Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Man becomes a teacher despite challenges; bullying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Front of the Class
What's the Story?
In FRONT OF THE CLASS, we meet Brad Cohen (James Wolk), a sweet boy who was bullied in childhood, scolded by teachers, and yelled at by his impatient and frustrated dad (Treat Williams). Despite Brad's protests, no one believed that he could not control the noises he made and instead labeled him unruly and disruptive. Ignorant "experts" only made it worse, judging him psychologically traumatized by his parents' divorce. Eventually, owing to his mother's (Patricia Heaton) unflagging efforts and support, he is diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. Brad likes to call Tourette's his "greatest teacher," because it taught him to persevere in the face of an obvious difficulty but also against the barrier mounted by unsupportive naysayers. Most important, the terrible teachers who humiliated Brad inspired him to become the kind of engaging and inspirational teacher he never had.
Is It Any Good?
Front of the Class is uplifting and inspiring. Wolk is winning as a man who refuses to allow his disability to run his life. More than that, his ability to convincingly display the tics and spasms, and voice a variety of noises, immerses the audience completely in Brad's difficult but not impossible world. When his students shout out all the things his Tourette's has taught him, the movie's message is loud and clear: Never let anything stop you from chasing your dream.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way ignorance can cause people to be cruel and exclusionary. How do you think you would feel if you made noises that bothered people but you had no control over them?
Talk about the way Brad's father treated him when he was a little boy. Why do you think the dad lost his temper so often?
Brad's mother did research on her own when none of the doctors could give her answers about why Brad was making noises that he claimed he could not stop. The movie seems to say that doctors are just like the rest of us—sometimes wrong, sometimes uninformed. Do you think sometimes doctors need to collaborate with patients?
What character strengths does Brad demonstrate?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 7, 2008
- Cast : James Wolk , Sarah Drew , Treat Williams , Patricia Heaton
- Director : Peter Werner
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studios : Tubi , Hallmark Channel
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : School
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 16, 2026
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