The Ron Clark Story

Decided to seek this out due to Matthew Perry's untimely death. I had always admired him - he always carried a warmth and liveability in his roles and this translates to his role of Ron Clark.

He delivers an understated performance - gone are the wise cracks of Chandler from Friends (although there are moments of humour). Based a true story, this is a inspirational run of the mill lifetime movie but it is elevated by Perry and his supporting cast of students. It was an uplifting watch and I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Perry and is looking to remember him in a positive light. This is his film and he carries it.

This was a very pleasant surprise for me over the Christmas break even at the time it was screened at 06.00 am, lucky I got up early! Rarely am I so taken with a film such as this, but obviously the story line really got me, as did the excellent acting by all the cast, the kids were just great, and utterly convincing.

I was also pleased to discover the film was based on fact, and I was pleased that these rebel children went on to greater things, would not the world be a much better place if there were More Mr Clark's around? Not just in teaching but in all walks of life, especially in politics and industry.

Honesty is in very short supply these days, now I am rambling so will pack in, surely my ten lines are complete?

I saw this by chance on tv one night and was very impressed. Mathew Perry shook off the Chandler typecast and excelled in this role. This film, along with Ian Hart's Clockwork Mice, should be on the curriculum of every teacher training college course. They really capture the essence of what teaching is and why great teachers do it. Waking up to the tragic news that Mathew Perry had passed away this morning, I hope more people watch this movie and realise what a talented actor he was. The story is similar to most teacher centred films. A mild-mannered teacher moves to a tough inner city school and after initial difficulties wins over the class and helps them reach their potential. Watch it though. It's great.

I've been a fan of Mattew Perrys ever since Friends first aired on TV, and I make it a point to try and see any movie he makes. However, it's sometimes a bit...what's the word...sad (I guess) to see him play "Chandler" over and over again. As much as I like that character, it would be fun to see him play something else. That's that.

As for The Ron Clarke Story, with Perry as Ron Clarke, there are certain Chandler-qualities about Clarke. But more in terms of body-language than anything else - and I guess that would be Perry himself "shining through". For the most part it's a standalone part for Perry, a good long step away from "Chandler Bing". It's a really sweet story about a substitute teacher who goes through hell and back for his students (consisting of worst-case-scenario kids). It's an inspiring story, and you really wish it would always be that "easy" to get kids out of trouble and onto the right path.

Perry is good, he almost always is, and the kids are actually believable. True, sometimes you wish Clarke would just give the snotnose kids a "feel of the back of his hand" - but I guess that would be the easiest (and most faulty) way to go.

The Ron Clarke Story is a feelgood-film, and it does just that. It makes you feel good.

In addition: Any film that makes schoolteaching look like fun deserves a whole heap of credit.

I saw this movie when it broad casted in the Swedish channel 5. I didn't know what to expect but, as a fan of friends that I am, i chose to look at it even though i missed the beginning.

The movie is about Ron Clark casted by Matthew Perry who took on a class in Brooklyn NY. In the beginning the kids had a pretty hard time accepting Mr. Clark and did all kind of annoying things just to break him, but after a while they accepted him one by one and they all started to love him instead of hating him, and they also learned how to like school and like to learn something instead of hating it.

I have plans to be a future teacher one day, and I can just say that this movie made me want to be a teacher even more, to see the joy in the kids eyes when they like how you teach them in all kind of different ways just makes me happy.

I can really recommend this movie, it's fun, it's sad and it's just overall a great movie

please excuse my bad English, I'm from Sweden so ;)

// Linus