DVD Recommendation: "Half Nelson"

We have all had that teacher. That one teacher who isn't like the rest and teaches us more than just what is on the syllabus. This teacher, whether they know it or not, changes us forever. They inspire us to be what we though we could never become. To us it seems like he or she has his/her life in order and knows how to live life. Yet, sometimes those who inspire us are the ones who need the inspiration the most. This is a central theme from the movie "Half Nelson."

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is an eighth grade history teacher in Brooklyn, New York. Day after day he inspires his students and urges them to change and be more than what society says they can be. In addition to teaching Dan also coaches the girls' basketball team at the school he works at. On the surface Dan seems to have his life in order; he is a good teacher, he coaches the girls' basketball team on the side, and he is generally a nice guy. However, Dan Dunne is more than what he seems; he is also a drug addict. This has never been much of an issue until one day a student from his class, Drey (Shareeka Epps) catches him getting high in the school bathroom. Surprisingly they form a friendship and both try to help one another.

The performances alone make this movie worth seeing. Ryan Gosling just received an Academy Award nomination for his role in "Half Nelson" but he is not the only person who gives an amazing performance. The other co-stars of this film give equally impressive performances that really make the viewer feel for each of them.

Most viewers probably already know Ryan Gosling from "The Notebook" or "Remember the Titans," but in "Half Nelson" he reminds us why he is one of the best young actors around. It takes a talented actor to be able to say more in a look than actual words and I think Gosling has perfected this talent. Epps also does an amazing job bringing to life a character that is at a point in her life where she is making decisions that will determine the rest of her life. She is conflicted, angry, confused, and scared, all at once, and Epps is able to show us that.

"Half Nelson" is about a lot of things. On one level it is about the friendship between two people who need each other's help, despite the fact that they will never admit it. Drey is trying to become the person which Dan knows she can be, while at the same time she is trying to escape the world around her of drugs and violence, which ironically Dan has become part of. On another level it is about a man realizing that he isn't able to change the world like he once thought he would. Dan speaks to his class every day and inspires them to be something; he teaches them that one person can make a difference, even though he no longer believes in that statement himself.

The one major complaint about "Half Nelson" that I have is in regard to the camera work, which is mostly handheld. Yet, I found it very easy to ignore and almost gave the film a documentary type feel. It could go either way. "Half Nelson" is not an upbeat film, but that does not take away from the fact that it is very well made, has a great story, and contains strong performances all around. It is by far one of my favorite movies of the year and I recommend that you go pick it up sometime soon.