Lean on Me is a 1989 American biographical drama film directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Michael Schiffer, and starring Morgan Freeman. It is based on the story of Joe Louis Clark, an inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school Eastside High is in danger of being placed into receivership of the New Jersey state government unless students improve their test scores on the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Test.
The title refers to the 1972 Bill Withers song of the same name, which is used in the film. The film was released on March 3, 1989. It received mixed reviews from critics On Metacritic the film has an average score of 58 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
Accolades
1989 NAACP Image Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Morgan Freeman (won)
- Outstanding Motion Picture (won)
1990 Young Artist Awards
- Young Artist Award Best Motion Picture – Drama (nominated)
- Best Young Actor Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins (nominated)
- Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Karen Malina White (nominated)
- Jackie Coogan Award – Norman Twain, producer (nominated)
Television adaptation
On September 13, 2018, it was reported that a television series based on the film was in development at The CW. The Warner Bros. Television Studios project was written by Wendy Calhoun, with LeBron James, Maverick Carter, John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius also set to executive produce. The female-led drama was to center around "when a spirited young black teacher [named] Amarie Baldwin scores the principal job at an Akron, Ohio, public high school, she must dig deep to transform a failing campus into an urban oasis. In a time when education and school safety have life-or-death stakes, Amarie will take on a broken system that tests her mettle, love life and family. But can she keep her moxie in check in order to embody the aspirational educator that motivates and uplifts an entire community?" On February 8, 2019, it was revealed that the script was not picked up to be a television pilot.
See also
- List of hood films