In the upcoming film Half Nelson, Ryan Gosling plays a Brooklyn junior high school teacher named Dan Dunne, who inspires his students while simultaneously destructing his own persona. In the film, directed byAnna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Dunne finds innovative ways to inspire his 13 and 14-year-old students to think for themselves. However, at the same time, the “brilliant” teacher is secretly battling with depression and consoling himself by using drugs. The film imitates the phrase “friendships often come in unexpected places,” when Dunne and one of his students embark on a camaraderie that helps the self-destructive teacher reclaim his self-worth. Half Nelson opens theatrically in select markets on August 11, and will then expand nationally on August 25. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Shareeka Epps, Stephanie Bast, Tina Holmes, Jay O. Sanders, Christopher Williamson and Tristan Wilds.
See the trailer for Half Nelson RIGHT HERE