The Ron Clark Story (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)With education being so very key in determining the path of a child's future, teachers obviously play integral roles as educators, advisors, mentors, and surrogate parents. Ron Clark is an outstanding example of the underappreciated and underpaid teachers who quietly, selflessly ply their trade the world throughout. Ron Clark has garnered national attention for his tireless work with the rural North Carolina and inner city Harlem school systems. He's been invited to the White House on 3 separate instances and has been honored by the President and Mrs. Clinton. He has been on the Today Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show. His book The Essential 55, about his classroom rules, is a New York Times Best Seller and has been published in over 25 countries. This Johnson & Johnson-sponsored television movie, shown on TNT, tells his story.
SPOILERS begin: In 1998, teacher Ron Clark (Matthew Perry) leaves rural North Carolina and moves to Harlem, New York to toil in the inner city school system. But he finds it difficult to get a teaching position and must, in the meantime, work as a lowly costumed waiter at a theme restaurant. A door finally opens when a disgruntled teacher quits his job at the Inner Harlem Elementary School. Specializing in raising the standardized test scores of his students, Clark opts to educate the most unruly class of the 6th grade.
Initially, he has a hard time trying to reach his hardbitten kids, suffering their scorn and lack of interest. There are even bets taken by the kids as to how long he'll last. But Clark perseveres, continually asserting his "we are family" creed and enforcing his multiple classroom rules. His attempts to get the class's attention prompts him to develop fresh teaching techniques, such as his chugging down chocolate milk every 15 minutes if the students were quiet (with the possible reward of Clark puking for the kids' entertainment), or having them promise to try to learn if he takes up double dutch. He even has a try at rapping to help them learn the U.S. Presidents. Slowly, gradually, after some rough spots, his class warms up to him as the students discover that their teacher actually cares and that learning could be fun. But the biggest challenge lies ahead as Clark preps his kids for the May aptitude exams.
The film is mostly about Clark's exploits in school, with little time given over to his personal life. During the length of the film, he maintains his waitering job at the restaurant, all the while carrying a torch for lovely waitress Marissa (Melissa De Sousa), who already is saddled with an actor boyfriend. Thankfully, while the romance is touched on, it doesn't take precedence. End SPOILERS.
This is a Matthew Perry vehicle all the way, and he drives this film with a self-assurance that isn't really a revelation. His acting talent has been apparent for a while now, as shown in his turns on Friends, his various feature films, and his acclaimed guest star spots on the West Wing (let's just ignore Serving Sara, shall we?). Here, he eschews his Chandler Bing goofball role and turns in a concertedly earnest and sincere effort. Good job, Matthew Perry.
These kids are certainly depicted as more disruptive and more rough-house than those in tamer films such as To Sir, with Love and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. The kid actors are uniformly superb and real. Standouts are Hannah Hodson as the sassy Shameika (really excellent) and Brandon Smith as the troubled Tayshawn.
The Ron Clark Story merits superlatives of the highest order. The film is poignant, gentle, heartwarming, and inspirational. True, the ending is a bit hokey, but what the hey. Films like The Ron Clark Story, Stand and Deliver, and Lean On Me need to be made and put out every now and then, just to remind everyone of the importance of our society's oft overlooked linchpin - the school teacher. And Ron Clark - for his dedication, his diligence, and his caring - needed to have his story told.
Even if he really shouldn't rap.


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Seal of Approval - Parents Television Council. Golden Globe Nominated - Best Actor in a TV Movie. Three-time Emmy Award nominee Matthew Perry (TV's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Friends) delivers a "...tour-de-force performance" (Boston Herald) as real-life inspiration Ron Clark, a passionate and innovative teacher who leaves his small hometown to teach in one of Harlem's toughest schools. But to break through to his students, Clark must use unconventional methods, including his ground-breaking classroom rules, to drive them toward their greatest potential. DVD Features include: "The Teacher Behind the Story:" Ron Clark, Matthew Perry, cast & crew interviews; "Making the Grade:" Ron wins the Disney American Teacher Award!; "Stepping Out of the Classroom:" Ron and students tour South Africa; "Breaking New Ground:" A ground-breaking new school

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Friends - The Series Finale (Limited Edition) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a huge Friends fan. I pre-order all of the DVDs and I pretty much know all the episodes by heart (it's sad I know). I actually thought that the finale was perfect. Everything ended how it should, BUT I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the finale DVD. I thought that it would have the hour long segment that was aired on TV before the finale but it didn't, and that was very disappointing. I had also hoped that there would be way more special features, but to be honest with you there was absolutely nothing special about the features that were on the DVD. I was also very upset because I had hoped that they would show the cast coming out to take their final bow and they didn't. Which honestly just sucks. So all and all the Finale was great but the DVD really sucks.

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Friends Are Forever on DVD!Remember forever how the #1 Comedy in America ends with this "Limited Exclusive Edition" DVD. Releasing only 5 days after the series finale airs, the broadcast version of the 2-part episode will only be available on this DVD. This DVD will also include the Series pilot and the DVD version of the finale with additional never before seen footage, along with several other bonus features.

