Movie Review (Beyond the Blackboard)

 

Title: Beyond the Blackboard (2011)

Director: Jeff Bleckner

Language: English (US)

Duration : 97mins.

Genre: Television drama film

 

A feel good movie that shows how a strong willed committed teacher can make a lasting impact in the lives of her students, no matter what they undergo. It shows the predicaments of a passionate woman named Stacey Bess who ends up becoming a teacher in a temporary shelter where the children of socially neglected people are schooled. The movie is an adaptation of  “Nobody Don’t Love Nobody” (A memoir by Stacey Bess)

When the movie opens, we are shown the glimpses of Stacey’s troubled childhood and how thrilled she is about becoming a teacher. She says, “(as a child) I loved to be a teacher. I loved the giant pull-down maps and the way brand new textbooks smelled. I loved writing my name at the top of the page, as though I was someone who counted…..” These words strongly project how becoming a teacher can be an escape from her troubled life. Despite this, Stacey has to quit the school at the age of 16. After a leap of eight years, the movie progresses to the scene where she approaches for a teacher’s job. She is perked up when she gets the job and prepares Lesson Plans for grade 1 through 6, overnight.

The next day dawns with a new hope. She gets ready and drives to the school. Only there she realises that it is not a school but just warehouse, a makeshift classroom in a shelter which has the students of various grades. To her dismay, the students are not in the condition to be taught but to be tamed. They lack manners and etiquette which irks her further.

She rings up the higher ups and conveys the message but it turns in vain as there is no proper system of management – no principal or any other authority who can be approached for assistance. The classroom lacks basic logistics. Worst of all, the school has no name to be mentioned. All these agitates Stacey and lets her lose her temper on the first day.

But gradually, the movie gains momentum as she tackles the students of different emotional needs. For that she has to come up with new techniques and ideas – Screening movies, changing the ambience of the classroom, playing music, giving speaking cues, enlisting adjectives to teach them morals and values, conducting PTA meeting to rope in parents’ cooperation. All these baby steps snowball into a strong teacher-students bond.

More than being a good teacher, she turns out to be a guardian angel to the children – she advocates their needs to the officials, houses a student named Maria when her alcoholic father is banished from the shelter, steps further to teach reading to a rude illiterate mother and extends her duty even during her maternity period.

Though her selfless service is to be applauded, her husband has to be given a sizeable credit for whatever she accomplishes as a teacher. He stands as a pillar of strength whenever she needs. He gives her full freedom to chisel the students by providing economical and emotional support. Through his character, the movie highlights the fact that a woman can achieve anything if she has a shoulder to lean on during adversities and a hand to pat her during achievements.

The title of the movie can thus be justified that the teacher’s duty is vast Beyond the Blackboard. It takes not bombarding degrees or flashy educational qualification to touch the lives of the young minds but just unwavering enthusiasm and goodwill to help them know things better. On the whole, it was engaging throughout the 90+ mins. Some scenes were clichéd and beyond practicality. It reminded me of some Hollywood teacher-students movies like “To Sir, With Love” and “Freedom Writers”. The characters have played their roles well to keep the audience hooked. The movie is available on various VPN and OTT platforms.