Lean on Me (1989)

 Lean on Me (1989)

Morgan Freeman was a very busy man in 1989. He starred in acclaimed films such as Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Before those films came a smaller, perhaps just as impactful film called Lean on Me. As someone who spent time teaching students at several inner-city schools, do I ever have thoughts. As a movie itself, it is incredibly entertaining and Freeman’s dedicated performance hooks you from the beginning. As an educator/hero type of movie, it does threaten to go overboard into absurdity from time to time. The look of the film makes you believe you are watching a film about prison riots…yet this is how life can be at the schools, even by today’s higher standards. I have seen enough kids get overwhelmed by drugs and violence. The education system fails our children especially in schools that house a majority population of minorities. It is really sad but sometimes it takes one person to think out of the box to instill the necessary changes. In the case of Paterson High School, it was Principal Joe Clark. Yeah, the film can go over-the-top, but it is challenging to deny the effectiveness of Clark’s methods even if they involve the use of baseball bats and chains.

The director behind Rocky and The Karate Kid, John G. Avildsen, brings his gung-ho energy to tackle a story about the education system. With those films being first-rate, one can surmise that this film does not reach those levels of quality. It may not top those films, but Avildsen brings enough to the table to put this movie in the same conversation as the forementioned flicks. But then again, I am a sucker for these educator/hero type of films. The screenplay was written by Michael Schiffer. Schiffer did a fantastic job creating explosive dialogue between Freeman and his subordinates. I seem to be in the minority, but I did like the gritty feel and look from Victor Hammer. As critic Roger Ebert hilariously described, “this movie looks like a cross between a prison riot and a Hells Angel’s rally.” I think that is the point. My schools may have not personally reached the messed-up levels of this New Jersey school, but it would not be too far off either. So, I was fine with the gritty, violent look. And the music! Any movie that uses the fantastic 1972 hit song from Bill Withers will always get an A in my book.

Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey is in immediate danger from being taken control of by the state. The test scores from the students are way below average. In order to keep the school under local control, the mayor asks Superintendent Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume) for help. He asks controversial teacher Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) to become the new principal. When he arrives, he immediately makes himself known. He calls out his staff and calls them incompetent, he expels drug users en masse, he locks the school’s doors with chains just to name some of his methods. Some of his staff and the parents, led by Ms. Levias (Beverly Todd) and Leonna Barrett (Lynne Thigpen) resist his methods. But in the end, Joe might be earning the respect from his peers.

This is Morgan Freeman’s movie. He has always been an exceptional actor, so it makes sense he delivers a performance that is the movie’s foundation. In other words, this would fail without Freeman’s presence. You do not think about Freeman’s persona as hard-nosed or even unlikable, but he flips the switch here. Despite his methods, Freeman brings across Clark’s dedication to turn the school around and help the kids pass the state test very well. No offense to the supporting cast but they do not hold a candle to Freeman despite their best intentions.

It seems to me that I liked Lean on Me better than most. Does it enter over-the-top territory at times? Yes, it does. But is it an entertaining film based on a factual story that is powerful and may even leave you in tears at the end? Yep, also true. This is the movie which proved to the world Morgan Freeman is the real deal. The year 1989 saw him deliver three powerhouse performances. This is the first of those. Looking for a powerful story with some truth attached, here ya go!

My Grade: A