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!
