AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
CommentsXp
Best movie ever!
justinenyman
All I can say is what a beautiful inspirational story. It brought tears to my eyes to see such a caring individual change the lives of so many homeless children and their parents. It really shows the love that Stacy has for her students, to further their education when the resources were not provided. She went out of her way to provide the children with a learning environment, purchasing cleaning supplies, changing the classroom, providing education to their parents, and tons of supplies provided by her without the means of pay. Every teacher out there should watch this film for inspiration. It is you, combined with the child's willpower that changes the outcome.
SnoopyStyle
Stacey Bess (Emily VanCamp) got pregnant at 16, dropped out of school, and got married to Greg. She eventually got her GED and 8 years later in 2009, she gets her first teaching job in Salt Lake City. She's horrified to find a chaotic railroad warehouse shelter with homeless families run by Johnny Hernandez. With only her own resources and the help of the parents (Nicki Aycox, Kiersten Warren), she tries to create a safe environment. She finally meets superintendent Dr. Warren (Treat William) who is surprised by her work.It's a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. It's feel-good. It's inspirational. It's a tear-jerker. It's all of that. It's sincere and it does that sincerity very well. VanCamp is a solid lead. She embodies that goodness. It is everything one expects from this type of movie.
rrockwell-3
I've watched a number of Hallmark movies and here are the reasons. They typically are low-stress (no explicit violence, no bad language, no scenes of immorality, happy endings). Also they generally involve talented and good-looking actors. However, what they lack is unique and well-crafted stories (quite predictable plots), much drama, and much realism.Beyond the Blackboard fits all the above (including some engaging child acting) but reaches higher than typical. It is helped by the fact that it is based on the true story "Nobody Don't Love Nobody" by teacher and advocate Stacy Bess, the main character in the movie. Though the film tames down the realism, it still manages to shine light on the the traps of homelessness that are difficult to escape, the common needs we all share, and the impact of family. The story also encourages those who are more fortunate to sacrifice and take action, out of simple humanity and also the priceless rewards that follow having a positive impact on children's lives. Being a lifelong educator myself, I also empathize with the value the film places on a safe and accepting learning environment, especially for children who don't have that at home and naturally long for it.I think people who may or may not be great fans of Hallmark movies will be pleasantly surprised at this one.
cgflames
I was surprised. I didn't intend to watch the movie, but once I started I couldn't turn it off or DVR the rest. I wanted to stay till the end.I found the child actors to be believable and talented. I was happy with the job the adults did as well.I found the story to be sad, but truthfully what can be expected in our world today with the way things are (unemployment so high, lots of businesses going out and leaving people unable to take care of themselves any longer, and so forth). I found that the movie made me want to read the book, to see how accurate the story is. I can imagine that things were much worse than they were shown in the movie.I was happy that the ending was real and not a happily ever after ending. Life for the homeless rarely seems to end with everything hunky dory, for some people things improve, for a lot they just go downhill quickly.Most of all I was happy to get to meet the real person at the end of the movie. Although there was good info on how to help, which I am sure was most important to this wonderful woman, it would have been nice to have a better update on her family situation. IE: still married with this many kids, all grown or ages (fill in the blanks). It is something I always look for at the end of a true story.