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Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - The Complete Series (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)On the one hand, it didn't crackle the same way Sports Night or The West Wing did, and plot inconsistencies and occasional heavy handedness revealed a show that never fully trusted its truth. Still, I can't shake the feeling that Studio 60 is a link in an evolution toward a new, more complicated, more interesting television. NBC should have given it more time to find itself. Doing that would have benefitted the network, the audience, maybe even the society (that's a lot of pressure!)
Imperfections included, Studio 60 made me laugh, it made me cry, it literally made me cheer, and it did what Aaron Sorkin's work always does: celebrate the human condition (instead of tearing it down, as many shows do.) Like other Sorkin series, Studio 60 focused on people of good will doing their best to support each other and create something of value. I inevitably felt cleansed when I watched it, and I didn't clear the episodes from my DVR until the DVD was in my mailbox.
As for the DVD, I wish there had been more extras on it than the Pilot commentary, and a mini-documntary made early in the season. It would have been fascinating to hear Mr. Sorkin and his partner Tommy Schlamme have an honest discussion of the strengths and weaknesses, successes and demise of this show. What can be learned from the path Studio 60 traveled?
I hope Mr. Sorkin keeps on evolving, and keeps on writing television, plays and films (and books, too), 'cause his dialogue excites my mind, and his work fills my soul.

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STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP:COMPLET - DVD Movie

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Friends: The Complete Seventh Season (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Seventh Series of Friends, I hate to admit, is not my favourite. I believe the storylines are a little to mundane and the actors try and do the best with what they're given. Their are 24 episodes in all. Below is a description of each to refresh your memories.
The One With Monica's Thunder - Chandler begins to worry about his performance in the bedroom. Monica catches Rachel and Ross kissing and thinks Rachel is trying to upstage her recent engagement

The One With Rachel's Book - Everyone begins planning for Chandler and Monica's wedding - except her parents, who blow her wedding money on a beach house.
The One With Phoebe's Cookies - Phoebe holds the key to the best-tasting cookies ever, which drives chef Monica crazy. Rachel gets high-handed while trying to teach Joey how to sail.
The One With Rachel's Assistant - Given the chance to employ her own assistant, Rachel overlooks more able female candidates in favour of a young, attractive man.
The One With The Engagement Picture - While taking an engagement picture for himself and Monica, Chandler can't help pulling a weird face.

The One With The Nap Partners - Rachel and Phoebe compete to be Monica's maid of honour. Joey and Ross find themselves in awkward positions after a nap.
The One With Ross's Library Book - Monica runs into Janice and accidentally invites her to the wedding. Ross is upset that his dissertation is in the section of the library where students go to make out.
The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs - Tag joins the gang for Thanksgiving dinner, where Joey proceeds to spill the beans about Rachel's crush on him. Phoebe sneaks a dog into the apartment, making Chandler extremely nervous
The One With All The Candy - Monica decides to make candy for the neighbors in her apartment building so that she can get to know all of them.
The One With the Holiday Armadillo - Chandler and Monica go on a special date, where he realizes he's not as smooth as her ex, Richard. Phoebe worries that Rachel would rather stay living with Joey instead of moving into their new apartment together.
The One With All The Cheesecakes - Monica is hurt when she isn't invited to her cousin's wedding but Ross is.

The One Where They're Up All Night - Ross assembles the gang on the roof to watch a meteor shower, but becomes trapped up there with Joey.

The One Where Rosita Dies - Phoebe's first day as a telemarketer takes a bizarre turn when she encounters a distraught office supply manager who wants to end it all.

The One Where They All Turn Thirty - As the gang celebrate Rachel's 30th birthday, she ponders what she should do to achieve her remaining life ambitions. The others look back at their own 30th birthday parties.

The One With Joey's New Brain - Joey accidentally tells a fellow cast member on 'Days of Our Lives' that she is to be fired.
The One With The Truth About London - Chandler finds out that Monica actually wanted to sleep with Joey in London.
The One With The Cheap Wedding Dress - Monica regrets telling a fellow bride-to-be about a cheaper bridal store when she has to fight the woman tooth and nail for a unique wedding dress.

The One With Joey's Award - Joey is nominated for a Soapy award and takes Rachael as his date. Ross's student confesses that he has fallen in love with him.
The One With Ross and Monica's Cousin - When Ross and Monica's alluring cousin arrives for a visit, her beauty causes serious distractions for all the men who meet her, including Ross.
The One With Rachel's Big Kiss - An embarrassed Rachel bumps into her old sorority sister and wonders whether to confront her old friend about an incident from their college days.
The One With The Vows - Monica and Chandler try to write their wedding vows, with both asking the others for help.
The One With Chandler's Dad - Monica convinces a reluctant Chandler to travel to Las Vegas and invite his estranged father to their wedding.
The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 1 - Monica and Chandler have the rehersal dinner, chandler freaks out and disappears. Ross and Phoebe look for him while Rachel keeps monica from knowing.
The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 2 - Ross and Phoebe find a panicked Chandler at his office and take him home to get ready, but he disappears again when he learns what Phoebe and Rachel know.
EXTRAS - Audio Commentary, Gag Reel, Friends of Friends Part 2, Monica's wedding book trivia challenge, Gunther spills the beans about Series 8.
A must have box set for Friends fanatics anywhere!

