i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

If you've seen Ron Clark on Oprah, you know what an inspiration he is. This movie does absolutely NO JUSTICE to his story. In fact, the hack writers spend so much time shoe-horning his story into a clichéd structure, it's practically unrecognizable. I don't even know where to begin. First of all, Ron Clark's energy is the most amazing thing about him and Matthew Perry, while a fine actor in the right situation, is absolutely 100% miscast. For real, it should be someone like Sean Hayes or...I don't know, someone more electric. And those kids? Were such clichés. And, I don't know what movie the kid playing Shameika was even in. Basic Instinct or something. The story offered no insight into what actually made Ron Clark's teaching a success. By all appearances, he should have been an utter failure. It was deep conviction and unfailing energy that allowed him to succeed. When I heard this movie was being made, I was so excited for it. It couldn't be more of a disappointment.

I have seen it 6 times times and each time i see something that i miss the last time. It is so real and it keeps your attention and wow it was good. Matthew Perry was excellent in it and the children in it just made so real. I like the rules that he had made for the class and the way he stuck to them too. My daughter liked it when he had to drink the chocolate milk but they did learn. I also like it when he did the teaching of the Presidents that he did it to rap. It just is written so well and i know some of my friends that seen can relate to it as they grew up in that area. I hope that it eventually will come out on DVD as i would own it then.

I went to North Side High School with Ron. He is an nice guy who is very passionate about life and teaching. Last time I went back home, my father showed me an article in the Beaufort County newspaper about Ron and I was very proud of him. It is nice to see a movie about someone from my hometown and high school portraying his achievements and successes. Matthew Perry did an excellent portrayal of Ron. It had to of been scary living Aurora and going to NYC to teach. I would of probably of went back home. You hung in there though. Congrats on your achievements and to making a difference in the lives of children. God Bless Ron!J. Cleary Class of 1991

Being a teacher, I look for inspiration. I was fortunate to have seen Ron Clark speak last year. At this gathering, mention was made that there was a TV movie being made about his inspiring story starring Matthew Perry.So, now comes that movie. But having seen it the other night, I must say how unimpressed I was. The reason why is that Ron Clark has been turned into "Ron Clark, role for TV star who wants people to see that he can act" and it doesn't seem to capture the personality of the real guy! The real Ron Clark I would describe as effervescent, clearly North Carolinian (the dialect gives that away), a bundle of energy. Matthew Perry's performance seemed, in comparison, to be Ron Clark on downers. A dynamic, even flamboyant, white guy in a Harlem school should seem to demand a stronger contrast in storytelling. THE RON CLARK STORY was too convenient in the fact that all story lines end at the same time in the same room. It's sanitized, homogenized and Hollywood-ized into formulaic material that does not serve to inspire from a realistic point of view. It exaggerated too far beyond what the real story is.Too bad. The inspiration for the storytelling got lost. It seems to have become less inspiring than the real Ron Clark would suggest. That's demotivating.