Lean on Me (1989)

The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school and 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 & 4 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 'Huggy' Hopkins	...	Thomas Sams
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 his 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 | high school principal | 

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Taglines:

They called him crazy for padlocking the doors, and for changing all the rules. But Joe Clark was crazy about one thing only: the students who loved him.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

3 March 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apóyate en mí

Filming Locations:

Eastside High School, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,000,000, 5 March 1989, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real-life Joe Clark resigned as principal of Eastside High School shortly after the film was released. Around the time the film debuted, he was suspended by the school board for one week, after scheduling an assembly, in which dancers stripped down to their G-strings. Clark said he hadn't known about it in advance. Ironically, the man who suspended him, was Dr. Frank Napier, the Superintendent played by Robert Guillaume in the film. After Clark left Eastside, he became an author, and motivational speaker. In 1995, he was hired to run a juvenile detention center in Newark, New Jersey, a position he held, until he resigned in 2002. During his time there, he once again came under fire for his controversial methods.

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Goofs

Since crack is a highly addictive substance, Thomas Sams wouldn't have been able to detox and quit cold turkey in such a short period of time.

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Quotes

Joe Clark: Ms. Levias, these miscreants don't know the school song - they've got three days detention.

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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

HIT THE ROAD, JACK
Written by Percy Mayfield

User Reviews

One of the most inspiring movies i've seen....

I recently rented this movie because I am a huge Morgan Freeman fan, and I was amazed at how inspiring it was. Freeman is truly amazing in this movie. He is perfect for this strong part of principal at Eastside High. His disciplined yet loving authority was fun to watch. Also in the cast, Mr Darnell(Michael Beach) and Dr. Frank Napier(Robert Guillaume) along with Joe Clark(Morgan Freeman) were probably the most dominant actors. There was also a great supporting cast as listed above. Mayor Don Bottman(Alan North) played the perfect power hungry politician for this movie.

I would recommend this movie to anyone out there. I truly believe it belongs in the top 250.