Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ryan Gosling | ... | Dan Dunne | |
Jeff Lima | ... | Roodly | |
Shareeka Epps | ... | Drey | |
Nathan Corbett | ... | Terrance | |
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Tyra Kwao-Vovo | ... | Stacy |
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Rosemary Ledee | ... | Gina |
Tristan Mack Wilds | ... | Jamal (as Tristan Wilds) | |
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Bryce Silver | ... | Bernard |
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Kaela C. Pabon | ... | Lena |
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Erica Rivera | ... | Erika (as Erika Rivera) |
Stephanie Bast | ... | Vanessa | |
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Eleanor Hutchins | ... | Simone |
Sebastian Sozzi | ... | Javier | |
Tina Holmes | ... | Rachel | |
Karen Chilton | ... | Karen |
Young Caucasian Dan Dunne teaches history and coaches the girls basketball team at a Brooklyn high school populated primarily by black and Hispanic students. To the chagrin of his superiors, Dan bucks the outlined curriculum of historical facts in favor of the philosophy of historical events, generally discussing the concept of dialectics. As such, he captures the imagination of his students, at least in the classroom. Outside of the classroom, Dan's life is in shambles. He has a distant but cordial relationship with his family. He uses illicit drugs rampantly. Although his former girlfriend Rachel was able to clean up her drug habit, Dan believes that rehab will not work for him. Due to a combination of these issues, he treats women poorly. Thirteen year old Drey is a student in his class and a player on his basketball team. Drey has her own problems. Her parents are divorced, with her father a virtually non-existent figure in her life and her EMT mother generally absent as she is ... Written by Huggo
Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps were just plain awesome in this film by Ryan Fleck.
Gosling was impressive as an addict that was trying to hold on and teach. You could see the constant struggle as he fought giving up. The back and forth with Epps was quietly enchanting. Both certainly showed great acting talent in this film.
No loud action and prurient subject matter, just a sweet film showing a man's struggle and a girl's growing up realizing that drugs cripple. This film is hard to reduce to simple formulas. It transcends any mold and entertains in a reflective manner.