Nothing against Matthew Perry, I believe he acted just fine in themovie. However, when movies are "based" on true stories, they areusually stretched as this has to be the most embellished of them all!It wasn't the acting that bothered me, the youngsters actually did verywell in that respect.
When Ron Clark(Matthew Perry) first comes into the classroom and statesthere are 3 rules which he demands to be followed, thats fine. its whenthe movie continues & through out, Mr. Clark had as many as 25-30 rulesall over the room. Thats the first No No! When your teacher, youestablish your rules 1st and foremost to the students get accustomed tofollowing them. "Procedure, procedure, procedure" once you start addingthings or CHANGING things, the children(whether they are from theghetto, or not) will become insanely confused and unfamiliar with theenvironment of the classroom.
When the class is on their way to lunch and the main character studentcuts in line, Mr. Clark proceeds to ask her if she cut in line and thenreplies with "Until you tell the truth, the whole class will suffer"Lol, this may have been allowed or perhaps encourages in the older daysof teaching, but I can tell you if a teacher did that now and aPrincipal saw it, you would get a warning or be out the door. Itpromotes negativity amongst the students and its not helping an alreadynegative situation. There are other ways to go about dealing with 1student while NOT affecting the rest of the class.
When Mr. Clark informs the students they are going to "Phantom of theOpera" all of the students get excited, especially Te-Shaun(however youspell it). That was where I laughed, I have been into rough areaschools etc etc, these kids wouldn't know or give a rats ass about"Phantom of the Opera" this part was almost to the point where I turnedthe film off completely.
My last issue with the movie is this. Who is the token drunk white guywho beats up TeShaun lol, where did that come from in the movie? Don'tget me wrong here, nothing wrong with the acting in the movie, but veryunrealistic and if you think you can get kids in these types of areasto appreciate "Phantom of the Opera" and things like that, keep ondreaming. I'm not saying you cannot touch 1 or even 2 students and helpthem succeed, but this was ridiculous
A feel good movie starring our favorite friend, Matthew Perry, thestory begins with Ron Clark discovering he's bored with all parts ofhis life; he quickly packs his bags and moves to New York to take onthe toughest students around.
First he gets no luck and takes the job as a waiter in a smallrestaurant, but he who waits for something good.
Clark runs into a teacher in burl with a student, the teacher quits andClark steps in as the new teacher, with great defaults.
The students refuses to listen to him, they even starts to make bets onhow long he last, but Clark enforces rule after rule until the studentsare forced to listen to him, and things starts to turn.
In all, this is one of those, feel-good-work-hard films with gangsterbangster that's giving up on life and living it on the street, but onlyto realize that if you study hard you'll succeed in life.
We've seen it a million times before, and we're gonna see a milliontimes more.
Only difference is the acting of one Matthew Perry which in this filmhe moves away from his clown acting and takes on serious roles.
I'd give it 5/10, we've seen the characters, we've seen the plot, buthave we seen the NEW Matthew Perry?
I watched this movie lacking anything else to watch, but found myselfliking it and watching it all the way through.
At the end I was surprised to find out it was based on a true story. Ithought it was way too predictable and cheesy to be a true story. Thestory however, is still beautiful, sweet and definitely worth telling.Matthew Perry does a good job portraying Ron Clark and the kids all doa very convincing job as troubled, frustrated and sometimes incrediblyannoying students.
Watch this movie if you don't mind cheesy stories, but enjoy anentertaining 1,5 hours which actually offers quite a few surprises aswell.
This is one of the "BEST" movies that I have seen in many years. It wasvery inspirational to me as an educator, but inspiring to me to knowthat there are still a lot of caring teachers, out there that careenough and do NOT give up on the children from the "inner cities."Thank You so much Mr. Ron Clark, You truly are the "badest teacher," asvoted. I hope that many young people see this wonderful story andstrive to work toward a degree in education, and really consider the"inner schools," where the need is so so great! I wish that I couldhave had a movie like this to inspire me, when I was in college. Iwould one day like to visit the "Ron Clark Acadamy."
User: magutoshGreat story, great acting and what a shame it was only made for TV,maybe and just maybe because it's for TV, it was given the opportunityto tell a story with excellence, emotion and great merit, with none ofthose Hollywood type of rubbish.
