Lean on Me

Synopsis: An arrogant and unorthodox teacher returns as principal to the idyllic high school from which he had earlier been fired to find it a den of drug abuse, gang violence, and urban despair. Eventually his successful but unorthodox methods lead to a clash with city officials that threatens to undo all his efforts. Based on a true story.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): John G. Avildsen
Production: Warner Home Video
  3 wins & 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
69%
PG-13
Year:
1989
108 min
5,247 Views


Fair eastside

by thy side

we'll stand

and always

praise thy name

and ever lend our hearts

and hands

to help increase thy fame

the honor

of old eastside high

brings forth our loyalty

so cheer

for dear old eastside high

lead on to victory

man:
As the tension mounts

throughout the free world,

the ladies have a surprising

15-0 lead over the boys.

Now next question,

bonus question for 20 points.

What is the origin

of our civil rights?

The magna carta.

No, tom, no.

Ellen, take it.

English common law.

20-point bonus.

Boys lose 10 points

for ringing the bell

without knowing the answer.

It's a 10-point loss.

The magna carta was a document

guaranteeing rights,

but the rights of whom?

Uh, stacey.

The aristocracy.

10-point bonus

for the girls.

The aristocracy

vis-a-vis the king.

The people got their rights

from the common well.

The common well.

Hence... come on, who knows?

Uh... anthony.

Commonwealth?

10-point bonus

for the boys.

Good, but, guys,

watch out.

Girls have a 45-0 lead.

You're not doing too well.

Next two.

Come on. Quickly.

All right.

Here we go.

Bonus question

for 10 points.

Define the word

"imbrue."

Aha. I'll spell it

for you.

L-m-b-r-u-e.

Imbrue.

Mr. Clark, could your class

spare you for a minute?

Surely. Kids,

take your seats. Quickly.

Come on. Quickly.

Take out your pencils.

Write this down.

Imbrue-to taint,

to stain.

The cancer of racism

imbrues our national

character.

It stains the spirit,

taints the soul.

It is a blot,

a shameful, greasy spot

on the fabric

of our national conscience.

Imbrue-to taint,

to stain.

30 words tomorrow.

Test.

What's the matter?

They're holding

a meeting

of the union

executive board.

Without us?

They didn't

tell me, either.

I told you we couldn't

trust them.

Keep it down.

Those no-good bastards

sell us out-

out of a union we started?

Betray us like

a bunch of judases?

They won't crucify me.

No, sir. I got

the hammer and nails.

I won't be anybody's

martyr, frank.

I'm sick and tired

of spineless jellyfish.

Save it

for the meeting.

Why, man?

I got plenty.

I'm the rockefeller

of outrage.

What the hell are

you people doing?

We're having a meeting.

You're

selling us out.

We cannot have

an effective voice.

Our curriculum will

be impotent

if we sell out every

time they threaten us.

You want to talk,

about this, call me in

we have

to stick together.

What we have to do

is pay our bills.

You want to carry

picket signs.

We just want to work.

We're tired

of the agitation,

the posturing

of crazy-

how can you talk

about posturing

when you're always

bent over

kissing posteriors

at the school board?

You want to

step outside?

If you had any nerve

at all,

you'd be fighting

on my side.

Mr. Clark, i'm afraid

that's a moot point.

We just found out

that the board of education

will grant

our salary increments

if we agree

to accept their condition

that you be transferred

to school 6,

and we agreed.

God bless you, man.

Pay your bills.

Joe.

They can go to hell.

Come on, joe.

This place deserves

exactly what it gets.

Welcome to the jungle

we got fun and games

we got everything you want

honey, we know the names

we are the people

that can find

whatever you may need

if you've got

the money, honey

we got your disease

in the jungle,

welcome to the jungle

want to bring you

to your n-n-n-n knees, knees

i want to

watch you bleed

welcome to the jungle

we take it day by day

and if you want,

you're gonna bleed

but this is the price

you pay

aah!

In the jungle,

welcome to the jungle

it's all right.

Shh. It's all right.

It's all right.

It's all right.

What are you doing?

Go back

to your class.

Leave me alone!

Welcome to the jungle

it gets worse here

every day

learn to live like

an animal

in the jungle

where we play

you got to remember

what you see

you'll take it

eventually

you can have

anything you want

but you better not

take it from me

in the jungle

welcome to the jungle

want to bring you

to your n-n-n-n-knees, knees

what's up, brian?

I'm gonna

watch you bleed

when you're high

you never, ever

want to come down

so down, so down

so down

yeah, oh

yo! Where's

my money?

I said,

where's my money?

Where's my money?

Hey, hey, hey.

Stop it, stop it,

stop it.

In the jungle,

welcome to the jungle

want to bring you

to your n-n-n-n-knees, knees

in the jungle

welcome to the jungle

want to bring you

to your

it's gonna

bring you down

huh

don't make me

fight you, man.

Get in the locker.

Come on, man.

You're messing up

my books.

I'm gonna-

markus, what are

you doing?

Let him out.

He lives in there.

He likes it.

Somebody!

Somebody help!

Somebody help!

Help somebody,

please.

Help! Help me!

Let me out!

Somebody help!

Please, let me out!

Let me out, please!

Help!

Somebody let me out!

I can't breathe!

Somebody let me out,

please!

Somebody help me, please!

I can't breathe!

Somebody open up

the door!

Open the door, please!

Somebody let me out!

I just don't

goddamn believe it.

I've got an election

coming up,

and you hit me

with this now?

The state report came

from trenton just now.

And we... well, actually,

they ranked the schools.

We were last

in the state.

Oh, that's a crock.

They can't just take

my schools away.

You're quite right.

That's what

i thought.

But, well, no, see, now,

actually, they can.

What?

The house passed

a bill last week.

75% of high school

students

must pass the minimum

basic skills test,

or the state takes control

by the end of the school year.

Well, how many

passed last year?

About 38%.

38%?

What in god's name

are they doing

down there

at eastside?

They were

your appointees, don.

Don't try pinning

this on me.

You're

the superintendent

of schools,

remember?

Now, look, i'm not

going down the tubes

just because

those kids

can't pass

some test.

It's a can

of worms, don.

The only person

who would take this job

is someone

with nothing to lose

then the question becomes

what would we want with him?

I'm sitting here

racking my brain-

you're sitting there

setting me up.

I know you

like a book.

No, wait a minute.

No!

No, no, no, no, no,

not that nut! No!

No way!

He's the only guy

i can think of.

Oh, lord help us.

Derrick, derrick,

slow down, now.

I am, mr. Clark.

Slow down!

Bye, mr. Clark.

So long, kids.

Hey, joe.

Am i in trouble?

You gotta bring your lawyer?

Rosenberg.

Joe. Hot

for october.

How's it going

over here?

Ok. Same old,

same old.

What brings you down?

We came from

the mayor's office.

They need a new principal

at eastside high.

Gotta get

those test scores up.

He specifically

thought of you.

Sure.

Ok. I thought

of you.

All this time

i been stuck down here,

and you ask me now, frank.

I'm not a miracle

worker, joe.

Hello,

dr. Napier.

Mr. Clark,

the girls

need that room

for baking class.

We continue to find

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Michael Schiffer

Michael Schiffer is an American screenwriter, video game writer and film producer. Schiffer is known for such films and video games as Colors, Lean on Me, Crimson Tide, The Four Feathers, The Peacemaker and Call of Duty. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Lean on Me" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/lean_on_me_12356>.

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