History Film / LeanOnMe

* RageBreakingPoint: Upon Clark's arrival, English teacher Mr. Darnell is immediately hit with a demotion from being the school's head football coach to being reduced to the new coach's assistant and he reluctantly accepts it without question. After being chastised for simply trying to pick up a piece of trash during a performance of the school song in the cafeteria, he snaps at the fact that he feels as though Clark is bullying him and demands equal respect. Clark then slaps him with a indefinite suspension of his position and retaliates by lifting Clark's desk in a fit of rage that leaves his papers scatter on the floor.

* RageBreakingPoint: Upon Clark's arrival, English teacher Mr. Darnell is immediately hit with a demotion from being the school's head football coach to being reduced to the new coach's assistant and he recluctantly accepts it without question. After being chastised for simply trying to pick up a piece of trash during a performance of the school song in the cafeteria, he snaps at the fact that he feels as though Clark is bullying him and demands equal respect. Clark then slaps him with a indefinite suspension of his position and retaliates by lifting Clark's desk in a fit of rage that leaves his papers scatter on the floor.

* RageBreakingPoint: Upon Clark's arrival, English teacher Mr. Darnell is immediately hit with a demotion from being the school's head football coach to being reduced to the new coach's assistant and he recluctantly accepts it with question. After being chastised for simply trying to pick up a piece of trash during a performance of the school song in the cafeteria, he snaps at the fact that he feels as though Clark is bullying him and demands equal respect. Clark then slaps him with a indefinite suspension of his position and retaliates by lifting Clark's desk in a fit of rage that leaves his papers scatter on the floor.

** Joe Clark at a meeting calling himself the HNIC, and Mrs. Levias clarifying afterward to Mr. O'Malley, the white vice-principal, that it stands for "head ''[[PrecisionFStrike nigga]]'' in charge." Though Dr. Napier claims that he is technically this, contrary to popular opinion.

* PuttingThePalInPrincipal: In contrast to his treatment of the staff and Sams, he's mostly pretty benevolent towards his students, notably giving them extremely useful advice when they're troubled and even making witty and light sarcastic remarks towards some of the more "active" students. There's a reason why the students go on marching down to the town square to "free Mr. Clark".

* ShownTheirWork: Note that many kids are dressed in expensive fashionable clothes. Unfortunately many people living in poverty will often invest a large amount in fashion and style as a form of [[https://scworks.org/docs/librariesprovider6/workforce-symposium-presentations/ruby_payne_complete_power_point019c8421dbff4ec688d353ec48028329.pdf?sfvrsn=5872c58c_2 social status]]. Not to mention one sad reality for many in poverty is poor financial management, money is for spending.
** Notice that the teachers are almost all in their fifties and sixties, or in their twenties. Also most are white despite being a school where most students are Black or Hispanic. This is sadly a problem that still exists today. Many young teachers quickly get burned out and either leave the field altogether or find a more desirable school. Many older teachers are simply trapped at their location as no other district will pay them the same as what they're making at their current district, or won't hire them at all due to their impending retirement.

* AsHimself: The chief custodian, Reverend Hershel Slappy, portrays himself in a minor role. He was an actual custodian for the Paterson school district at the time, in which Eastside High is in.

-->''(The students are all in the town square outside, chanting "Free Mr. Clark!")''
-->'''Mayor's Aide:''' It appears Mr. Clark's students have assembled outside in an exercise of their First Amendment rights.
-->'''Mayor:''' How many?
-->'''Mayor's Aide:''' It looks like...all of them.

-->'''Mr. O'Malley:''' We want to welcome Mr. Clark to Eastside; we've heard so much about you, and tell you what we have done in anticipation of your arrival. Mrs. Levias, your other vice principal, and I have appointed an executive committee to oversee certain areas where we have noted a need for improvement, and Mr. Zirella, for example...
-->'''Joe:''' You may sit down, Mr. O'Malley.

* HateSink: Even though he's just doing his job, the Fire Chief is depicted just as much of an [[JerkAss antagonist]] [[JerkAss as Ms. Barrett.]] Before arresting Joe Clark, he called him an asshole and earlier in the film, [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain he labeled the Eastside students as "savages",]] in which even [[EvenEvilHasStandards Ms. Barrett was offended.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: In the beginning of the film, Clark is transferred from Eastside to a different school. While leaving he remarks that Eastside High “deserves exactly what it gets”. The school would become a hell-hole in the 20 years Clark wasn’t there.

-->'''Napier:''' The truth is that for all your talk and all your "Crazy Joe" routine, what have you ever done? Nothing! You're nothing but an insignificant man! It's like you were never born! Your life hasn't made one bit of difference! [[SubvertedTrope And neither has mine!]] Want to take that to the grave!?

---------

* Foreshadowing: In his first meeting with the teachers where Mr Clark instructs them to write down the names of every troublemaker/delinquent, Mrs Elliot is shown putting her pen down and not writing.

LaserGuidedKarma: In the beginning of the film, Clark is transferred from Eastside to a different school. While leaving he remarks that Eastside High “deserves exactly what it gets”. The school would become a hell-hole in the 20 years Clark wasn’t there.

* AntiVillain: Mrs. Berrett is campaigning to have her son reinstated into the school and get Clark thrown out, believing that it would benefit the school much more than if he were to stay. Her motives are mostly sympathetic, but the film still sides with Clark.
* ArtisticLicenseLaw: even in the 1980s a Principal cannot just randomly expel students, much less publicly expel around 300 of them. However it is strongly implied that Joe knows this and is simply betting that nobody will call him on it. Mrs. Barrett is clearly the exception and would’ve easily been able to get her son reinstated in school.
* BadToTheBone: The movie's present-day sequence opens with a memorable shot of Eastside High having long slid into decay, with Music/GunsNRoses' "Welcome to the Jungle" blasting as delinquents throng the halls.

** Notice that the teachers are almost all in their fifties and sixties, or in their twenties. Also most are white despite being a school where most students are Black or Hispanic. This is sadly a problem that still exists today. Many young teachers quickly get burned out and either leave the field altogether or find a more desirable school. Many older teachers are simply trapped at their location as no other district will pay them the same as what they’re making at their current district, or won’t hire them at all due to their impending retirement.

-->'''Clark:''' Mrs. Berrett, if you think you can--
-->'''Berrett:''' ''SHUT UP!'' You're ''finished!'' The school board is going to hear this at seven o'clock, and we are gonna vote your black ass out.
-->'''Sams:''' ''*grabs his crotch*'' '''YO, BITCH! VOTE ON THIS!'''

* WhatTheHellHero: The teachers get sick of Clark's belittling of them and extending his Jerkass attitude towards them and let him know it. Not that he really cares, at least initially. Then Dr. Napier (who claims there's been rumors of a walkout) and later, Mrs. Levias (who had just demanded to transfer to a different school) tear into him about it.

* AngryBlackMan: Clark, especially when he was still just a teacher at Eastside during the 60's. There's a reason he's called "Crazy Joe".

* ShutUpHannibal: All of the students do this repeatedly towards Berlett for jailing Clark, but she's too determined to shut up.