Beyond the Blackboard

My wife asked me to watch this movie with her last night and I'm glad she did. This was a very well done movie. All the actors did a great job especially Emily VanCamp as Stacey Bess. The child actors they got for this movie also did a very good job. I became very interested in the children and what their story was. And to probably be expected some were pretty sad. It was interesting to find out what happens to them during the movie. And as in all Hallmark movies there are some moments that tug at your heartstrings! And moments where you get a smile on your face. This was a story that I wasn't aware of so you could learn something from this movie as well as just get some enjoyment from it. A good choice for the family to watch.

7.6 stars.

A young woman in her early twenties becomes a teacher. To her surprise, she is placed in a homeless shelter classroom of sorts. This is a place where homeless people hang out and sleep in their cars and some small trailers on the property of an old train depot. That part isn't totally clear, but it's obvious this is a place where the homeless are trying to improve their lives, but it's a slow process. The parents are trying to find work and their children live with them in this small automobile and trailer camp. There are some social workers assigned to manage the temporary shelter as well. This young woman is assigned to teach grades 1-6 and it's a challenge. The story goes on to show us how she cares so deeply for this community of homeless and they all grow to love her very much and everyone is profoundly blessed.

I was touched, shed tears about 5 times and that's a lot.

I originally wasn't going to watch last Sunday but when I came home from work that day, my mom had it on there and seeing a familiar face from "Everwood" (Emily VanCamp), I decided to stick it out. I was very glad I did as this was quite an inspirational "based on a true story" movie though I'm sure since this was produced by the Hallmark greeting card company, not all the nasty things that went on that lower income school was going to be depicted. But you can see some of the frustrations this Stacey Bess went through and her struggles to get some needed textbooks and other materials when she talks to the man who hired her (Timothy Busfield). But when she then talks to another administrator (Treat Williams who I also recognized from "Everwood"), he decides to see what he can do and does more than she can thank him for. It was a wonderful surprise when these two former co-stars from the WB series showed up together on screen. There were other wonderful sequences but I'll just now say that this was very inspirational and if you're interested in this kind of thing, it's now on DVD at you're nearest Hallmark store. P.S. Loved the vintage Hallmark commercials that was shown throughout. Was especially interested in the one from 1975.

This is a great film that really made me appreciate the great teachers I had in school whose dedication made an impact on me as a positive adult. I think if every teacher were like Mrs. Bess and cared about every student, public education wouldn't be so wrought with so many issues in the US.

For a television film, the acting and writing are pretty good. Vancamp is believable as the hardworking and total novice teacher, Mrs. Bess, and she is able to carry the film for the entire 90 minutes. I think the filmmakers could have spent a little bit of time showing how Bess got trained as a teacher because the plot jumped 8 years into the future in the first 5 minutes. Vancamp very briefly plays her character as a teenager, which makes you suspend belief since Vancamp was in her late 20s here.

It is a sappy, family friendly movie that I would imagine teachers could also show to students in middle or high school. It's a Hallmark movie so of course it's a little cheesy but made for a nice Saturday afternoon viewing.

I was lucky growing up- I had parents and Grandparents who valued education and were together as 1 family. In 1974 when I started college the furthest thing which I wanted to do was become a teacher, instead I became a volunteer juvenile probation officer while in college, a police officer afterwards and an Army veteran (all after college). God also blessed me with 2 wonderful sons whom I raised by myself because I lost their father in a car accident. I've always pushed education- expecting and demanding the best from their school boards, their teachers, myself, and my sons. Now, some 38 years after graduating the U of South Florida, I'm obtaining my Masters in Education. I've been a parent volunteer since 2006 in their high school, and I've been a substitute teacher since 2009. This movie just drives home what I've seen over the years, what I've fought for for my sons and their classmates, and for their parents. Thank you Mrs. Bess, for giving me the courage and the fortitude to carry on- I nearly gave up on my MA. Thank you for being the type of teacher which you are- you are indeed a rare breed of teachers and I wish that there were more like you. We don't give up- we look to reach all our students and their parents. You were there to help me and make me not give up- in 3 weeks I graduate with my MA, then it's off to the state board exams.