Inspired by a true story, “Beyond the Blackboard” is about a 24-year-old first-time teacher who makes a difference in the lives of the homeless children she teaches in a shelter’s makeshift classroom. Set in 1987 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this movie tells the story a brand-new teacher and Mom who is given a tougher than expected teaching job and winds up teaching homeless children in a school that is housed in a room and called, literally, The School with No Name. She has some personal prejudicial hurdles to cross before she is able to be a true teacher for these children and of course there are hurdles like the lack of books and supplies.
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Reviews
best movie i've ever seen.
Absolutely Brilliant!
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
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.
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.
The movie starts with a young teacher named Stacey Bess who goes for an interview and gets the job right away, without many questions being asked. When she asks the interviewer the name of the school, he says 'The school has no name... It is an initiative for homeless children.'And that is the beginning of her journey... A journey of learning... A journey of bringing a change... not only in the lives of her students, numbered somewhere around 20, but in the lives of thousands of people all around. Stacey Bess tells you how a teacher should be. The movie manages to capture that essence very well. The movie leaves behind, with you, an experience to cherish and to learn from for years to come.Emily VanCamp as Stacey Bess is beyond perfection, charming and so real that there are times you forget that she's just playing a part. All the supporting actors are excellent as well. All the child artists deserve a special mention.
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.