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This sophisticated, smash-hit comedy from Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions offers a hilarious look at the anxieties and absurdities of friendship, careers and dating for six close friends living in New York City. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Producer's audio commentary of 3 episodesGag ReelInterviews:Friends of Friends Part II video guest bookOther:Monica's Wedding Book Challenge game. Gunther Spill the Beans about the next season

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Friends: The Complete Ninth Season (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Heading into the ninth season of Friends, just about everyone associated with the show figured this was going to be their last season. Even fans were expecting the show to wrap when filming on the ninth season ended.
Only midway through season nine did the powers that be and the actors agree on one more season, a truncated 18 episodes for the 10th and final season.
With that possible ending in mind, writers had to be careful as they opened the season, knowing that they may be pushing toward a finale when the season drew to a close.
Getting caught up, season eight ended with the birth of Ross and Rachel's baby, Emma. Joey inadvertantly proposed to Rachel, and the new mother, obviously a little confused, said yes, prompting an interesting start to season nine.
Joey's feelings for Rachel had come out in season eight, and he knew that his accidental proposal to Rachel would certainly cause a lot of tension with everyone, particularly Ross. The story line surrounding the three served as a good start to the ninth season.
The season took a lot of moves along the way, with all the characters making some major choices in their lives. Monica and Chandler agree that they want to have a baby of their own, but continually fail to become pregnant, leading them to a fertility clinic, where they learn it may be impossible for them to have kids. While this show was known for its comedic moments, this storyline served as one of the more touching moments in the show, yet still was able to maintain the comedy aspect. Chandler and Monica are great together, as Courtney Cox Arquette and Matthew Perry have some very good chemistry. His laid-back approach and her uptightness go well together. Season nine also finds Chandler out of a job and serving as an intern with an ad company, finally moving on from statistical analysis and data reconfiguration.
Of course the big life changing moment for Ross and Rachel is Emma. Rachel moves in with Ross, which provides many strange moments, as they both try to live their lives with an ex and a kid in the same apartment. One of the funniest moments in the season is an episode where Rachel is leaving Emma for the first time and her and Ross get locked out of the apartment with the baby still inside. Ross's great story about the eagle and the baby, along with his great gestures to go with it, was hilarious. Of course, Ross and Rachel have a history and eventually they decide living together wasn't the best idea and Rachel heads back to Joey's.
After his proposal to Rachel, Joey finds himself in a tough situation with Ross. A viewer genuinely feels that Joey's feelings for Rachel are true, but at the same time, he knows he can't act on them. At least not at the beginning of the year. Through the season, Joey wrongly believes that Monica is cheating on Chandler while he is in Tulsa, gets Phoebe a job as an extra on Days of our Lives and misses his appearance in the big Thanksgiving Day parade. His life changing moment however, comes at the end of the season. After his breakup with paleontologist Charlie, he sees Ross kissing her and decides that is time to act on his feelings for Rachel, closing the ninth season.
Phoebe got caught in a love triangle, forcing her to choose between David, her scientist boyfriend who returned from Minsk, and Mike, the piano playing former lawyer who Joey set her up with on a blind date (accidentally of course). When Phoebe finds out that Mike never wants to get married because of his failed marriage, this causes them to break up, sending her into the arms of David. However, it is Mike who swoops in at the end to take Phoebe's heart away.
The season ends in Barbados, a great way to end the season, as the gang gathers for Ross's convention. Mike's proposal, Joey and Rachel's kiss and even Ross and Charlie, provide fuel for the final season.
Season nine featured some great guest stars. Paul Rudd is excellent as Mike, and he fits right in with the cast. Hank Azaria is also very good as the stammering, nervous David. He hits the nail right on the head. Aisha Tyler is good as the beautiful paleontologist Charlie. However, stealing the guest star show is Christina Applegate as Rachel's sister Amy. She won an Emmy for this role and it is well deserved. She was fantastic in her role in the Thanksgiving episode.
Extras include three commentaries from the executive producers, a quiz show, a look ahead to the final season, a music video and a great gag reel.
This season set, like the eight before it, is very well done and will help preserve one of the best comedies of our generation for years to come.

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The hilarity continues with Season Nine of the smash-hit comedy series as Phoebe is confronted with some tough romantic choices, Rachel takes on motherhood and Monica and Chandler become inspired to start their own family. Guest appearances include Hank Azaria, Freddie Prinze Jr., Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Jon Lovitz, Jeff Goldblum, John Stamos, Elliot Gould and Dermot Mulroney. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Producer Audio Commentary on 3 episodesChallenges:Who's Your Best Friend? (menu based challenge) Documentary:Behind The Style: The Look of Friends, a retrospective on fashion, make-up and hairstyles through the years. Featurette:Behind The Style: The Look of Friends, a retrospective on fashion, make-up and hairstyles through the years.Gag ReelInterviewsMusic Video:Phoebe Battles The Pink Robots Music Video Other

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