Lean on Me

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

After earning rave notices for powerful supporting turns as a pimp in Street Smart (1987) and an alcohol abuse counselor in Clean and Sober (1988), actor Morgan Freeman began his ascent to stardom with this, his first lead role in a major motion picture. Freeman is real-life high school principal Joe Clark, a tough, harsh educator and administrator who in 1987 is given a nearly impossible task by his old friend, school superintendent Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume). Clark is asked to reform inner city Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ, a hotbed of delinquent kids and drug dealers. Considered the worst school in New Jersey, the state is threatening to take control of Eastside away from the local school board. If Clark can straighten out Eastside in time to get the school's basic-skills test scores up, he can have the job permanently. Although Clark's tyrannical approach and hard-line policies alienate many members of the staff and the community, his uncompromising campaign gets results and even makes him famous, much to the chagrin of his powerful enemies. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Stereo
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: English

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John G. Avildsen

• Producer:

  Norman Twain

• Screenwriter:

  Michael Schiffer

• Cinematographer:

  Victor Hammer

• Composer (Music Score):

  Bill Conti

• Editor:

  John G. Avildsen, John Carter

• Production Designer:

  Doug Kraner

• Art Director:

  Tim Galvin

• Executive Producer:

  John G. Avildsen

• Set Designer:

  Caryl Heller

• Costume Designer:

  Jennifer Von Mayrhauser

• Camera Operator:

  Alec Hirschfeld

• Music Editor:

  Stephen A. Hope

REVIEW:

• Morgan Freeman's first big starring role as real-life no-nonsense principal Joe Clark, a man who revitalized a Paterson, New Jersey, school of miscreants, seemed tailor-made for the veteran actor. A tightly woven, uplifting story that tugs at the heartstrings Lean on Me is powered by Freeman's tour de force performance. Director John Avildsen does a nice job of capturing a sense of urban decay by giving the picture a dark, gritty feel, and the film is further strengthened by its young cast, many of whom would go on to bigger and better projects (Michael Imperioli, for example, enjoyed later success in HBO's The Sopranos). Freeman, however, is truly the heart and soul of this picture, and his work in it would serve to open all of Hollywood's eyes to his often under-appreciated talents. While Lean on Me is a pleasant human interest story and well-made film, it will largely be remembered as the picture that helped to herald Freeman's arrival as a major player on the big screen. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi