Lean on Me

Theatrical Release Date: 1989 03 03 (USA)

UPC: 883929104789

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Questionable for Children, Adult Language]

Summary: After earning rave notices for powerful supporting turns as a pimp in Street Smart (1987) and an alcohol abuse counselor in Clean and Sober (1988), actor Morgan Freeman began his ascent to stardom with this, his first lead role in a major motion picture. Freeman is real-life high school principal Joe Clark, a tough, harsh educator and administrator who in 1987 is given a nearly impossible task by his old friend, school superintendent Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume). Clark is asked to reform inner city Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ, a hotbed of delinquent kids and drug dealers. Considered the worst school in New Jersey, the state is threatening to take control of Eastside away from the local school board. If Clark can straighten out Eastside in time to get the school's basic-skills test scores up, he can have the job permanently. Although Clark's tyrannical approach and hard-line policies alienate many members of the staff and the community, his uncompromising campaign gets results and even makes him famous, much to the chagrin of his powerful enemies. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Category: Drama

Features: cc

Lean on Me

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 02/02/2010

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DS Dolby Surround (4.0)

Runtime: 109 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Lean on Me
1. 1967 Prologue [5:04]
2. Credits (Welcome to the Jungle) [5:02]
3. What Are They Doing Down There? [1:52]
4. Some Truth [1:53]
5. "My Word Is Law" [4:04]
6. "Yuo Are All Expurgated" [5:16]
7. The New Eastside High [2:40]
8. God's Words to Joe [3:29]
9. Thomas Sam's Plea [3:59]
10. Cafeteria Chaos [4:26]
11. Discordant Music [2:19]
12. The Way He Likes It [2:01]
13. A Lockup (I Ain't Makin' It) [3:28]
14. Keneesha's Problem [5:49]
15. Clark and Napier Square off [3:51]
16. Cal Me Batman [1:33]
17. Kid Ray Moves on [1:14]
18. Songbirds in the Boys Room [5:58]
19. Talking Tough to the Faculty [3:10]
20. Tooling for the Test [3:54]
21. Paterson Politics [3:05]
22. At the Ready [3:28]
23. Levias Confronts Clark [2:37]
24. Not Inferior [3:44]
25. Lean on Me #1 [3:17]
26. Lean on Me #2 [:49]
27. Keneesha's Setback [2:38]
28. Under Arrest [3:28]
29. In an Uproar [3:44]
30. Like a Father [2:22]
31. The Test Scores [4:22]
32. Graduation End Credits (Lean on Me) [3:36]

Mike DiBella

Morgan Freeman's first big starring role as real-life no-nonsense principal Joe Clark, a man who revitalized a Paterson, New Jersey, school of miscreants, seemed tailor-made for the veteran actor. A tightly woven, uplifting story that tugs at the heartstrings Lean on Me is powered by Freeman's tour de force performance. Director John Avildsen does a nice job of capturing a sense of urban decay by giving the picture a dark, gritty feel, and the film is further strengthened by its young cast, many of whom would go on to bigger and better projects (Michael Imperioli, for example, enjoyed later success in HBO's The Sopranos). Freeman, however, is truly the heart and soul of this picture, and his work in it would serve to open all of Hollywood's eyes to his often under-appreciated talents. While Lean on Me is a pleasant human interest story and well-made film, it will largely be remembered as the picture that helped to herald Freeman's arrival as a major player on the big screen. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Robin Bartlett  Actor 
Tyrone Jackson  Actor 
Sandra Reaves-Phillips  Actor 
Alex Romaguera  Actor 
Heather Rose Dominic  Actor 
Michael Joseph  Actor 
Sloane Shelton  Actor 
Harry Madsen  Actor 
Jim Moody  Actor 
Regina Taylor  Actor 
Karina Arroyave  Actor 
Alan North  Actor 
Richard Grusin  Actor 
Yvette Hawkins  Actor 
Michael P. Moran  Actor 
Ivonne Coll  Actor 
Todd Alexander  Actor 
Michael Imperioli  Actor 
Ethan Phillips  Actor 
Tony Todd  Actor 
Pat McNamara  Actor 
Michael Beach  Actor 
Knowl Johnson  Actor 
John Ring  Actor 
Jennifer McComb  Actor 
Marina Durrell  Actor 
Marcella Lowery  Actor 
Mike Starr  Actor 
Bruce Malmuth  Actor 
John G. Avildsen  Director 
John G. Avildsen  Executive Producer 
Bill Conti  Composer (Music Score) 
Michael Schiffer  Screenwriter 
Norman Twain  Producer 
Morgan Freeman  Actor 
Robert Guillaume  Actor 
Beverly Todd  Actor 
Lynne Thigpen  Actor 
Jermaine Hopkins  Actor 
Karen Malina White  Actor 

Country: USA