Lean on Me (1989)

The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school he is determined to improve by any and all means.

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Michael Schiffer

Stars:

Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgan Freeman	...	Principal Joe Clark
Beverly Todd	...	Ms. Levias
Robert Guillaume	...	Dr. Frank Napier
Alan North	...	Mayor Don Bottman
Lynne Thigpen	...	Leonna Barrett
Robin Bartlett	...	Mrs. Elliott
Michael Beach	...	Mr. Darnell
Ethan Phillips	...	Mr. Rosenberg
Sandra Reaves-Phillips	...	Mrs. Powers
Sloane Shelton	...	Mrs. Hamilton
Jermaine Hopkins	...	Thomas Sams (as Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins)
Karen Malina White	...	Kaneesha Carter
Karina Arroyave	...	Maria
Ivonne Coll	...	Mrs. Santos
Regina Taylor	...	Mrs. Carter

Storyline

An arrogant and unorthodox teacher returns as principal to the idyllic high school from which he had earlier been fired to find it a den of drug abuse, gang violence, and urban despair. Eventually he is successful but unorthodox methods lead to a clash with city officials that threatens to undo all his efforts. Based on a true story.

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Plot Keywords:

african american | title based on song | high school | fired from the job | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

Eastside High was a training ground for jail. Then Joe Clark took over. Now the kids are getting something they never had. A future.

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene (while holding a baseball bat), Morgan Freeman says, "They used to call me Crazy Joe. Well now they can call me Batman!" Freeman would go on to play the character of Lucius Fox, ally to Batman, in the Dark Knight trilogy.

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Goofs

The film establishes that the state of New Jersey was threatening to take over Eastside High School from the city of Paterson if the school did not increase its test scores. In reality no such take over was looming, however, in the early 1990's Paterson's Public Schools would be designated an Abbot District. Abbot District's are schools systems that the state take control of, providing capital and resources to them, so that students receive an education that is in line with New Jersey's state constitution.

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Quotes

Joe Clark: [addressing his students in the auditorium] All right, people, here we are. In one hour, you will take an exam administered by the State to test your basic skills... along with the quality of education at Eastside High. Before that, I want to tell you what many people are saying about you, and what they think about your chances. They say that you're inferior! That you are just a bunch of niggers and spics and poor white trash! That education is wasted on you! That you cannot learn! That you're ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Kevin Hart/Kristen Bell/Hari Nef/Ben Sesar (2018)

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Soundtracks

You Are the One
Performed by T.K.A. (as TKA)
Produced by Tony Moran and Joey Gardner
Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records
Written by Keath Lowry (as K. Lowery) and David Gaskins (as D. Gaskins)

User Reviews

the saga of Crazy Joe, and a superb lead performance

I wouldn't recommend Lean on Me anywhere near as much if it had another actor in the lead. Morgan Freeman owns the role of Principal Joe Clark so well that it might just be, over-the-top bits and all, one of his most commanding screen performances. It's such a rich (if not complex) part to play, as the one guy who comes in like a sheriff in the clueless small old-west town, that you need someone who can rule the screen even in those little moments when (and they're not many in this case) the actor doesn't have much to do alongside another actor. Freeman is so good and scene stealing and all those wonderful things we love him for that he makes one forget that the film he's in is only 'alright' at best and at worst is preachy and confused in its tone going between super tough/realistic and sentimental.

It's about a notorious school in Paterson, New Jersey, and how Joe Clark- who taught there in the 60s- is begged to be brought back to bring it back to some normalcy from the degradation of hardcore 80s madness (crack and gangs and other things infiltrating the high schoolers). While it is, as Ebert pointed out, kind of an unsympathetic character Clark is, I somehow can forgive the faults in the script for the acting (aside from Freeman there are other actors, like Robert Guillame and Michael beach and Beverly Todd, who can go up to bat with the likes of the star). It's the kind of feel-good-feel-bad 80s story that somehow stays past its time and place (albeit if you're from Jersey or especially Paterson there's some extra connection), and it's at least one other decent career note for Rocky director Avildsen.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

3 March 1989 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Lean on Me

Filming Locations:

Eastside High School, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,032,605, 5 March 1989

Gross USA:

$31,906,454

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,906,454

Company Credits

Production Co:

Norman Twain Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1