Brandon Mychal Smith
The true story of the football team that proved sometimes second chances can make a difference comes to the screen in director Phil Joanou's tale of self-respect and social responsibility on the gridiron. Sean Porter (The Rock) is a detention camp probation officer who oversees the inmates at Camp Kilpatrick in Los Angeles and isn't willing to simply write off the violent offenders who have been placed in his care. Though their prospects for the future are decidedly bleak, Porter is convinced that if he can just get through to his adolescent inmates they may finally be able to turn their lives around and make amends for the mistakes of their past. When Porter's proposal of forming a high-school-level football team at Camp Kilpatrick meets with skepticism and resistance in the highest ranks, the determined coach puts his career on the line to prove that even convicted criminals can acquire the tools needed to build a brighter future when given the proper motivation and the means of doing so. Inspired by filmmaker Jac Flanders' 1993 documentary of the same name, Gridiron Gang features a screenplay penned by In the Line of Fire scribe Jeff Maguire, and features a supporting cast that includes Leon Rippy, Kevin Dunn, and Detroit-born rapper-turned-actor Xzibit. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- The Rock, Jade Yorker, (more)
Helmed by the gifted Randa Haines (Children of a Lesser God, The Doctor), the inspirational drama The Ron Clark Story tells the real-life tale of Clark (Matthew Perry), a teacher from upstate New York who moves to Manhattan and re-instills courage and hope into the lives of many down-and-out students. Via highly innovative teaching strategies and rule sets, and an ongoing, strenuous effort, Clark manages to turn several lives around and raises students' test scores to admirable levels. His star pupils include a young girl forced to both attend school and care for her siblings and a graffiti-prone young man who rechannels his energies into more traditional painting with Clark's encouragement. In the end, even when pneumonia threatens to keep Clark down, he refuses to let it. Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) and Hannah Hodson co-star; Granada America produced. Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung scripted. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Perry, Ernie Hudson, (more)
