Lean On Me
Lean On Me is based on a true story of a principal in a New Jersey high school, Eastside High. The Principal, Joe Clark, is hired in 1983 to run one of the worst schools in this state. His mission is to turn this crime, drug, and graffiti infested school around completely in one year’s time. Clark must bring order and peace to this school and must also bring up the learning level of the students so they can pass the state’s minimum basic skills test.
Joe Clark is a former Army drill instructor who uses tough discipline as a means of changing Eastside High School. His methods in doing so were very much controversial. He got the nick name of "Crazy Joe" Clark by using a bullhorn and a baseball bat within his school to terrorize and intimidate the students as well as the facility. To his supporters this tactic was to be motivation for the students and teachers to do better. According to a Mississippi State University Memo dated back in March of 1996, it stated that within two years Eastside High was declared a model school by New Jersey’s governor and in 1986, Clark was named one of the nation’s 10 "Principals of Leadership".
One of the first things Joe Clark did to reform this school was expelling 300 minority students who he claimed were "educationally hopeless and overage underachievers, parasites, hoodlums, and drug pushers" (Education Digest, 1989). To make sure these now ex-students stayed out and could not return, Clark chained and locked the school doors from the inside. Clark demanded respect from not only his students but also with the facility. If respect was not given Clark simply removed you from the school.
There is some differences between what happened in real life and how the director, John Avildsen, portrayed Joe Clark in the movie Lean On Me. In the movie Clark was able to raise the student test scores to a level that protected the school from being taken over by the state. In real life, Eastside High was never in a threat of a take over. Clark has claimed that during his first year as principal he doubled the test scores of the students, but according to the Education Digest, 1989, they state that there is no such evidence to support Clark’s claim of this. In fact, according to this article the scores of the students at Eastside High were the lowest in the state of New Jersey between the years of 1986 to 1988. It goes on to say that over these years the percentage of students who actually did pass was as low as 24.1%. The author of this article, Irwin Hyman, tries to uncover if the "Dirty Harry" tactics used by Clark are needed in situations like these. These stricter punishment strategies used by Clark were recognized and supported by President Reagan.
Another disturbing issue that critics bring up is that in the movie none of the students rebel against this principal who threatens them, locks them inside the school, embarrasses them in front of others, intimidates and bullies them. These same critics believe that in real life things could not have gone this smooth so quickly.
Finally, Joe Clark resigned as principal in 1990. The time he spent at Eastside High has made him quite popular. Since this time Clark has made the cover of Time magazine, been on 60 Minutes, The Phil Donahue Show, and ABC’s Nightline. He is also a nationally recognized speaker who travels across the country to speak on such topics as his life story.
Summary of Context
The general audiences’ reception to the film Lean On Me was quite good. Most audiences thoroughly enjoyed the film. Word of mouth spread very quickly and Lean On Me enjoyed a good run at the theaters and is available at every movie rental store that I visited. Anyone who has seen the movie remembers it, and most can even vividly recall their favorite moment. Amazon.com even still lists this film as a 5 star movie (out of a possible five). On the other hand critics severely chastised the movie. Leonard Maltin wrote in Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video guide "The story of "Crazy Joe" Clark, the real-life baseball bat, bullhorn toting high school principal from New Jersey who whips his students into shape by alternately bolstering and bullying them. Freeman is riveting in the central role, making up for the script’s shortcomings and Avildsen’s all-to-familiar approach." Tom Keogh wrote, "Freeman makes a strong impact as Clark, his dignity and integrity a sometimes awesome thing. Avildsen, however, is going for a Rocky-esque emotional crescendo."
Director John G. Avildsen has directed other notable movies that audiences loved but the critics felt differently about. This was his first major motion picture based upon a true-life story; his second being 8 Seconds, and was expected to do badly. Other movies directed by Avildsen include Rocky, all three Karate Kid movies, and For Keeps.
Joe Louis Clark, the movies main charter, who became the principal of Eastside High School, and remained in that position for the next seven years, has become a critically acclaimed author and motivational speaker due most impart to the success of the movie. Clark was even asked by President Regan to become a policy advisor at the White House. For more information on Joe Clark you can visit his web page at http://209.145.48.14/biography.htm
The movie made such an impact on audiences that it is taught in many film classes across the county and his speeches on discipline are put into practice in many schools around the world. Education students at RMWC remarked on a web forum that they admired his conviction and his ability to keep his eye on the prize, but were not impressed with his bat wielding, bullhorn using, constant mood changes.
Morgan Freeman has said that this film was intended to evoke a reaction and raise awareness of what it’s really like in some inner city schools. By using the media of film Lean On Me has far surpassed any anticipation that it had of getting a message across to the public and done more good for the school systems than ever imagined.
Plot Summary and Critique of Lean On Me
The story takes place in Eastside High School; a multicultural school in New Jersey. Mr. Joe Clark is an assertive strong willed man who takes pride in his work and his school. Due to unexpected school board cuts, Mr. Clark is forced to make decisions about his future at Eastside High. He leaves and goes to an elementary school. Eastside High takes an unexpected turn for the worst.
Rather than being a place of security and a place to get an education, Eastside High is now a place where you can get killed and learn lessons on life on the streets. The students lack respect of the school itself, the faculty, the students and the education in which they are all taking for granted. The school board is faced with low test scores and high drug use rates. They turn to Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark comes into the school and is awestruck. He knows that changes need to be made and how to make it so that Eastside high is the school he left several years ago. He uses extreme security measures, including getting a list of all of the students that have or do use drugs, and kicking them out of the school; and in order to keep them out, he puts chains and locks on the doors which violate fire codes.
Besides the changes in security, Mr. Clark directs a change in attitude among his students. He wants his students to take pride in their school, in themselves and in their education. He forces them to learn the school song, and if they don’t they get detention; and in detention they paint away all of the graffiti that destroy the Eastside halls. He wants the students to do the work so they take pride in the school because they have helped to make it what it is. He gets to know all of his students and helps to get their lives on track. Mr. Clark’s students are faced with many challenges whether it is academic or social. He is challenged with the academic problems that his students are facing. The students of Eastside high cannot pass the minimum basic skills test. He turns to his dedicated and intimidated staff to raise his students to victory. His hard-nosed attitude is a lot of his staff to handle but because of their dedication they are the basis for the changes in test scores.
Joe Clark taught his students to avoid the law and be good citizens. He didn’t practice what he taught. He got caught with the chains on the doors and was forced to go to jail. His students rallied on his behalf in order to show their pride and dedication to their school and its faculty.
The movie was a great display of man verses society, man verses self, and man verses man. The film illustrated the hardships that were experienced in the school and how they were overcome. The dedication of one man was considered the key to the success of the students and the school; but they were not the work of only this man. His staff put up with a very difficult, stubborn person and were also a key component to the success of the students.
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Questions For Discussion
**These questions were courtesy of the website: http://msstate.edu/dept/MusicEd/daniel/mue3533/leanonme.html