I watched this old flick tonight on my DVD player and, oh man, it was overwhelming and captivating on how a stern minded principal straightens out an inner city school. It was also touching as well.
The high school depicted was a respectable looking one back in the 1960s, but then the film fast forwards to the 1980s to show how extremely bad it eventually became. The crime, drugs and assaults were common there, but all that changes when Mr. Clark enters the picture as the new principal.
His first actions were to kick out all the 'delinquents' in that place who either stayed on too long at the school or were just plain hoodlums. A young chubby kid was among one of those causalities and it was touching when he later pleaded to Mr. Clark to let him continue going to school there, saying he didn't want his ma to know. A deal is worked out and the kid promises to behave himself which he does.
Mr. Clark worked extreme wonders on that school. He changed it from a crime infested and graffiti covered building to a respectable learning institution. There were, of course, oppositions towards his stern ways and his drill sergeant actions towards getting things done the way he wants.
It was apparent that he cared for the students at that school, but eventually had to learn that he sometimes went too far and had to reign himself in. He had to learn the appreciation of his efforts instead of yelling about how he wanted things done his way all the time.
I'm surprised Morgan Freeman was never nominated for an Oscar for his performance as the tough school principal, Joe Clark. He played the role to a tee and made it captivating in the process. He's one of my favorite actors and he clearly showed his powerful range in this film.
The high school depicted was a respectable looking one back in the 1960s, but then the film fast forwards to the 1980s to show how extremely bad it eventually became. The crime, drugs and assaults were common there, but all that changes when Mr. Clark enters the picture as the new principal.
His first actions were to kick out all the 'delinquents' in that place who either stayed on too long at the school or were just plain hoodlums. A young chubby kid was among one of those causalities and it was touching when he later pleaded to Mr. Clark to let him continue going to school there, saying he didn't want his ma to know. A deal is worked out and the kid promises to behave himself which he does.
Mr. Clark worked extreme wonders on that school. He changed it from a crime infested and graffiti covered building to a respectable learning institution. There were, of course, oppositions towards his stern ways and his drill sergeant actions towards getting things done the way he wants.
It was apparent that he cared for the students at that school, but eventually had to learn that he sometimes went too far and had to reign himself in. He had to learn the appreciation of his efforts instead of yelling about how he wanted things done his way all the time.
I'm surprised Morgan Freeman was never nominated for an Oscar for his performance as the tough school principal, Joe Clark. He played the role to a tee and made it captivating in the process. He's one of my favorite actors and he clearly showed his powerful range in this film.