Lean on Me (1989) Review

 

Lean on Me (1989)

So, I finally got to watch a movie at the house, been a tough few weeks and with all the pandemonium, it’s been impossible to sit down to see anything.

Lean on Me is about “Crazy” Joe Clark, as he is brought into the troubled, violent, and drug-infested East Side High School to turn it around in a year before the Basic Skills Test, or else the state will take over.

Now, I’m not normally into Morgan Freeman (I know, shocking), but he is freaking phenomenal in this. From the opening scene, until the final scene at the courthouse, he knocks it out of the park with a dominance that I’ve rarely gotten to see in film. Joe is an extremely complicated character, violent and rough, but also caring and respected. You never knew what was coming with his character and Freeman was able to show that versatility spectacularly. The rest of the cast was great, making for lovable characters to connect with at the school and through the journey from complete jungle, to a school even I would love to be at.

The themes of racial struggles, hardship, and discipline make for an deep, heartening, and powerful movie that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you root for East Side High and for “Crazy” Joe Clark.

Everyone loves a comeback story, and this is no different. But what makes Lean on Me different though is the love and the community that is portrayed on screen throughout the course of this movie. Plus it’s based on a true story, so afterwards, you can obsess over the real life story like me. Lean on me is great and I highly recommend it.

8.9/10