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Directed By
Ryan Fleck
Written By:
Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Cast:
Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Deborah Rush, Jay O. Sanders, Nicole Vicius, Tina Holmes, Shareeka Epps, Sebastian Sozzi, Monique Curnen, Collins Pennie, Eleanor Hutchins, Starla Benford, Denis O'Hare, Thaddeus Daniels, Stanton Davis, Ron C. Jones, Sharon Washington, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Stephanie Bast, Tristan Wilds, Leslie Eva Glaser, Karen Chilton, Jeff Lima, Nathan Corbett, Tyra Kwao-Vovo, Rosemary Ledee, Bryce Silver, Erica Rivera, Kitty, Deidre Goodwin, Susan Kerner, Christopher Williamson, Leslie Eva Glaser, David Easton, Katie Nehra, Steve Kursh, Matt Kerr, Kaela C. Pabon, Adepero Oduye
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Half Nelson (2006)
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Movie Review by Suzanne
May 2nd, 2009
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Purposeful Meaning
As a teacher, basketball coach, and functioning drug addict, Ryan Gosling fits into this role like a glove. He had to make us believe he was all three and he accomplished just that. While he is being all these things, main character Mr. Dunne, or Dan, has to convince himself that there is something in this world worth caring for. It is apparent that he doesn't care enough about himself to quit freebasing. He also doesn't care deeply enough for the women in his life, nor his family, and he hasn't got any friends.
As a student of Mr. Dunne's, a basketball player and little sister, Shareeka Epps as the character Stace is just coasting through her world trying to figure out who she is. She comes from a broken home, and although she and her mom are close, her mother is always working and Stace is constantly alone. She is totally subdued by how different she is from her peers. Surrounded by crime and feeling as though there aren't many people she can relate to, she turns to Mr. Dunne who is a constant in her life and somehow the two of their worlds fit like missing pieces of a puzzle.
Will the student become the teacher? Will Dan have found someone who makes an impact enough to change his life?
The movie plays out very raw like an independent film. It is very quiet without any dramatic musical effects. Just the actors, the camera and the script. It is a serious movie which should be watched in a relaxed and quiet atmosphere.
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