Beyond the Blackboard

This movie is fantastic. If you have an opportunity please watch it. I typically watch the romantic hallmark movies but today I decided on this.

I have always loved Emily Van Camp. From Everwood to revenge to The Resident. She is perfectly cast. The man who plays her husband (I'm blanking on his name) but he hasn't had a big role in much but I saw him in Girlfriends Guide to Divorce and he was good in a very different role. All of the children were really good. And the other adult actors were all fantastic. Nobody was overacting too much like you get in a lot of Hallmark movies.

Everything from cinematography, set, music, direction etc is fabulous.

Obviously the best part of the movie is the inspiration. What taking pride in your things and space and having faith in others can really build them and change lives and put people on a better path than the one they may have been dealt.

I found it through my Hallmark Subscription on Amazon Prime. If you come across it, I'd highly suggest watching it.

I've watched a number of Hallmark movies and here are the reasons. They typically are low-stress (no explicit violence, no bad language, no scenes of immorality, happy endings). Also they generally involve talented and good-looking actors. However, what they lack is unique and well-crafted stories (quite predictable plots), much drama, and much realism.

Beyond the Blackboard fits all the above (including some engaging child acting) but reaches higher than typical. It is helped by the fact that it is based on the true story "Nobody Don't Love Nobody" by teacher and advocate Stacy Bess, the main character in the movie. Though the film tames down the realism, it still manages to shine light on the the traps of homelessness that are difficult to escape, the common needs we all share, and the impact of family. The story also encourages those who are more fortunate to sacrifice and take action, out of simple humanity and also the priceless rewards that follow having a positive impact on children's lives. Being a lifelong educator myself, I also empathize with the value the film places on a safe and accepting learning environment, especially for children who don't have that at home and naturally long for it.

I think people who may or may not be great fans of Hallmark movies will be pleasantly surprised at this one.

I originally wasn't going to watch last Sunday but when I came home from work that day, my mom had it on there and seeing a familiar face from "Everwood" (Emily VanCamp), I decided to stick it out. I was very glad I did as this was quite an inspirational "based on a true story" movie though I'm sure since this was produced by the Hallmark greeting card company, not all the nasty things that went on that lower income school was going to be depicted. But you can see some of the frustrations this Stacey Bess went through and her struggles to get some needed textbooks and other materials when she talks to the man who hired her (Timothy Busfield). But when she then talks to another administrator (Treat Williams who I also recognized from "Everwood"), he decides to see what he can do and does more than she can thank him for. It was a wonderful surprise when these two former co-stars from the WB series showed up together on screen. There were other wonderful sequences but I'll just now say that this was very inspirational and if you're interested in this kind of thing, it's now on DVD at you're nearest Hallmark store. P.S. Loved the vintage Hallmark commercials that was shown throughout. Was especially interested in the one from 1975.

I've seen Beyond The Blackboard a couple of times now and each time it has proved to be an enjoyable watch.

While films about inspirational teachers getting the best out of wayward children are pretty common what separates this one from the rest is the heart and strength of the script behind it. It goes against the normal cliché's and this makes for a better film.

It is helped by the fact that Emily Van Camp (better known to many as Emily in Revenge and Amy in the dearly missed Everwood) gives a great performance as Stacey and is supported by some good performances from the young children playing her pupils. Fans of the formerly mentioned Everwood will like the sight of Van Camp working with Treat Williams again and their chemistry shines through in the limited scenes they have together. It is also nice to see Cal from Studio 60 (aka Timothy Busfield) also appear in this above average TV movie.

Grab kleenex! This movie was wonderful! ALMOST MADE ME CRY because of the joy I felt. It always warms my heart to see others, helping others and giving their all. If you like heartfelt movies, this one is it! Very thankful for their movies to make us feel something and want to do better and give of ourselves! James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/14/2021

This movie is about the heart and compassion of newly graduated teacher who had the heart to make a difference in the lives of homeless students and their parents. The beauty of it, is she never treated them any less than anyone else. She treated them with respect, love and compassion. In turn, the students and parents learned to trust, be involved in their children education, learned to read and the students thrived.

The moral of the movie... It only takes one act of kindness and the continuation to show up each day to make a difference. In turn, others will do the same. Any child can learn and be great students, they just need someone to believe in them and show up!