2006 – Half Nelson

Directed by: Ryan Fleck
Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Produced by: Jamie Patricof, Alex Orlovsky, Lynette Howell
Production year: 2006
Original release: January 23, 2006
Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Other cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Nathan Corbett

Misc: IMDB | Amazon | iTunes

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a history teacher at a Brooklyn school. Though well-liked by his students and colleagues, he secretly spends his evenings hopping bars and getting high. A female student named Drey (Shareeka Epps) catches him in a drug-induced haze after a basketball game, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. As Dan struggles with his addiction, he tries to act as a mentor to the girl, whose brother is serving time for dealing drugs.