by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
The Best Oscar nominations came down January 23rd and there were some big surprises. Dreamgirls was left out of the Best Picture category and Pedro Almodovar was snubbed for his Cannes favorite Volver. The Best Actor category was a big shocker as well. Alongside big names like Leonardo DiCaprio and Peter O’Toole is rising star Ryan Gosling for a film very few people have ever heard of: Half Nelson. The provocative indie flick will soon be available on DVD.
Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is an 8th grade history teacher and girl’s basketball coach who has a secret drug addiction. At first, we see that Dan mostly keeps his addiction under control. He functions at school, maintaining relationships with his colleagues and connecting with the kids in fun, inventive ways. But, as our journey into Dan’s life continues, we see a change. He’s forced to switch from his drug of choice, cocaine, to crack because it’s all he can afford. He zones out more. He becomes apathetic. He takes more risks. At one point, after a basketball game, Dan enters what he thinks is an empty girl’s locker room to get a fix and finds himself face-to-face with one of his students, Drey (Shareeka Epps). With a brother in jail for dealing drugs, Drey is familiar with Dan’s lifestyle and takes a curious interest in him. Their relationship grows over time, as do their own personal battles. As Dan half-heartedly struggles with his drug addiction, Drey half-heartedly struggles with her propulsion toward her jailed brother’s mistakes. The two unlikely kindred spirits find themselves at a crossroads: do they continue heading down the easy road of self-destruction or do they choose the rocky path to change?
Half Nelson was originally a 20-minute short called “Gowanus, Brooklyn,” which won Sundance’s Best Short in 2004. Writer/Director Ryan Fleck and co-writer Anna Boden were then given the opportunity turn their story into a feature film. The end result took to the film festival circuit in 2006 and won several awards and nominations along the way. Because of the films limited theatrical release, most people in Jacksonville did not get the opportunity to see Half Nelson. All that will change on February 13th, when the film makes its way to DVD. While the release contains little in the way of bonus features, with the exception of an audio commentary, the film itself is certainly worth renting or perhaps adding to your DVD collection.
Half Nelson reminded me a lot of Sherrybaby, a film starring Maggie Gyllenhaal that was recently released on DVD. The films share similar themes, both dealing extensively with drug addiction and loneliness. They also share amazing performances by up-and-coming actors who have (deservedly) received high-profile nominations for their roles (Gyllenhaal was up for Best Actress at the Golden Globes). And, just like Sherrybaby, Half Nelson puts you through the emotional ringer. Because the performances and the writing are so good, the viewer can’t help but get invested in what happens to both Dan and Drey. You root for these two to make the right decisions and when they don’t it’s almost like being let down by a close friend. The film’s central theme is change and it weaves its way through each and every frame, both subtly and obviously. Dan’s lessons in the classroom, which are based on the laws of dialectics, are all about how history itself is a series of ever spiraling changes. News clips shown throughout support his teachings. In his own life he further proves the laws as he struggles against what he knows is right until change; sometimes positive, sometimes negative; is made. The writers cleverly layer the idea of change in nearly every aspect of the film, allowing the viewer to continually discover the connections during repeated viewings. The very few negative reviews Half Nelson has received have mentioned the heavy use of handheld camera work, which is admittedly not for everybody or every film. Here, though, I think the “shaky” technique adds to the intimacy of the film and was perfectly suited for the story it tells.
Indie films are often overlooked by the general public due to lack of publicity. Hopefully, Gosling’s Oscar nod will drive audiences to check out Half Nelson on DVD. This is a powerful film that is sure to entertain as well as provoke thought and conversation. While it’s not a universally lovable story, it is one that is told remarkably well with the help of some really talented people.
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