HALF NELSON
Dan Dunne is an idealistic inner-city junior high school teacher. Though he can get it together in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives precariously separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey, catches him in a compromising situation. From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship that threatens either to undo them, or to provide the vital change they both need to move forward in their lives. Half Nelson neither condemns nor sanctions Dan's actions, but rather depicts characters who are «wrestling» with various aspects of themselves and their roles in the larger world around them. Ryan Gosling perfectly renders Dan, imbuing him with layers and dimensions rarely seen in film. Equally exciting is newcomer Shareeka Epps's performance as Drey; she displays a remarkable ability to convey both wisdom and innocence. Fleck has delicately crafted a film about the universal struggle to achieve vital change in one's life - and also about the role friendship can play in that struggle. (Trevor Groth)
- Ryan Gosling - Sebastian
- Shareeka Epps
- Anthony Mackie
- Monique Curnen
- Karen Chilton
- Tina Holmes
- Anna Boden
- Ryan Fleck
- Andrij Parekh
- John Moros
- Anna Boden
- Broken Social Scene
- Erin Benach
- Erin Benach
Think Film 23 East 22nd St. New York, NY 10010, USA T 212 444 7900 dfenkel@thinkfilmcompany.com