Before the Blockbusters: Ryan Gosling in ‘Half Nelson’

Ryan Gosling is on everyone’s radar right now, given the recent success of his latest film, Project: Hail Mary. With that success, many fans are revisiting his filmography (which is quite impressive, by the way) and celebrating the work he has accomplished over the years. I want to highlight one particular film within his body of work that has always stood out to me: the 2006 Ryan Fleck independent film Half Nelson.

Half Nelson – A wrestling hold in which one arm is passed under the opponent’s arm from behind to the back of the neck. 

The title says it all. A half nelson is a wrestling hold, one that is difficult, nearly impossible, to escape. And that is exactly the grip that drug addiction has on Dan Dunne played by Ryan Gosling. Half Nelson tells the story of Dan, an inner-city high school teacher living a double life. By day, he is passionate, engaged, and devoted to his students. Outside the classroom, he is slowly unraveling, sustained by little more than his love of teaching. Then there is Drey (Shareeka Epps), his 13-year-old student, who is navigating her own set of pressures. Her brother is in prison for drug dealing, and his former associate, a dealer named Frank (Anthony Mackie), has begun to take Drey under his wing. Two people on precarious paths, moving closer to each other without either realizing it, until one afternoon Drey walks into the school bathroom and discovers exactly who Mr. Dunne is when no one is watching.

His dirty secret is revealed. Drey soon learns her mentor Frank is already familiar with Dunne, for he is a loyal client of his. The two begin to form a friendship that is a mutual understanding of each of their own hardships. The performances in this film are nothing short of mesmerizing.

I have been a fan of Ryan Gosling since The Believer, and Half Nelson only deepened that admiration. His work here is restrained and deeply human, the kind of performance that sneaks up on you. So it was both a surprise and a relief when the Academy took notice, earning him a Best Actor nomination that felt long overdue. He’s since earned more nominations for his roles in La La Land and Best Supporting for Barbie.

Equally impressive is Shareeka Epps as Drey. What makes her performance all the more remarkable is that she had no prior acting experience before being handpicked by director Ryan Fleck and his partner Anna Boden for the role. You would never know it watching her. She brings a quiet, watchful intelligence to Drey that feels completely lived in, and the industry recognized it. Epps took home the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in 2007, a well deserved honor for a debut that most seasoned actors would envy.

The on-screen chemistry between Gosling and Epps is unlike anything I have seen before. It is remarkable how two people from completely different worlds can find such deep common ground, and the film lets that relationship breathe and develop without ever forcing it.

The lighting is flawless, painting each scene with a gritty, lived-in authenticity that suits the story perfectly. Where the film loses me slightly is in its shot selection. The framing is frequently off-center, which in moderation can be a compelling stylistic choice, but there are moments where it pushes so far that it becomes disorienting. There is a scene involving a student with a habit of cheating off his classmates during a test where the shot is framed so ambiguously that it is genuinely difficult to read what is happening on screen. It is a small but recurring frustration in an otherwise masterfully crafted film.

Dunne walks over to the student and slams a piece of paper onto his desk. On first viewing, it is nearly impossible to understand what has just happened. It was only after listening to the director’s commentary that the moment clicked. Fleck reveals that Dunne has taken the test from the girl sitting next to the cheating student and placed it directly on his desk, essentially giving him permission to copy. It is a layered, morally complex beat, but without that context, it lands as pure confusion. A clearer shot would have let the scene speak for itself.

That gripe aside, Half Nelson is a superb film and an absolute must see. If you want to witness what a crack addiction looks like when portrayed with complete honesty and without Hollywood gloss, this is the film. It is one of the most stunning performances of Gosling’s career, and given the strength of that career, that is saying something.

You can check out Half Nelson streaming on Tubi.