Movie

Lean On Me

1989 · 108 min

A rousing, earnest drama about a tough principal shaking up a failing school, with a commanding lead performance and a satisfying underdog arc.

Tagline: Eastside High was out of control...until Joe Clark took it back.
Overview: When principal Joe Clark takes over decaying Eastside High School, he's faced with students wearing gang colors and graffiti-covered walls. Determined to do anything he must to turn the school around, he expels suspected drug dealers, padlocks doors and demands effort and results from students, staff and parents. Autocratic to a fault, this real-life educator put it all on the line.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: earneststrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
upliftingstrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: education
power
class
race
redemption
Places: school
big city
Era: contemporary
Audience: teen
Form: true story
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	3
Horror	1
Humour	3
Realism	8
Romance	1
Tension	6
Darkness	5
Complexity	4
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
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YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Written by: Michael Schiffer
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume, Ethan Phillips, Lynne Thigpen, Michael Beach, Tony Todd, Karen Malina White
Music: Bill Conti
Cinematography: Victor Hammer
Runtime: 108 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish

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Lean On Me

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