Hallmark Hall of Fame's Acclaimed Front of the Class Earns Special Encore Presentation Slot Saturday, Feb. 6 on CBS
Patricia Heaton, Treat Williams, Jimmy Wolk Star in Moving Portrait of a Young Man Who Triumphs Over Adversity
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2010) — Front of the Class, hailed by critics as “inspirational,” “impeccable” and “remarkable” when it was first broadcast in December 2008, becomes the 239th presentation of the Hallmark Hall of Fame when it airs again on CBS Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT.
Front of the Class is inspired by the true story of Brad Cohen, a young man diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome who overcomes considerable odds to become a gifted teacher. Adult Brad is played by Jimmy Wolk; Dominic Scott Kay plays young Brad. The Hollywood Reporter saluted the actors’ “brilliant, convincing and consistent portrayals,” which the Reporter said “are absolutely key to the film’s success.” USA Today applauded “a moving, convincing star turn by the [then] virtually unknown Jimmy Wolk.”
Brad’s parents are played by Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle) and Treat Williams (Everwood).
When Brad was growing up, teachers and other adults – even his father – interpreted Brad’s involuntary sounds and physical tics as attempts to get attention. He was teased by other kids. As a result, he hated school, until a principal recognized and acknowledged that Brad’s “acting up” was actually Tourette’s.
Brad decided at that point he wanted to become the teacher he never had. But even with his impressive college record and glowing recommendations, getting a job proved almost impossible. He was turned down in 24 consecutive interviews. His 25th interview finally yielded a job offer.
Brad’s openness about Tourette’s, as well as his easy-going manner and gentle humor, quickly won over his students. In addition to the traditional curriculum, the students learned valuable lessons in understanding and tolerance. At the end of the year Brad was named Georgia’s outstanding first-year teacher.
Brad Cohen’s story is inspiring, to say the least. Interviewed on the film’s set in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cohen said an early life-lesson was that “you gotta have perseverance to get through the tough times. You can’t sit around making excuses every day.”
Cohen continued, “Everybody has an obstacle in their life that they have to overcome. I had Tourette Syndrome. [But] I didn’t want Tourette’s to win and it was that battle between Tourette’s winning or me winning, and my attitude was, `I’m gonna win. I’m gonna do this.’”
Brian Lowry, writing in Daily Variety, described Front of the Class as “inspirational in all the right ways.” He went on to note, “In its previous `Hall of Fame’ installments, Hallmark has a commendable history of exploring disabilities. But this movie is [especially] notable.”
Oscar winner Peter Werner (who went on to helm Hallmark Hall of Fame’s well-received A Dog Named Christmas) directed from a script by Tom Rickman (Tuesdays with Morrie). Andrew Gottlieb (A Dog Named Christmas) is the producer; Brent Shields (The Magic of Ordinary Days) and Tim Shriver (Amistad) are the executive producers. It is based on the book Front of the Class by Brad Cohen, with Lisa Wysocky, and is from Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, Inc.