Half Nelson

"Secrets don't let go."

2006 1h 47m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 998

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.

“Secrets don't let go.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

fuboTVSubscription

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Cast

Ryan Gosling
Dan Dunne
Shareeka Epps
Drey
Anthony Mackie
Frank
Jeff Lima
Roodly
Monique Gabriela Curnen
Isabel
Tina Holmes
Rachel
Nathan Corbett
Terrance
Tyra Kwao-Vovo
Stacy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ryan Fleck
Writers: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 7.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ryan Fleck, shot by Andrij Parekh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kevin Drew. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anna Boden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Secrets don't let go.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ryan Fleck directs. Andrij Parekh behind the camera. Kevin Drew scores. Anna Boden cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 7.0× over at the box office.
3Released 20 years ago.
4Directed by Ryan Fleck, shot by Andrij Parekh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Kevin Drew. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Anna Boden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Secrets don't let go.".
9IMDB entry: tt0468489 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "prison", "new york city", "sports", "date".

The technical file

Cinematography: Andrij Parekh
Original score: Kevin Drew
Editing: Anna Boden
Production design: Beth Mickle
Costume design: Erin Benach
Makeup / hair: Sabrina Alston
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $700,000
Box office: $4,911,725
Return: 702% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Half Nelson (2006)

Awards

Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Ryan Fleck

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-05-18
★ 7/10
Ryan Gosling is on very natural form here as the teacher "Dan" who has a bit of a drug habit after school. He's a good teacher. Well liked. A man who gets results from a class of students who would almost all rather be somewhere else, and he coaches the girls' basketball team too. Luckily for him, it's one of his pupils, "Drey" (Shareeka Epps), that discovers him a bit worse for wear in the school toilet and swiftly a friendship develops. It's one of mutual understanding. His life is a mess and she is having to deal with divorced and largely absent parents. Her brother "Mike" is in jail for drug offences, but quickly we learn that it's "Frank" (Anthony Mackie) who's really the culprit there. He tries to take care of the girl, but when the two men meet it's clear that "Dan" thinks" Frank" should leave her alone; he's a bad influence. Needless to say, there are views taken about the appropriateness of their friendship but somehow that just galvanises them into trying to help each other. For "Dan", to perhaps stop treating the women in his life like dirt; and for "Drey" to have the confidence to grab life by the throat. It's a slowly paced look at human nature this film and there's quite a degree of chemistry between the charismatic Gosling and the Epps. They are walking a tightrope that puts his career at risk and she is at a junction in her life where choices will map her future. Mackie only features sparingly but again, his character is a little more sophisticated than your usual drug dealer. "Frank" does appear to care for his charge and seems prepared to engage with "Dan", up to a point, to help the girl choose a better life. Is there room for optimism or is it all a fait accompli? Plenty of plausible emotions on display here.

Production companies