Lean on Me
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Joe Clark is a bad man. And we mean that in the best possible way, as in "don't fuck with him." When Paterson, New Jersey's Eastside High School found itself on the brink of being taken over by the state due to piss poor test scores, Clark was brought on board as principal to right the sinking ship.
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Lean On Me is a movie Very Loosely Based on a True Story about a tough new school principal who brings a new level of order to an otherwise chaotic school.
- All of Them: The mayor's aide delivers this line when a horde of unhappy students march on City Hall while the school board is meeting to vote Mr. Clark out as principal, after he's already been jailed for violating local fire safety laws.
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(The students are all in the town square outside, chanting "Free Mr. Clark!") |
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- Darker and Edgier: In comparison to most movies about inspirational educators. A teacher gets murdered in front of a crowded lunch room in the very first scene. Things do eventually improve, though.
- Dispense with the Pleasantries: At a teachers' meeting, Clark makes abundantly clear that flattery isn't going to work on him.
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Mr. O'Malley: We want to welcome Mr. Clark to Eastside; we've heard so much about you; and tell you what we have done in anticipation of your arrival. Mrs. Levias, your other vice principal, and I, have appointed an executive committee to oversee certain areas where we have noted a need for improvement, and Mr. Zirella, for example... |
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- Engineered Public Confession: Played straight, but by the antagonists in an effort to get Mr. Clark fired.
- Good Is Not Nice: It really isn't.
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Joe: I cried "my God, why has thou forsaken me?" and the Lord said "Joe, you're no damn good. No, I mean this! More than you realize, you're no earthly good at all unless you take this opportunity and do whatever you have to." And he didn't say "Joe, be polite". |
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- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While Clark tends to be a Drill Sergeant Nasty to everyone, including the teachers working for him, he does have their best interests in his heart and really does care for those in need.
- Large Ham: Joe Clark, as portrayed by Morgan Freeman.
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Joe: You've tried it your way for years, and your students can't even get past the minimum basic skills test. THAT MEANS THEY CAN HARDLY READ! |
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- N-Word Privileges: Joe Clark at a meeting calling himself the HNIC, and another black person at the meeting clarifying afterwards to a white colleague that it stands for "head nigga in charge."
- Precision F-Strike: See above.
- Save Our Students
- Shoot the Dog: Many of Joe Clark's actions have some arguable moral ambiguity to them, from chaining and locking school doors (in violation of fire safety rules) on being told that someone from inside the school let an expelled student into the building, to firing a teacher for picking up trash during the school song for which everyone was told not to move.
- Stuffed Into a Locker: Sams, at the beginning of the movie. Then, to drive home how bad things have gotten at East Side High over the last 20 years, Sams is yelling urgently to be let out, yet a janitor walking down the empty hallway (the school day had just ended) completely ignores him.
- Verb This: Just after Mrs. Berrett and the fire chief spring their Engineered Public Confession on Mr. Clark and he's being taken away in handcuffs by the police with some of his students (including Sams) looking on:
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Clark: Mrs. Berrett, if you think you can-- |
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- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: About the only thing that's actually true of the film is that a man named Joe Clark was the principal of Eastside High in the late 80's.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The teachers get sick of Clark's belittling of them and extending his Jerkass attitude towards them and let him know it. Not that he really cares, at least initially.
- Your Little Dismissive Diminutive:
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Mrs. Elliott: I would love to stay and chat, Mr. Clark, but I've a concert in New York in two weeks and I would like to be prepared. |
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