Despite being challenged by Tourette Syndrome from a young age, Brad Cohen defies all odds to become a gifted teacher.Despite being challenged by Tourette Syndrome from a young age, Brad Cohen defies all odds to become a gifted teacher.Despite being challenged by Tourette Syndrome from a young age, Brad Cohen defies all odds to become a gifted teacher.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
James Wolk
- Brad Cohen
- (as Jimmy Wolk)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
My wife told me I had to watch this movie with her because of how good it was. She was right! Front of the Class tells the inspiring story of Brad Cohen, based on the real life person. Brad (played by TV actor James Wolk) grows up in a broken family after his mom and dad divorce. Since his youth, Brad started making uncontrollable odd noises at random, with no ability to control them.
His Mom, played wonderfully by Patricia Heaton (Raymond TV series), won't take the doctor's diagnosis of basically no explanation. She digs and digs and discovers Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disease, with no cure. With unbelievable love and patience, much like Sally Fields in Forest Gump, she supports and encourages her son to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher.
Brad goes through a tough time that demonstrates the ignorance of supposedly educated human beings as he interviews over and over for jobs in the education field. He has all the credentials from his studies - he needs a break.
The film nicely weaves back and forth between the young Brad dealing with people not accepting him then, versus adults not accepting him as he's an adult. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been.
The movie also weaves in a complicated father/son relationship, nicely delivered by Treat Williams, a very strong performance.
The ending will have you cheering, so yes, Hallmark movies are sappy. But this one will give you a nice warm heart. It's a perfect holiday movie to pick up your spirit and give you hope for a better world.
See Front of the Class - you will enjoy it!
His Mom, played wonderfully by Patricia Heaton (Raymond TV series), won't take the doctor's diagnosis of basically no explanation. She digs and digs and discovers Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disease, with no cure. With unbelievable love and patience, much like Sally Fields in Forest Gump, she supports and encourages her son to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher.
Brad goes through a tough time that demonstrates the ignorance of supposedly educated human beings as he interviews over and over for jobs in the education field. He has all the credentials from his studies - he needs a break.
The film nicely weaves back and forth between the young Brad dealing with people not accepting him then, versus adults not accepting him as he's an adult. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been.
The movie also weaves in a complicated father/son relationship, nicely delivered by Treat Williams, a very strong performance.
The ending will have you cheering, so yes, Hallmark movies are sappy. But this one will give you a nice warm heart. It's a perfect holiday movie to pick up your spirit and give you hope for a better world.
See Front of the Class - you will enjoy it!
It's a simple yet inspiring story,the adversities the protagonist met just like what everyone has to deal with in real life. The disappointment and despair when hunting for a job ,the issues with family, everything is just like going through life. Except that with his disability,he learned to understand more and care more,of course also fight harder for his dreams, really moving and encouraging.
Front Of The Class (2008) :
Brief Review -
Backed by the great story of Brad Cohen this one make a front of the Classic Heart-touching drama. I have never seen any Hallmark Hall Of Fame TV films yet but I've heard quite mixed reactions about it. Some people say, HHF shows sappy films while some says that they always bring good stories. I don't wanna choose any side because i don't think i will be watching any movie from this club any time soon unless i hear or read something outstanding so, I would rather talk about this flick individually than comparing with other films of the club. I don't know what good or bad films HHF has showed but this one is a Classic! That's a big statement because i use that word only for some real classy stuff. Front Of The Class is a docudrama about the persistency of Brad Cohen Brad who, despite being challenged by Tourette's Syndrome at a very young age, defies all odds to become a gifted teacher. It shows us that how so called normal people of the society behave abnormally when they meet weirdo, doesn't matter if it has an incurable medical condition. With this film, we learn a lot about life and people's perspective of looking at things, especially the ones with special conditions. But mainly, it is a high-spirited and inspirational drama which will fill your life with hopes and empty all the negative thoughts one has during tough situation. As it says, "It's ok to be weird", then why is it not ok to accept the weird? James Wolk as Adult and Dominic Scott Kay as child Brad Cohen give performances to remember. They handle all the challenging parts with accuracy and make it look natural. Supporting cast fine, screenplay is very good, dialogues are nice and direction is Superb. Overall, it's a Classic emotional and motivational drama which should not be missed. Never let anything stop you from achieving your dreams.
RATING - 8/10*
By - samthebestest.
Backed by the great story of Brad Cohen this one make a front of the Classic Heart-touching drama. I have never seen any Hallmark Hall Of Fame TV films yet but I've heard quite mixed reactions about it. Some people say, HHF shows sappy films while some says that they always bring good stories. I don't wanna choose any side because i don't think i will be watching any movie from this club any time soon unless i hear or read something outstanding so, I would rather talk about this flick individually than comparing with other films of the club. I don't know what good or bad films HHF has showed but this one is a Classic! That's a big statement because i use that word only for some real classy stuff. Front Of The Class is a docudrama about the persistency of Brad Cohen Brad who, despite being challenged by Tourette's Syndrome at a very young age, defies all odds to become a gifted teacher. It shows us that how so called normal people of the society behave abnormally when they meet weirdo, doesn't matter if it has an incurable medical condition. With this film, we learn a lot about life and people's perspective of looking at things, especially the ones with special conditions. But mainly, it is a high-spirited and inspirational drama which will fill your life with hopes and empty all the negative thoughts one has during tough situation. As it says, "It's ok to be weird", then why is it not ok to accept the weird? James Wolk as Adult and Dominic Scott Kay as child Brad Cohen give performances to remember. They handle all the challenging parts with accuracy and make it look natural. Supporting cast fine, screenplay is very good, dialogues are nice and direction is Superb. Overall, it's a Classic emotional and motivational drama which should not be missed. Never let anything stop you from achieving your dreams.
RATING - 8/10*
By - samthebestest.
My whole family loved this movie. It was nice to see an inspiring movie with a great message.
Loved it.
one word to describe it. Wow.
Front of the class is about the true story of a kid with tourettes who's lifelong goal is to become a teacher but has to overcome his obstacles with tourettes. with a dad that never accepted him as a son, kids who don't know anything about the desease and all the things in between but what made this movie great was the determination to not only people with tourettes or a disability but people who dog you by saying your no good for this or you will never amount to anything. the movie has good acting and the determination that goes along with the movie and the cast is top notch. this movie has heart, and with a guy that has tourette syndrome, i could relate and it kept me keeping all hope going and pursue my dreams. defiantly worth a watch if your curious about tourettes, or just a great drama that sucks you in.
10/10. HIGHLY recommended.
Front of the class is about the true story of a kid with tourettes who's lifelong goal is to become a teacher but has to overcome his obstacles with tourettes. with a dad that never accepted him as a son, kids who don't know anything about the desease and all the things in between but what made this movie great was the determination to not only people with tourettes or a disability but people who dog you by saying your no good for this or you will never amount to anything. the movie has good acting and the determination that goes along with the movie and the cast is top notch. this movie has heart, and with a guy that has tourette syndrome, i could relate and it kept me keeping all hope going and pursue my dreams. defiantly worth a watch if your curious about tourettes, or just a great drama that sucks you in.
10/10. HIGHLY recommended.
Did you know
- TriviaThe real Brad Cohen appears as an extra in the film during the school orchestra recital as a teacher standing at the back of the hall in a colorful tie.
- Quotes
Brad Cohen: I get that look a lot, but I never let it get to me.
- ConnectionsEdited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Hallmark Hall of Fame: Front of the Class (#58.1)
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content