Don't suppose School of Rock counts? :)

www.schoolofrockmovie.com/

How about Mad Hot Ballroom?

there's a movie i just saw called "fresh" i think it was on sundance or IFC. a drug dealing kid uses chess as a way to strategize and survive. samuel l jackson is in it.

Depending on how old the students are, "Être et avoir" ("To Be and to Have") is a fantastic French documentary about a one-room schoolhouse in Auvergne where rural children (ages 4-11) overcome personal difficulties (family problems, death, confidence issues) through the help of their loving teacher.

Anyways, the film is probably more appropriate for high-school students or older, as it's more likely to inspire teachers than students. Probably not much help, I know, but it was the only one I could think of.

Fame! I wanna live forever! I wanna learn how to fly! (High!)

Thank you for all of your ideas. Right now I am specifically looking for films that show how young lives can be turned around by participation in the arts. Chess might work too - I just want to put together a collection to underscore that test preparation

So far, I have The Chorus, Sister Act?, Karate Kid, Mad Hot Ballroom, Fame, Rize, School of Rock seems like a great one too, judging from the trailer. Keep 'em coming.

OT: Our Town - A Teach for America volunteer directs a South Central LA high school class in a production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Awesome.

Just as i'm about to post a note bemoaning the narcissistic and self-aggradizing nature of andreaharner.com, i come across this inspiring string. I guess even under-employed, over-supported yuppy hipster wanna-be's can add social value.

Try a movie called Drylongso, which was at Sundance in '99 about kids in San Francisco, I think, who turn an abandoned lot into an art project and then transform their own lives in the process. it too perfectly matches your inquiry. good luck finding it though....

The award winning "Born into Brothels" is a fantastically inspiring documentary that shows how one woman teaching kids about photography can lead them out of the brothels, especially for one young boy with an incredible eye!

the Beeb has a page that could be of interest http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/

Billy Elliot! A wonderful British film about a boy from a mining family who wants to dance ballet.

Rikers High

Hi, about "etre et avoir", I think if Andrea sees it, she will freak out. One typically french professor keeps talking to students. he wants to solve all the problems by talking and thinking. woo.... i felt jumping out of the room (it reminds me of french-style professor i had). forget about that movie.

But, i think what Andrea is looking for can be found in french movies. they usually like have this sort of movies.

Consider this: film called "Les Choristes".

MOVIE: one school for boys (where boys live also there) located in snow-mountain part of France. Those boys are so naughty and they might hurt the supervisor by their tricks (put glass under door, etc). A new director comes who is a veteran music professor. He establishes a Chorus for the boys! It makes a big change, in their attitude.

This movie, is fun to watch if u like music and choruses.

Cheer up!

karate Kid.

over. I win.

How about Milo and Otis? Animal movie about a dog trying to rescue a cat..

Oh My god two perfect movies I can think of are Mr. Holland’s opus one of my favorite movies of all time about nothing but music and goes through different generation of kids he has helped. Also Music of the heart is good. I am surprised no one mentioned these movies.

Here are the plot of both movies

Mr. Holland's Opus
A frustrated composer finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher.

Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a musician and composer who takes a teaching job to pay the rent while, in his 'spare time', he can strive to achieve his true goal - compose one memorable piece of music to leave his mark on the world. As Holland discovers 'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans' and as the years unfold the joy of sharing his contagious passion for music with his students becomes his new definition of success.

Music Of the heart

The true story of a young teacher who fights against the board of education in her bid to teach underprivileged kids in a Harlem school the beauty of music through the violin. In her struggle she loses everything as the system comes down on her with all their might but her determination for the kids happiness helps her to battle back with wonderfully inspirational results.

also try this link for a teachers guide:

http://www.mediarights.org/tour/educator

Wooden Camera a South African Film