By Patrick Luce Jul 29, 2006, 15:30 GMT
The soundtrack to THINKFilm’s new release ‘Half Nelson’ is set for an August 8th release with a suggested retail price of $18.98, and featuring the music of Broken Social Scene. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, and Shareeka Epps. It hits theatres in NY on August 11th, and then select theatres nationwide beginning August 25th.
Broken Social Scene began in 1999, born of a theme that has become the stalwart of the band’s existence: friends in tough times. Feel Good Lost was an elegant debut developed by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning while cocooned in a basement all winter. Over the next year, BSS grew into a far more expansive live band.
They were a mix of cagey vets and wide-eyed kids working on an experimental side-project. In October 2002, they released the critically acclaimed You Forgot it in People. The next two and half years were spent touring North America, Europe and Japan. In 2005, BSS went back into the studio with Toronto’s wunder-producer Dave Newfeld and recorded their self-titled follow-up to YFIIP. Broken Social Scene is described as a joyously chaotic record and is an apt aural representation of the band’s spirited yet chaotic friendship.
The film follows Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) - a young inner-city junior high school teacher whose ideals wither and die in the face of reality. Day after day in his shabby Brooklyn classroom, he somehow finds the energy to inspire his 13 and 14-year-olds to examine everything from civil rights to the Civil War with a new enthusiasm.
Rejecting the standard curriculum in favor of an edgier approach, Dan teaches his students how change works – on both a historical and personal scale – and how to think for themselves.
Though Dan is brilliant, dynamic, and in control in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. His disappointments and disillusionment have led to a serious drug habit. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey (Shareeka Epps), catches him getting high after school.
From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship. Despite the differences in their ages and situations, they are both at an important intersection. Depending on which way they turn – and which choices they make – their lives will change.
Half Nelson Soundtrack is now available for pre-order at Amazon. Visit the soundtrack database for more information and a complete track listing. Visit the movie database for more information on the film.
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