Marie
I'm a late arrival. Even though this movie was released in 2008 I only saw this a couple of days ago but was so impressed with the quality of the acting that I had to write this review. It tells the true story of a young boy diagnosed with Tourette's, which is such a debilitating disorder that it can leave those who have it, and those who are in their company at their wits end with frustration. The story is told in part flashback with James Wolk leading the narrative beginning during his school days, which were quite frankly years of torture and ignorance. Brad Cohen(whom this story is based on) is determined to become a teacher but has everything stacked against him. His difficulty with reading because of his ticks. His minimal support from his teachers and a father that simply doesn't understand his disability. All this would break anyone but this young boy found a way to rise above this with the help of his mother and a wise head teacher. The 2 leads in this movie were nothing short of brilliant. Young "Brad" was played with such maturity and attention to detail he deserves to go far in his acting career, and James Wolk, the adult "Brad" showed great range in his acting, from happy, angry, to sad and upset, all with ticks intact. All the supporting cast were excellent, and Treat Williams - the dad no one wants - really came through in the end. I usually find Hallmark films a bit disposable, forgettable and samey, but this one is stand out gold. Anyone feeling sorry for themselves or having a bad day. Watch this. Guaranteed to make you put things into perspective
jithin k m
I don't normally write reviews, I was not planning to write one for this. But after watching this a few days back, I couldn't help but write,this by far is one of the most inspirational movie you will see. I just loved the smiling face of our hero, whatever happens with him he has that smile and he has his companion. I would recommend everyone to watch this movie at least once, if possible more than once.I am not going to dwell into the nitty gritty of acting or directing, because i found everything coming together in the movie. Best thing i felt was that it was all based on true story, it welled up my eyes and i was crying my hearts out all through out this movie
jb_campo
My wife told me I had to watch this movie with her because of how good it was. She was right! Front of the Class tells the inspiring story of Brad Cohen, based on the real life person. Brad (played by TV actor James Wolk) grows up in a broken family after his mom and dad divorce. Since his youth, Brad started making uncontrollable odd noises at random, with no ability to control them. His Mom, played wonderfully by Patricia Heaton (Raymond TV series), won't take the doctor's diagnosis of basically no explanation. She digs and digs and discovers Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disease, with no cure. With unbelievable love and patience, much like Sally Fields in Forest Gump, she supports and encourages her son to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher.Brad goes through a tough time that demonstrates the ignorance of supposedly educated human beings as he interviews over and over for jobs in the education field. He has all the credentials from his studies - he needs a break.The film nicely weaves back and forth between the young Brad dealing with people not accepting him then, versus adults not accepting him as he's an adult. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been.The movie also weaves in a complicated father/son relationship, nicely delivered by Treat Williams, a very strong performance. The ending will have you cheering, so yes, Hallmark movies are sappy. But this one will give you a nice warm heart. It's a perfect holiday movie to pick up your spirit and give you hope for a better world.See Front of the Class - you will enjoy it!
jlclark44
We had the great honor and pleasure of meeting Brad at a weekend long retreat for families dealing with Tourette's that he hosted over Halloween weekend, our 6 yr old was diagnosed last spring. He is truly an inspiration, and the movie only scratches the surface of how wonderful a person he really is.As for the question of if he makes the noises that often, from the 2 1/2 days we were around him, yes it is that often if not even more often.In the auditorium scene if you look you will see a quick shot of a teacher in a white shirt and tie standing in the back, that is Brad. He was only able to stay for a minute so his ticks didn't interfere with the movie.
AD