Matthew Perry has been a great actor, not just a comedy actor. Hisportrait of Ron Clark has brought the character down to earth, told asit is.
I did not know anything about Ron Clark before watching this film, yetafter watching it, I felt as if I were there, in Mr Clark's very ownclassroom, that's what a good film should be. Not just for our eyes andbrains but for our hearts.
Now I only wish Mr Clark had been my teacher.
For a true story this sure is some unrealistic material. First of allthe class really isn't that bad to begin with. I mean, Ron Clark walksinto a school in Harlem(!), gives them like a hundred rules on hisfirst day, but is not once physically assaulted or shot at. Not evenwhen he makes them wait for lunch for hours straight. I wouldn'tconsider myself a problem child but even I would have tried to justwalk through him. The difficulties are really just limited to nobodypaying attention, which really isn't all that abnormal if that's yourstyle of teaching. We get a mediocre rehash of what we've seen so manytimes before, not once was Clark gaining their respect plausible. Theonly vaguely intelligent thing he did was the trick with the chocolatemilk, which doesn't make you last all year. So yeah, perhaps it'sinspirational, but he just turned mediocre, slightly displeased kidsinto good kids, which isn't that great. I'm thinking the actual RonClark suffered a lot more.
User: Kim0750
I watched this movie knowing what I was in for - a great performance byMatthew Perry and a motivating, inspirational story! I totally believedin his character and his love of teaching! The fabulous performances ofthe students were an added bonus - Well done! My 4th grade daughterwatched with me & was horrified to learn about the discrimination thatexists within the school system. Her comment was, "But, kids CAN learnMom!" Indeed!!!! They can!!!!
The scene where Mr. Clark has the kids light the candles on the cakeand tells them that he wants them to know how it feels to fly is goodtherapy for all viewers,young and old. A great reminder to not give upon our dreams & encourage the young to Dream Big.
Hopefully more great teachers in the making will watch this and see howvaluable they are. We are so blessed to have you in our communities!
What an inspirational story! Sure, there have been other movies aboutinspirational teachers (Blackboard Jungle, Stand & Deliver, andDangerous Minds) and there should be more. Good teachers deserve morecredit and exposure. It would give struggling teachers someone to lookup to! Our schools could use more teachers like Ron Clark. Loved thePresidential rap! This was an excellent movie, perfect casting andwonderfully written. I wish they could have shown us more! Way to goRon Clark! Way to go actors - you all did so well (Brandon Smith...youripped my heart out! Way to go Enscoe and deYoung - thanks for tellinga wonderful story!!
User: torontokc
Wow this is a fantastic movie. I just watched it last night with myaunt and I was so moved. The way the story develops is genius and whatmakes it better is that it is based on a true story. Kudos to MatthewPerry for an excellent job, aside from *friends* this is his best roleever by far. It's a moving film , Mr. Clark had his work cut out forhim when he decided to teach that class, at one point he even lost hiscool and thought he couldn't teach them. He realized that the studentsneeded someone who wouldn't give up on them. So he tried a new methodof rap teaching, and chugging chocolate milk, and playing double dutch.In the end they scored better than the honors students on the statetest. This movie was well-acted and just an enjoyment. My only problemwas the fact that it went on commercial (lol). I highly recommend it!!
User: edwagreenAn excellent, extremely interesting film of a teacher in the New YorkCity school system. While the movie is terrific and a joy to watch, itis unfortunately unrealistic. I give the movie A+ for effort becausethis is the way that situations like this should turn out but theydon't.
The New York City school system is in a quagmire and no one has beenable to solve the problems. Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein havebeen hoodwinking the public into thinking that conditions are gettingbetter. Unfortunately, they aren't.
Nevertheless, we have a true story of a teacher who did make adifference. From North Carolina, Ron Clark had a definite calling forteaching. He comes to New York and takes on a class that no one wants.The students are way out of control.
Yes, Clark gets it right by putting down the rules. Did you notice howquickly most of the class turned from being recalcitrants to ardentlisteners? Unfortunately, this does not happen in 99% of our classroomsin the city.
In addition, teachers do not get the support of supervisors as at firstshown in the film. The latter does an excellent job of showing the homeenvironment of the pupils. Obviously, from dysfunctional homes, thistype of environment is not at all conducive to learning.
