© 2006 by C. E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved.
Half Nelson
L to R :  Ryan Gosling as Dan
and Shareeka Epps as Drey in
Half  Nelson, directed by
Ryan Fleck, USA, 2006;
106 min. Courtesy: THINKFilm

Half Nelson proved to be a popular film at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival; in
fact in polling of journalists and critics by indieWIRE, the film proved to rank even
higher than Quinceañera which ended up winning the top prizes. Personally, I
would have a hard time choosing between those two films (although I would
probably lean toward the latter) as they are among the best of this year's New
Directors/New Films.

Half Nelson is an expansion of a short film, Gowanus, Brooklyn, that
premiered at the 2004 edition of New Directors/New Films. Directed by Ryan
Fleck and co-written by Fleck and Anna Boden, the film examines the relationship
between an inner city social studies teacher, Dan Dunn (Ryan Gosling) who
spends much of his off hours smoking crack, and a promising student Drey
(newcomer Shareeka Epps).

The film easily could have devolved into any number of fairly typical Hollywood
dramas about teachers and students, but Fleck and Boden mostly manage to
keep the story focused on their two central characters. Obviously, Dan is a flawed
character, but in Gosling's charismatic performance, he evolves as a man who still
wants to make a difference. Instead of teaching the proscribed curriculum, he
attempts to make history come alive for his students, involving them in engaging
discussions. And as he learns more about Drey and her ties to his own drug
dealer, he attempts to make a difference in her life.

The writers have also managed to work political themes into the story without
becoming too preachy. There is one misstep that involves Dan's relationship with
a fellow teacher that is never resolved which slightly mars the film. Otherwise,
Half Nelson -- which ends on a tentatively positive note -- is a worthy opening
film for New Directors/New Films and will hopefully attract an audience when it is
released theatrically later in the year.


                                                     Rating:           B+