This film is based on the true-life story of Ron Clark, a remarkable teacher who takes on the challenge of a rebellious Harlem school. He teaches the middle schoolers to dream big but it takes a lot of effort and patience on his part as he chips away the stone and begins to see the first small cracks of light and hope. Matthew Perry is excellent in his role as Clark.

There is some language in this movie and some of it is used by the teenagers. There is also strong disrespect shown toward the teacher in the beginning and even to some extent for awhile after that. However, the redeeming value of this story is evident once the viewer watches it through to the end. We find a compassionate teacher who truly is there for his students and leaves his fingerprints on their lives in a positive way. And the entire class changes by film’s end. He stands by his classroom rules which eventually are respected by the students. For this reason, with a warning about the language, we recommend the film for ages twelve and above. It is told in a realistic manner which underscores the change in attitudes by the end of the film. Ron Clark wrote a best-seller which includes his essential 55 rules. The Ron Clark Academy opens this fall in Atlanta, Georgia.