I once read that a teacher said that we must get into the minds and theworld of the students we teach. Sometimes, we have to drink thatchocolate milk or skip rope just to reach these children. Clark doesthat.
Mat Perry is excellent as the idealistic teacher who certainly is sosure of himself except for that moment when he temporarily lost it.
It is also obvious that the students that Clark had were capable ofdoing the work but were severe behavior problems. Notice that everyonemust have been reading on level or knew how to read to be able tocomprehend what he was discussing. Yes, he brought the material,including the rap music on the presidents to their level but there hadto be an innate ability to begin with.
Clark tried to work with the abilities of his students by concentratingon the positive.
Speak to our New York City teachers. It's not happening the way ithappened in Clark's classroom. Isn't it unfortunate that someone withClark's talent left the city to form an academy in Georgia? Anotherproblem in our system is that the most creative teachers are leaving tothe world of supervision or just plain quitting.
I would like the producers of this film to do a follow-up on the restof the system. It should only be as good as this film. In retrospect,the film did not show the role of the assistant principal and guidancecounselor in the school. For sure, these students were in need ofprofessional help. A therapist was needed as well. The movie did bringout that the principal was solely interested in exam scores. Noticethat he chewed the teacher out in front of the students. How do youexpect students to show any kind of respect when that occurs? I alsoobserved that there was no talk of co-operative learning. The bulk ofthe instruction came from Mr. Clark itself. Try that today in a NewYork City classroom and your headed for trouble. Am sure that theteacher of the honors class had to answer to the principal when Clark'sclass did better on the statewide exams. I wouldn't want to be in thatteacher's place.
On top of everything else, the film adequately showed what some of theparents are like in the system. Right away, the mother threw out thewords white teacher.
In summary, the film was very well made and is a definite reflection onsociety today and how we value education.
It was refreshing to see Matthew Perry in a serious role. I think thathe did a great job portraying Ron Clark.
This is a feel-good story that shows the power of positive thinking andthat anyone can achieve their goals; especially when some one believesin you. It would be great to see a follow-up story on the originalclass from Harlem and what they achieved after Mr. Clark opened thedoors of their potential.
The Ron Clark Story is a great film for family viewing. I look forwardto learning more about Mr. Clark and his amazing career. I also lookforward to more from Matthew Perry on the more serious side of acting.
This movie was absolutely awesome. Mathew Perry did such a compellingjob, he is truly an inspiring actor. His performance was amazing and Ibelieve every teacher should watch it to remind them of how teachingused to be. Teachers inspiring and being there for their students notjust a paycheck. "No child left behind" is a joke right now. Ron Clarkis a "true teacher" from top to bottom. I came from a small town inCascade, Montana where teachers taught. This movie reminded me of howdifferent teachers now days are. We never had the problems of childrenacting out like in the movie but Ron Clark's dedication to "his familyof student" reminds me of my childhood teachers. They had the samededication for us. Absolutely great movie and he should feel very proudof himself for the accomplishments he has made with those students heinspired.
User: djkashI just saw this movie on TNT and loved it. So many teachers haveinspired me that I could relate to this man who goes above and beyondwhat is required-- being available both academically and emotionally tomake a real difference in these kid's lives. Making them really want tolearn and to do their best, seeing their potential and not just what iswritten in black and white about them. Even going to their homes to seewhat their day to day life is really like. A wonderful film. I alsoappreciate seeing Matthew Perry in a dramatic role. It shows the depthof his talent as an actor and I hope he gets more roles like this one.Thank you TNT //Johnson and Johnson for producing another fantasticfamily film.
User: sting_lex
If you watched this movie with a critical eye about the actingabilities of any of the cast, you totally missed the point of thestory. It was never meant to be The Crying Game or C.S.I. It was meantto show how kids can change if they believe in themselves enough...andhow a teacher can turn him/herself around if he/she believes enough.
Matthew Perry did an excellent job portraying Mr. Clark, through hisstruggles and successes, and was never out of place....well, besideswhen he was jumping rope with the kids :)
Any teacher who has ever felt like giving up needs to watch this movie.And any teacher who watches the kids who recognize that they have(orhave had) their own Tyshawn and Shameika, no matter how manynon-teachers see it as a stereotype.
