That's What I Am (1:41) 2011

I am a teacher and that's what I am. And that's probably why I really liked this movie so much. There are also other reasons. The movie is about the students of the eighth grade class of 1965, the year I was an eighth grader. Set in California, Andy Nichols is assigned to complete a project with one of the school's geeks, Big G. Big G, whose name is Stanley, is a very tall, big eared boy. He is also the smartest boy in the school. Andy is made fun of because he has to work with Stanley, the target of bullies. Stanley has a quiet dignity and refuses to fight back. Andy gets to know Stanley as they work on the project and comes to regret having stayed silent when the school bullies intimidate Stanley. The eighth graders have a teacher, Mr. Simons. Mr. Simons, played by Ed Harris, is  a bow tie, geekily dressed epitome of an ideal teacher. When Mr. Simons catches a student, Creel, hitting one of the girl geeks, he reports Creel. Creel is rightfully suspended from school. Creel, upon his return, spreads a rumor that Simons is a homo. Creel reports this to his parents and his parents go to the principal with this allegation. The Creels insist they will go to the other parents with this rumor. Mr Simons, a widower, will not confirm or deny this rumor. He, like Stanley, has a quiet dignity and will not bow to pressure on an issue that has nothing to due with his performance as a teacher. I loved this movie because of the treatment of some very important issues: tolerance, acceptance, kindness,  and courage. I read that this movie pretty much went to DVD. That is a shame because the issues are so timely. Hopefully, word of mouth will spread and That's What I Am will have a wide viewing. Please, put it on top of your queue.