[heaven85]

Yep I am. They set a canadian date.

[-Bianca-]

Half Nelson is going to be shown at the LA International Film Fest.

[heaven85]

That's great news.

[-Bianca-]

Half Nelson (August 11) – This movie stars Ryan Gosling as a middle school history teacher with a drug problem. He befriends one of his students after she catches him doing crack in the girl’s bathroom. What keeps this unlikely pair together? Crack. Ah, bringing people together one rock at a time. There’s a life lesson in there…somewhere. http://www.chattanoogapulse.com/vnew.../448604b8856e7

[-Bianca-]

Half Nelson is going to be showing at the Maui Film Festival as well.

It's getting around.

[heaven85]

I love that it is showing at so many festivals.

[-Bianca-]

And another one: Half Nelson is going to be shown at the Nantucket Film Festival.

Another review too, just because:

Reel Review Half Nelson (2006) *** Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is the kind of teacher parents dream about for their children, an inspiring figure in his junior high classroom where he passes on his passion for history on to his 13- and 14-year-old students. He frequently strays from the curriculum, which ticks off the principal, but what he's giving his students is a gift, as he passes on not just his knowledge, but also his enthusiasm to learn more. It's a pity, then, that Dan is such a royal screw-up, but that's the root of Half Nelson, first-time director Ryan Fleck's closely observed, riveting character study—an expansion of his award-winning Sundance short, Gowanus, Brooklyn. Dunne is not just a dedicated teacher, he's also the girls' basketball coach, and after a game one evening, his impending meltdown becomes apparent to Drey (Shareeka Epps)—she discovers him with his crack pipe in the girls' bathroom. Mr. Dunne is a crackhead and an alcoholic, and hiding his addictions is becoming harder. If someone was going to find out, he could do worse than Drey, who has seen more in her young life than Dunne probably imagines. Her brother is in prison for dealing drugs, and his former boss, family friend Frank (Anthony Mackie), is subtly recruiting the little girl to join his business. That Dan is such a mess does appreciably lower him in Drey's eyes; in fact, knowing his secret makes them tighter. If anything, it makes Dan more acutely aware of how far he has fallen. It also makes him feel curiously more protective toward Drey. His idea is to save her from the likes of Frank; it never occurs to him that he might be the one she needs to be protected from. In an odd way, for as knowing as Drey is, the drama is really about her loss of innocence. The kind of behavior Mr. Dunne exhibits is of the streets; it's not something that should impinge on her school life, and the lesson that even the best intentioned person can be completely unreliable is one she really doesn't need to learn quite yet. But even in his cups, Dan is always the teacher. It's just that, with Drey, the curriculum has expanded in a truly grotesque way. Fleck establishes a keen sense of place; Drey's distressed New York neighborhood practically becomes another character in the film, but it's in directing his actors that he truly excels. Young Epps is moving as this tough little girl, so in danger of being swallowed by the trouble around her, while Mackie is alternately charming and menacing as a man who probably does think he's doing Drey a favor by pushing her toward dealing. But the star of the piece is definitely Gosling: so sweet, so smart, so troubled, and so much the jerk. There's no vanity in the actor as Dan gives in to his demons. It's an awesome performance in a film that's not always easy to watch, but never less than watchable. — PAM GRADY http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=14...ws&CID=13#tabs

[heaven85]

Lovely picture.

[-Bianca-]

This was posted before, but since we lost the other post...

[heaven85]

Ooh I love this!!! I forgot all about it.

[-Bianca-]

Ryan won Best Actor at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Half Nelson - Ryan Gosling turns in a career-high performance as a well-liked, idealistic middle-school teacher who just happens to be addicted to crack. He develops a unique friendship with one of his students (Shareeka Epps) after she catches him using in the locker room in a solo post-basketball game celebration. A well-written script gives the characters many layers to work with, and excellent acting and taut direction keep this great film from dipping so much as a toenail into gooey "afterschool special" territory. http://www.cinematical.com/2006/06/2...eally-bummed-i

[HeaTk7]

oo im excited! i really wanna seee this.

[heaven85]

OMG!!!! Congrats to Ryan. Thanks for posting Bianca.

[-Bianca-]

YW, as always.

[-Bianca-]

Half Nelson was shown at the UrbanWorld VIBE Film Festival this past week.