Bottom line. Great movie! And a TRUE feel-good story.
"The Ron Clark Story" chronicles a teacher's journey with his sixthgrade class in Harlem. When one firsts thinks of who should play thetitle character of "Ron Clark" anyone but Matthew Perry (a.k.a.Chandler Bing from "Friends") comes to mind. However, Perry'sperformance is one of the best things about the teleflick. It becomeseasy to distance one's perceptions of him from "Friends" when the storygets going and you end up really seeing the versatility that MatthewPerry possesses. Equally stunning, are the performances given by theyoung actors who make up his sixth grade class. It is really a breathof fresh air to see child actors who can really act all in one movie.As a whole, this "Johnson & Johnson: Spotlight Presentation" isdefinitely one that should be in the spotlight and seen for it's tenderstory and great performances.
User: jewomer73I went to North Side High School with Ron. He is an nice guy who isvery passionate about life and teaching. Last time I went back home, myfather showed me an article in the Beaufort County newspaper about Ronand I was very proud of him. It is nice to see a movie about someonefrom my hometown and high school portraying his achievements andsuccesses. Matthew Perry did an excellent portrayal of Ron. It had toof been scary living Aurora and going to NYC to teach. I would ofprobably of went back home. You hung in there though. Congrats on yourachievements and to making a difference in the lives of children. GodBless Ron!
J. Cleary Class of 1991
Seeing the preview to this movie i had no idea what to expect, thinkingit was going to be cheesy, poorly put together, and unrealistic.However once I saw the movie, right from the beginning I thought it wassurprisingly well-done and inspiring.
It was not only interesting and based on a true story, but entertainingand tugged at the heart as well.
I thought the director did a good job of capturing the audience andgetting the viewers emotionally connected. By the end of the movie Ihad a very good feeling, as if I learned something myself.
Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.
I have seen it 6 times times and each time i see something that i missthe last time. It is so real and it keeps your attention and wow it wasgood. Matthew Perry was excellent in it and the children in it justmade so real. I like the rules that he had made for the class and theway he stuck to them too. My daughter liked it when he had to drink thechocolate milk but they did learn. I also like it when he did theteaching of the Presidents that he did it to rap. It just is written sowell and i know some of my friends that seen can relate to it as theygrew up in that area. I hope that it eventually will come out on DVD asi would own it then.
User: (sylviastel@aol.com)Why would Ron Clarke leave a comfortable job in the SOuth to go up toNEw York City in the first place is a good question. He wants to make adifference. Matthew Perry best known for playing Chandler Bing onFriends is very good in this role as the teacher who wants to makegood. He goes to New York City in hopes of making a difference. Forstarters, he gets and prefers to work in one of the poor sections ofthe city, Inner Harlem. In the meantime, he has to work so he gets ajob at a theme restaurant where the other workers are aspiring actorsand he's an aspiring teacher. Once he takes a job of teaching, he is infor a challenge. Since I am planning to become a teacher myself, hedoes at least visit the students' homes before getting in theclassroom. THere are some awkward cheesy moments in this film but it'sstill worth watching. The Ron Clark Story is true and suitable familyviewing. It also shows Ron's persistence in achieving the unthinkablewith the forgotten students. When they get to go see a Broadway show,their faces light up. Imagine, they live north of Broadway and mosthave never seen a show. He helps boost their spirits and shows thatfaith, trust, and hard work can make a difference. If only all ourschools had teachers like Ron Clark.
User: Elandor86This movie is about the classic struggle of a teacher trying to reachhis kids. At first I was a little bit skeptic but then I reconsideredbecause of Matthew Perry who I am a big fan of. He really makes aperformance of his life and brings this movie over the top. Here heshows what a talented actor he really is. Like I said, I was a bitskeptic before I saw it but I was just blown away. The story followsthe red line during the whole movie and every scene is exciting becausethey leave out many of the unnecessary details. And because of that,all the scenes brings something new to the story. And I know it's akind of classic story like I said before. But this time it is seen likenever before. I don't wanna ruin this by telling you to much but mysuggestion and recommendation is for anyone and everyone to go see thismagnificent piece of art.