% of them pass it (the minimum passing requirement is 75%). Clark embarks on a campaign to prepare the students for the real test, culminating in a motivational assembly the morning of the exam. Over the 1987-88 school semester, the students bond with Mr. Clark, not just as a principal, but as a father figure. Clark highly values school pride, and several times throughout the film insists that all students learn the school song and be able to perform it on demand.Meanwhile, one parent whose son was expelled from Eastside by Clark, civil activist and pot user Leona Barrett (Lynne Thigpen), aligns herself with the mayor in an effort to oust Clark as part of her personal vendetta. The fire chief eventually catches Clark with chains on the doors and Barrett makes a tape recording of him ordering them removed during a surprise inspection. Clark's arrest comes after a key scene involving Kaneesha Carter (Karen Malina White), who remembers Clark from grade school. Clark is offering counsel about Kaneesha's unplanned pregnancy just before he is arrested.That night, while Clark is in jail and the mayor is preparing to remove him, the entire student body converges on the Central Office of the Paterson Board of Education in a passive demonstration. They demand that Clark be released from jail and retained as principal. Mrs. Barrett tries to convince the students that Clark has made too many wrong decisions and is not the right man to be principal of Eastside, and asks that they return to their homes before any trouble starts. The students claim that Clark cares for them and has done so much good that they will not accept anyone else as their principal, and shout down Mrs. Barrett with chants and cheers.Eventually, Clark is freed from custody to calm the crown, and to good news: enough students passed the basic skills exam, which means the current administration will retain control over the school. With that, Clark shuns both Mrs. Barrett and the mayor: "You can tell the state to go to hell!" Then Clark leads his students in singing Eastside High's school song. The closing credits feature scenes of graduating Eastside High Class of 1988 seniors, including Sams.

Tags: violence

Review:
Lean on Me is based around the experiences of Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman), who becomes the principal of a destitute New Jersey high school plagued with violence, drugs, and abysmal academic performance.
Despite outside resistance Clark becomes a pillar of hope for numerous students inspired by his harsh but ultimately uplifting demands for disciple, self betterment, and loyalty to their school and educational achievement.What sets Lean on Me apart from numerous other sentimental inspirational flicks is the unconventional style of Clark and Morgan Freeman's masterful portrayal of him.
Also in the cast, Mr Darnell(Michael Beach) and Dr. Frank Napier(Robert Guillaume) along with Joe Clark(Morgan Freeman) were probably the most dominant actors.
Freeman is perfectly cast as 'Crazy' Joe Clark, a radical, newly appointed principal at a deteriorating, gang-ridden school who gets through to his students with a tough, opinionated, no-nonsense approach to the pursuit of academic excellence.
I work in a school that was totally struggling and considered hopeless, marked as "failing" and basically in the same position as Eastside High in Paterson, NJ, the subject and setting of "Lean on Me." "Lean on Me" is a very good, nearly great movie.
He's helped by a solid supporting cast, leading to some truly memorable scenes as principal Joe Clark (Freeman) battles teachers, parents, and administrators who are outraged by his controversial methods.
Rocky and Karate Kid director, John Avildsen takes his stand-up-and-cheer style from the ring and the dojo to the halls of New Jersey's Eastside High School in this true story of the mercurial, and controversial, principal, Joe Clark.
The story strains credibility and often goes over the top, but the fast pace and great Freeman performance allow this to still be an entertaining film.Freeman's Joe Clark is recruited by Superintendent, Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume) for the seemingly impossible task of turning around the violent and out of control Eastside High School School and somehow motivating the staff and students to improve their results on the State Literacy Exam, or else see the school fall under state control.
Clark uses a bullhorn, a baseball bat and a confrontational style with his staff and combines it with a tough, nurturing relationship with his students to try to bring this about, while battling alienated staff and angry parents, led by Ms. Levias (Lynne Thigpen) to try to bring about the desired changes.Sure, this film is far-fetched and overblown and even has a couple scenes that approach unintentional humor, but it has enough strengths to compensate and make it worthwhile viewing for those who enjoy the true story school genre that Hollywood loves so much.
It should've been nominated for Actor and Picture.Overall the movie is a fantastic film and shows the true story of Joe Clark..
Morgan Freeman made himself into a star with this film, and also made the movie a hit with his great performance.
He IS the movie playing fascinating real- life high school principal Joe Clark.
Morgan Freeman owns the role of Principal Joe Clark so well that it might just be, over-the-top bits and all, one of his most commanding screen performances.
Freeman is so good and scene stealing and all those wonderful things we love him for that he makes one forget that the film he's in is only 'alright' at best and at worst is preachy and confused in its tone going between super tough/realistic and sentimental.It's about a notorious school in Paterson, New Jersey, and how Joe Clark- who taught there in the 60s- is begged to be brought back to bring it back to some normalcy from the degradation of hardcore 80s madness (crack and gangs and other things infiltrating the high schoolers).
