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The George McKenna Story

Play trailer Poster for The George McKenna Story 1986 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
George McKenna (Denzel Washington) confronts a career-defining moment when he accepts a job as principal of a tough, inner city Los Angeles high school. Facing an apathetic student body and indifferent teachers and parents, McKenna, with help from dedicated educator Bobbie Maxwell (Lynn Whitfield), transforms the school from a gang-ridden war zone into a stepping-stone for higher education, and in the process gains the hard-won respect of the community and school administrators.
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The George McKenna Story

Critics Reviews

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Pablo Villaça Cinema em Cena 07/15/2006
2/5
Em seu ltimo papel numa produo feita para a televiso, Washington demonstra carisma e intensidade, mas a montagem amadora, a trilha insuportvel e o roteiro repleto de clichs anulam seus esforos. Go to Full Review Christopher Null Filmcritic.com 05/06/2002
2/5
Stand and Deliver still stands (no pun intended) as the only worthwhile entry into this genre, sad to say. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mary S 09/24/2024 These are not real kids and confrontations. The real battleground is much more insidious and soul-crushing. See more Steve D 03/05/2023 Denzel is the only reason it works. The script is weak and the most of the cast can't act. but Washington somehow makes the stilted dialog come to life. See more 01/24/2021 This early Denzel biopic had a strong and important message and theme, however the production value, performances, dialogue, and overall execution felt dated, cliche, and usually severely lacking. This often looked more like a made for TV movie and I wouldn't be surprised if it premiered as such. Aside from the inspiring message, a young Denzel Washington was easily the most memorable aspect of this movie, putting in such a confidently intense performance as the title character fighting immense odds. Herbie Hancock definitely deserves a shout out for the score here too. See more 06/23/2019 Ultimately what seems hopeless is not. Who could have foreseen the dangers in our schools today. See more 10/10/2016 Great film seen it back in high school and still think it's a good movie See more 05/09/2016 A generic "tough principal turns around a failing and tumultuous high school" movie shows us an early glimpse of the great Denzel Washington. See more Read all reviews
The George McKenna Story

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Cast & Crew

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Eric Laneuville

Director

Denzel Washington

George McKenna

Lynn Whitfield

Bobbie Maxwell

Akosua Busia

Cynthia Byers

Richard Masur

Ben Proctor

Ray Buktenica

Alan Keith
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The George McKenna Story

The George McKenna Story (1986) The George McKenna Story (1986) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis George McKenna (Denzel Washington) confronts a career-defining moment when he accepts a job as principal of a tough, inner city Los Angeles high school. Facing an apathetic student body and indifferent teachers and parents, McKenna, with help from dedicated educator Bobbie Maxwell (Lynn Whitfield), transforms the school from a gang-ridden war zone into a stepping-stone for higher education, and in the process gains the hard-won respect of the community and school administrators.
Director
Eric Laneuville
Producer
Linda Otto
Screenwriter
Charles Eric Johnson
Production Co
Landsburg Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 17, 2017
Runtime
1h 34m
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