The Ron Clark Story

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

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 love Mathew Perry and i think he does a great job as chandler in friends, problem is he gets type cast most of the time as that character. and so it was nice to see him play a more serious role.

you see to really appreciate this movie you have to understand where it comes from, i lived in Harlem. i grew up and went to one of those schools. in fact, that class was GOOD compared to mines. we used to throw desks out the balcony and through cubes at the teachers. and that game they played "bet how long before the teacher quites" we played that! we grew up not knowing about chances, scholarships, opportunities all of that was unchartered territory for us we didn't know what it was.

until one man came along, he was a history teacher names Mr. Peterson, funny thing, he looked and acted a lot like the teacher in this movie. and to make a long story short, he helped us to "learn, to love to learn" when you walked in that class room you could here a pin drop. i love history now, i love this movie now because it's real, these things happen, and i hope this movie inspires more people to want to become good teachers. watch the movie

I am not a movie or TV critic, and I won't pretend to be. I will say that as just a normal person without any special credentials, I absolutely love this movie. It gives you this great feeling when you watch it, and I was shocked by Matthew Perry's performance. Having before only thought of him as the "Friends" guy his new personality took me completely by surprise. Overall, I thought that as a TV movie it is very much worth the time spent watching it. I had a great time and I'm sure that you will too.

The storyline is well developed and while there are a few unrealistic points, I think that it's very good. The children were portrayed very realistically, as were the challenges of teaching such a group. Knowing that it was a true story only heightened my enjoyment of the entire movie.

Because of the above said reasons I gave this a ten out ten. The movie isn't very action filled, and there isn't much romance, but I think that it's one of the best movies that I have seen in quite a long time.

I hope you will take this review seriously when choosing whether to watch this movie.

Thank you.