While it is, as Ebert pointed out, kind of an unsympathetic character Clark is, I somehow can forgive the faults in the script for the acting (aside from Freeman there are other actors, like Robert Guillame and Michael beach and Beverly Todd, who can go up to bat with the likes of the star).
Good film about a high school principal in New Jersey (Morgan Freeman) who will stop at nothing to make the school the best it can be.
It is a good film to begin with, but Morgan Freeman's powerful performance makes it even better.
(Credit IMDb) The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school that he is determined to improve.This is a very important film about education.
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.
Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) was brought in to clean the school up and get the test scores up before the state took over the school.This was a fantastic movie with a fantastic story and fantastic performances.
Morgan Freeman stars as the boot jack wearing thuggish high school principal Joe Clark.
The filmmakers make him out to be some sort of scholastic zealot who bullies and schmaltz's his way to the top (he even brings in his own brown shirts!) If you want to see the exploits of Mr. Clark then check out Lean on Me!The movies not that great but Morgan Freeman's performance is real good and believable.
As a direct result of his fiery temper and defiant attitude a high school teacher named "Joe Clark" (Morgan Freeman) is removed from his position at Eastside High School and sent to an elementary school instead.
This is a very underrated and under-appreciated film based on a true story of a New jersey school principal who is faced with the task of trying to turn a struggling school back around.This concept has been done many times before like in dangerous minds and other alike movies but this movie is different as it came first, is based on a true story and lastly that Morgan Freeman absolutely nails this role.
All of the acting is strong in this film, even though there are a lot of no name one time actors in this movie the main characters are strong and again Morgan Freeman gives the performance of his life.If you are a Morgan Freeman fan and have not seen this movie you need to watch....
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.
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.
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.
Mr. Clark played by Morgan Freeman, show strong self motived character that was going to be unstoppable and will go through the fire for his kids in that high school of Eastside High..
Based on the true story of Joe Clark, 'Lean on Me' features Morgan Freeman as the controversial teacher tasked with recovering Eastside High, a decaying school that has become a den of violence, drug abuse and all-around despair.
True to the real-life Joe Clark, Freeman portrays a tough, quasi- tyrannical teacher that is not afraid of taking extreme measures to keep (or instate) the discipline in the school.
'Lean on Me' shows that bettering the behavior is a step on the right direction, but is not everything; Clark demands from the professors the same hard-work, dedication and discipline he does from the students.After all, how can you help them if you don't lead by example?This screenplay is not perfect though: the ending seems to flirt with the idealistic feel of other school dramas, and there seems to be plot contrivances.
Morgan Freeman's performance, as Principal Joe Clark, is hands down the best thing about "Lean On Me".
It could even be considered today to be one of Freeman's Top 5 most iconic performances, easily ranking alongside "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), "Se7en" (1995), and "Million Dollar Baby" (2004).Freeman effectively displays a take-charge attitude with his performance that the real life Joe Clark most likely had when he took over the real Eastside High School in Patterson, New Jersey.
Following his rousing speech, one student, Kaneesha Carter (Karen Malina White), remarks, "Mr. Clark don't play!" You really can't disagree.The beginning of the movie shows the thriving educational institution Eastside High School was in the late 1960's, when Joe Clark first taught there.
Just like "A Tale of Two Cities", where French peasants are drinking wine off the Paris streets, things are bad!Much to the reluctance of Patterson Mayor Don Bottman (Alan North), Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume) convinces Joe Clark to take over as principal of Eastside High, and attempt to restore its former glory.
It's also inspiring to see the students who stay in Eastside High School warm up to Mr. Clark, and appreciate his disciplinary actions as "tough love".However, the antagonists in this movie caused the most inconsistency, seemingly not even acknowledging a lot of the good Mr. Clark did, which unquestionably outweighed the bad.
He is not a negative actor, but his skill is so great it makes you really want to beat the daylights out of Joe Clark...with a pipe, on a windy Tuesday in Lent.As others have pointed out, Freeman is worth seeing, even if the film is not..
Innovative agitating teacher Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) is transferred from the idyllic Eastside High School so the union can get a raise.
Always enjoy the great acting skills of Morgan Freeman, who played the Principal, (Joe Clark) in this film and gave an outstanding performance.
What makes Morgan Freeman a great actor is that he is a great student of the people around him.It's that simple.Overall,this film is a bit overdone,as many of John Avildsen's films have been since that certain Oscar winner about the underdog boxer back in '76,but what makes this film at least reasonably good is the performance of Freeman.Very few are better at getting lost in a character than this man.It's based on a true story,about how renegade Principal Joe Clark,turned Eastside High School in Patterson,New Jersey from that "terrible cauldron of violence",to a respected institution of learning.He has his enemies, who disapprove of his unorthadox methods,and he must fight his way through them to succeed.If you love films with this typical underdog theme,it's definitely for you,but Morgan Freeman's performance alone is well worth the rental price.Good movie..
there are so many movies out there dealing with the problem of kids not learning anything in schools,and dropping out,ending up in a life of crime,or dead.but this movie came out at a time when these movies weren't so commonplace.Morgan Freeman plays Joe Clark,who has been recruited as principal of a once proud school,but one which has been overrun with hoodlums for years.the teachers are powerless to do anything,and the kids fall through the cracks.it's Clark's job to restore the reputation of the school and get the kids learning again.the movie is inspirational,for sure,and the commanding presence of Morgan Freeman lends it a lot of legitimacy.the only problem i found was that it is a bit long,and a few of the songs are a bit too maudlin.but that's just my opinion.it's still a good movie.for me,Lean on Me is a 7/10.
