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Half Nelson

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6.6/10 • 857

2006-08-111h 47m

Drama

Secrets don't let go

Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.

Directors
Ryan Fleck
Writters
Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Editors
Anna Boden

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Ryan Gosling

    Ryan Gosling

    Dan Dunne

  2. Shareeka Epps

    Shareeka Epps

    Drey

  3. Anthony Mackie

    Anthony Mackie

    Frank

  4. Jeff Lima

    Jeff Lima

    Roodly

  5. Monique Gabriela Curnen

    Monique Gabriela Curnen

    Isabel

  6. Tina Holmes

    Tina Holmes

    Rachel

  7. Nathan Corbett

    Nathan Corbett

    Terrance

  8. Tyra Kwao-Vovo

    Tyra Kwao-Vovo

    Stacy

  9. Rosemary Ledee

    Rosemary Ledee

    Gina

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 18, 2024

7/10

Ryan Gosling is on very natural form here as the teacher "Dan" who has a bit of a drug habit after school. He's a good teacher. Well liked. A man who gets results from a class of students who would almost all rather be somewhere else, and he coaches the girls' basketball team too. Luckily for him, it's one of his pupils, "Drey" (Shareeka Epps), that discovers him a bit worse for wear in the school toilet and swiftly a friendship develops. It's one of mutual understanding. His life is a mess and she is having to deal with divorced and largely absent parents. Her brother "Mike" is in jail for drug offences, but quickly we learn that it's "Frank" (Anthony Mackie) who's really the culprit there. He tries to take care of the girl, but when the two men meet it's clear that "Dan" thinks" Frank" should leave her alone; he's a bad influence. Needless to say, there are views taken about the appropriateness of their friendship but somehow that just galvanises them into trying to help each other. For "Dan", to perhaps stop treating the women in his life like dirt; and for "Drey" to have the confidence to grab life by the throat. It's a slowly paced look at human nature this film and there's quite a degree of chemistry between the charismatic Gosling and the Epps. They are walking a tightrope that puts his career at risk and she is at a junction in her life where choices will map her future. Mackie only features sparingly but again, his character is a little more sophisticated than your usual drug dealer. "Frank" does appear to care for his charge and seems prepared to engage with "Dan", up to a point, to help the girl choose a better life. Is there room for optimism or is it all a fait accompli? Plenty of plausible emotions on display here.

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$700,000.00
Revenue
$4,911,725.00
Keywords
prisonnew york citysportsdateex-girlfriendclassghettobicyclebasketballcrackteachertheftalcoholicliberaljunior high schooldrug habitfreebasing