History Film / LeanOnMe

* BadToTheBone: The movie's present-day sequence opens with a memorable shot of Eastside High having long slid into decay, with GunsNRoses' "Welcome to the Jungle" blasting as delinquents throng the halls. This was one of the first times that song was used in the movies.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A number of them.
** One of the thugs on stage in the first assembly is [[TheSopranos Christopher Moltisanti]].
** The new football coach has a [[DumbandDumber problem with ulcers]].
** Joe Clark, of course, is [[BruceAlmighty God]], [[BatmanBegins the head of Wayne Enterprises]], [[DeepImpact the President]], [[TheSumofAllFears head of the CIA]], [[RobinHoodPriceofThieves a badass Muslim with a giant sword]], [[TheShawshankRedemption and knows how to get things]].
** And his boss is Benson.
** The angriest black woman in New Jersey decided to [[WhereintheWorldisCarmenSandiego help kids fight crime]].
** The new head of security [[CandyMan is going to have you hooked]].
** The school lawyer [[StarTrekVoyager set up a new life in the Delta Quadrant]].
** Look carefully and you can even find [[StarWarsThePhantomMenace Jar-Jar]].

* CrossesTheLineTwice: When Joe Clark screams at Thomas Sams, who, being a freshman in high school, can't be more than fourteen years old, to jump off the roof of the building and kill himself.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The movie definitely takes some liberties with the truth: Clark was a very tough disciplinarian who really did clean up Eastside High, and he really did [[http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966577-1,00.html use a bullhorn]] and [[http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19880201,00.html brandish a baseball bat]]. Despite the improvements he made, however, he did not succeed in getting substantial improvements in test scores, although his supporters say he would have if he had been kept in office longer.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: About the only thing that's actually true of the film is that a man named Joe Clark was the principal of Eastside High in the late 80's.

* DarkerAndEdgier: In comparison to most movies about inspirational educators. [[spoiler:A teacher gets murdered in front of a crowded lunch room in the very first scene. Things do eventually improve, though.]]

->Joe Clark is a bad man. And we mean that in the best possible way, as in "don't fuck with him." When Paterson, New Jersey's Eastside High School found itself on the brink of being taken over by the state due to piss poor test scores, Clark was brought on board as principal to right the sinking ship.
-->- From [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16478_7-movies-based-true-story-that-are-complete-bullshit.html#ixzz1ZCmUuCWF this]] Website/{{Cracked}} article.

-->- From [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16478_7-movies-based-true-story-that-are-complete-bullshit.html#ixzz1ZCmUuCWF this]] {{Cracked}} article.

* 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.

* StuffedIntoALocker: Sams, at the beginning of the movie. Then, to drive home how bad things have gotten at East Side High over the last 20 years, Sams is yelling urgently to be let out, yet a janitor, walking down the empty hallway (the school day had just ended) completely ignores him.

* AllOfThem: The mayor's aide delivers this line when a horde of unhappy students march on City Hall during the school board meeting to [[spoiler:vote Mr. Clark out as principal, after he's already been jailed for violating local fire safety laws]].

* StuffedIntoALocker: Sams, at the beginning of the movie. Then, to drive home how badly things have gotten at East Side High over the last 20 years, Sams is yelling urgently to be let out, yet a janitor, walking down the empty hallway (the school day had just ended) completely ignores him.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: About the only thing that's actually true of the film is that a man named Joe Clark was the principal of Eastside High in the late 80's.

* AllOfThem: When Clark gets arrested, the students take to the streets in protest. As they approach City Hall, where Clark is detained and a hearing regarding Clark's dismissal is taking place. Counts both as a HeartwarmingMoment and an OhCrap moment.
-->'''Rosenberg:''' Mr. Mayor it seems that Mr. Clark's students have assembled outside in an exercise of their First Amendment rights.
-->'''Mayor Bottman:''' How many?
-->'''Rosenberg:''' It looks like...all of them.

* AllofThem: When Clark gets arrested, the students take to the streets in protest. As they approach City Hall, where Clark is detained and a hearing regarding Clark's dismissal is taking place. Counts both as a HeartwarmingMoment and an OhCrap moment.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: And how! See above cited Cracked article.