"Lean on Me" is based on the true story of Joe Clark, a teacher recruited by the New Jersey school system administration and mayor to restore "Eastside High," which has become a poster-child for the urban decayed inner-city school.
"Lean On Me" is a thoroughly inspirational movie.Crazy Joe Clarke returns to a school from which he wasbooted unceremoniously years ago.
Morgan Freeman does a great job playing Joe Clark.
In this movie, he gives a solid performance in his portrayal of Joe Clark, a domineering inner-city principal ahead of his time.
The film would have just ended up as another rowdy high school movie if Freeman had not been cast as principal Joe Clark..
LEAN ON ME is an astoundingly inspirational film based on the life and accomplishments of Principal Joe Clark, an unyielding and determined educator who refused to accept the state's conclusion that his high school students were academic failures and decided to change the perception using unorthodox methods of teaching and stern discipline.
"Crazy Joe" became a household name and set a valuable example to numerous inner city school systems.(p)This movie has a profoundly realistic and an unforgettable performance by one of the great actors of our time, Morgan Freeman, playing the role of Joe Clark.
I hope to someday inspire young minds as a high school teacher the way Joe Clark did in this film.
The inspirational story of tough as nails principal Joe Clark, beautifully portrayed by the great Morgan Freeman, is at turns heartbreaking, gritty, hilarious and enlightening.
More than that, there is no reason that a teacher couldn't and shouldn't be that role model.Not to dwell on those other films, this movie is a nicely crafted adaptation of the events of which Joe Clark turned around East Side High School.
Clark (played outstandingly by Morgan Freeman) is appointed the principal of a "failing" inner city school.
I liked this movie when I was in high school, and thought that Morgan Freeman was effective as a principal who was trying to make the lives of the kids better.However, as an adult, it seems that this movie was all about "Kids won't learn unless you threaten them.
That's a problem when the movie is trying to siphon that hateful character into an inspirational teacher movie.The movie stars Morgan Freeman as Clark a loud-mouthed, bull horn-toting educator who is brought back to the once proud Eastside High School to clean it up and get the students through the state exam.
Although his tyrannical approach and hard-line policies alienate many members of the staff and the community, his uncompromising campaign gets results.This make him popular to the dismay of his critics and powerful enemies.Morgan Freeman provided a great portrayal as Joe Louis Clark that the viewer of the movie would somehow overcome the film's flaws such as predictability and having a formulaic screenplay.Aside from that,it was also cheesy.Although the viewer knows that that Clark will be able to achieve the impossible task of reforming Eastside despite his unorthodox methods and the tensions that were created by the people - students and faculty members - in the school,one will definitely enjoy and get entertained by his interesting peroformance.I could have given this film a rating of 8 BUT Freeman was simply excellent and remarkable that the viewer will definitely care more about his character as well as the actions he has taken instead of the flaws of the film as a whole..
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.
Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) is a dedicated teacher and principal determined to fix the broken and crime infested Eastside High School in Trenton, New Jersey.
When the movie starts, we see Joe Clark teaching class at Eastside High School in 1967.
Plays a lot like "Stand and Deliver", only better, the movie's balance of drama and humour is very good.Morgan Freeman gives an outstanding performance as Joe Clarke.
However, there are some problems with Lean on Me, when compared to the REAL Joe Clark story.SPOILERS: As a subplot, the movie creates a fictitious account of a minimum basic skills test that 75% of the student's must pass by the end of the school year to prevent take over by the state.
However, once again, Morgan Freeman generates so much power and feeling in this movie that you will find the ending very moving.I recommend this film because of the brilliant acting of Morgan Freeman as Joe Clark, even though some of the subplots are not based on the exact truth..
"Lean of Me" is a movie about a hard and tough principal trying to turn Eastside High around from being a terrible school into an excellent school.
He gets into his character very well, making you believe he was the "tough" principal, but the storyline and how his character is portrayed in the movie was terrible."Lean on Me" begins with Joe Clark (played by Morgan Freeman) in a well run Eastside high, being transferred out.
This movie leans on Morgan Freeman to carry it to greatness.
"Lean on Me" would probably have been a likewise forgettable experience if it had not have been for Morgan Freeman's perfect casting for the role of Principle Clark.Based on true events, the film takes place in Eastside High School, one of New Jersey's worst public schools.