Rating: 
Summary: Well-intentioned, but utterly unrealistic.
Review: I understand that this movie is "based on a real story," but in today's (or even 1989's) highly litiginous educational atmosphere, I couldn't help but laugh at this film. This movie is painfully unrealistic and must have been based very, very loosely on "real life," to say the least. For example:1. Mr. Clark expells three hundred students all at once. Only one parent retaliates. No law suits are filed. 2. Mr. Clark breaks the law (specifically, the local fire code), is publicly arrested and hand-cuffed and goes to jail, but is nevertheless reinstated as principal at the end of the movie. 3. Mr. Clark screams at the teachers, insults them, constantly threatens to fire them, and generally rules them by fear. Rarely, if ever, does he give any sort of verbal praise or positive encouragement to any of the teachers. The only one to receive anything close to verbal praise is the vice principal. Meanwhile, the teachers mostly tolerate the verbal abuse, and the teachers' union is pretty much ignored in this movie. 4. Mr. Clark repeatedly tells a young student to jump off of a building. No complaints are made; no law suits are filed. 5. Mr. Clark beckons a teen-age former student with a knife to "come on," encouraging the youngster to fight him and thus provoking an altercation. Mr. Clark (of course) wins the fight quickly and violently, and no law suit is filed by anybody and no one complains. 6. (This one's my personal favorite.) The majority of the students willingly go to remedial school classes every Saturday. 7. The highly questionable script..... This movie had teenagers saying things that real teenagers wouldn't say. Example: "He chained those doors to keep out the drug dealers, to make us all feel safe. Now you talk about the law, but you're twisting the law. The laws are made to protect the people, and that's what he's doing for us." Uh huh, sure. Urban teenagers constantly make impromptu speeches like that, right? I don't doubt that the real-life Mr. Clark was well-intentioned and that some of the events in the movie occurred in real life. Furthermore, if the real Eastside High was cleaned up and rendered safe like it was in the film, then I certainly applaud what he has accomplished. Unfortunately, what occurred in real life clearly has little bearing on this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Joe Clark Rules
Review: I went into this movie not wanting to like Joe Clark, based on what I had read about him in the newspapers. When the movie was over, I had a greater respect for Mr. Clark and his efforts to turn around a high school that had turned into a dangerous cesspool for students. Freeman does a great performance, portraying a tough (and often unreasonable) man who refused to let the situation handed to him run him over.
Rating: 
Summary: NO ONE CAN HOLD YOU DOWN...
Review: If there is one overall message that was conveyed by "Lean on Me" it was that no one besides yourself can stop you from reaching your full potential. What Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman in the movie) sought to convey to the numerous students at Eastside High was that you cant let negative life experiences deter you from creating a brilliant future for yourself.
If life was a card game it wouldn't be spades (where if you get a bad hand you will automatically lose the game) but it would be poker...where even if you initially get dealt a bad hand you can still win the game through good decision making and a few bluffs...:D
That's the message that I get over and over after watching this film.
It also goes to show what a difference just ONE person can make on many young adults. One's man courage, beliefs, and visions turned an entire school around.
Rating:
Summary: NO ONE CAN HOLD YOU DOWN...
Review: If there is one overall message that was conveyed by "Lean on Me" it was that no one besides yourself can stop you from reaching your full potential. What Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman in the movie) sought to convey to the numerous students at Eastside High was that you cant let negative life experiences deter you from creating a brilliant future for yourself.
If life was a card game it wouldn't be spades (where if you get a bad hand you will automatically lose the game) but it would be poker...where even if you initially get dealt a bad hand you can still win the game through good decision making and a few bluffs...:D
That's the message that I get over and over after watching this film.
It also goes to show what a difference just ONE person can make on many young adults. One's man courage, beliefs, and visions turned an entire school around.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, feel good movie!
Review: If you are a Morgan Freeman fan, this is a great movie. As always Morgan Freeman is excellent in the role of Joe Clark. Based on a true story of a man who was willing to do whatever it takes to make something great happen.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Film
Review: Lean On Me was a great film. Morgan Freeman played an important role in this film. His acting was great. It's about this principal named Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) that goes into a new school and sees nothing but disaster caused by the students. But he is not angry at the students. He is angry at the staff. He always yells at the staff from the top of his lungs because they can't get the kids in line. The school board gives him one year to get his students to pass a required student state test. They should have passed the test years ago but the staff could not get them to pass it. But Joe Clark did. Joe Clark is not to happy about his staff. He even fires a few of them. It's like they just gave up on the school. But when Joe Clark comes along, everything changes. The swearing in this movie could have been a little less, but that is the only drawback. Buy this movie, you will be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: OFF THE CHAIN
Review: Lean on me, when your not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on, for, it wont be long, til I'm gonna need, somebody to lean on, just call on me brother, when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on, LEAN ON ME! That is the only way to review this movie in my eyes. It is off the chain.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Morgan Freeman delivers a wonderful, convincing performace, surrounded by a supporting cast of the highest ability. Deeply moving, but also full of light-hearted humor, this is the story of a tough principal determined to inspire his students (mostly poor and minority) to strive for excellence and success despite the violent, hard world they live in. The plot is captivating from beginning to end, and leaves you feeling an overriding sense of hope for America's youth. This movie is as important--or more so--now, than it was in 1989. Definitely highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Principles, Great Principal - Morgan Freeman
Review: Morgan Freeman does a perfect role depicting how Joe Clark learns why and when we need to work with our peers .....and the sweet rewards that come from it. His acting is perfect in presenting humanness, pride and humility. This movie meant alot to me.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: Morgan Freeman gives one compelling performance in Lean On Me. He really captures the spirit of Joe Clark in portraying the turn around at East Side High. The film is loaded with dynamics. The scene where he shows Sams that he is no fool and dares him jump is a bit unrealistic and even inappropriate, but you got to admit it makes a point. It dares Sams to make a change if though it takes some time. The chaining fo the fire doors and the confrontations with the drug dealers also add fire if not totally realistic. The many moments of heated confrontations between Clark, the teachers, the students, and the school board parents will definitely keep an audience listening. It delivers a good message that one man with a strong will can certainly accomplish a great deal. Realism aside this is a good movie. And anyone, does everything have to be so practical?
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