Rewind Wednesday: Lean On Me

Considering all the violence that is going down in our schools, I felt compelled to feature this film for Rewind Wednesday.

Lean on Me is a 1989 biographical-drama film written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being taken over by the New Jersey state government unless students improve their test scores.

Interestingly enough, Morgan Freeman spent a great deal of time with Clark, so that he could capture his mannerisms and sayings. Clark resigned as principal of Eastside High School the year after this film was released to become an author and motivational speaker.

When it all boils down, Morgan Freeman's performance is the real reason to see this film. He's helped by a solid supporting cast, leading to some truly memorable scenes as principal Joe Clark battles teachers, parents, and administrators who are outraged by his controversial methods. Morgan Freeman is pretty much at his highest potential in this drama, his performance is excellent.

This film does a great job of showing the audience the plight of the inner city during the 1980's. Many of the issues then, still ring true in our school today. All of the other characters in the film are also portrayed by fine dramatic performances. From the music teacher, to the Asst. Princpal characters , all of them show believability and a multifacted dynamic to each personailty. This is one of those films that I highly recommend to everyone, as its message spans across many areas. Teachers and those in the education field, especially supervisors, should especially take advantage after watching this film.

Check out these clips from the movie:


Powerful Song...


Priceless leadership...

Did you know?....

-Joe Clark is the father of Olympic track athletes Joetta Clark-Diggs and Hazel Clark, and the father-in-law of Olympic track athlete Jearl Miles Clark.

-In the auditorium scene where Freeman's character expels the students on stage, a young Michael Imperioli (of The Sopranos) can be seen behind him.

-Beverly Todd (who plays Mrs. Levias in this movie) reunites with Morgan Freeman 18 years later, playing the role of his wife in the 2007 movie, The Bucket List.