‘Brave the Dark’ Honors a Real-Life Hero

Inspirational teacher stories never get old.

They still can be cloying, predictable or downright manipulative. The fact-based “Brave the Dark” dodges those pitfalls, mostly thanks to its leading men.

Character actor Jared Harris hits all the right notes as the teacher in question. Young Nicholas Hamilton does the same as the tortured teen, balancing an inner rage with the potential looming just out of reach.

Young Nate Williams (Hamilton) is your prototypical ’80s jock. He’s got the pretty gal on his arm, plenty of unearned attitude and a wobbly moral compass.

He makes it hard for anyone, including the audience, to root for him. One of his school’s teachers, a hopelessly square soul dubbed Mr. D (Harris), sees beyond Nate’s surface.

It’s what Stan Deen does, and it’s why he’s an institution in his Pennsylvania community. A gentle running joke has him being recognized wherever he goes.

Ah, small town life!

Nate’s personal life explains, in part, why he’s a train wreck. His mother died when he was a child, and his grandparents offered little in the way of warmth or love. Heck, they couldn’t wait to cut ties with him.

It’ll take everything in Stan’s heart to turn this lad’s life around, assuming he’s capable of ever doing just that.

Hamilton, who conveys a young Kevin Bacon, delivers in unexpected ways. He’s never a monster, but every time an opportunity arises he can’t wait to swat it away. The actor makes each side of Nate’s character credible.

Stan isn’t ready to give up on him, though. He’s just as stubborn in his own way.

“Brave the Dark” isn’t revelatory about the power of redemption or the challenges met along the way. It’s a sturdy tale that speaks to our better angels. And that’s more than enough.

Stan seems almost too good to be true, but Harris gives him a sadness just below the surface. Stan cared for his sickly ma for years, and that effort took its toll. He’s self aware enough to accept the love of his students while realizing they think he’s hopelessly square.

And he is.

Harris’ performance is a thing of quiet beauty, full of gentle asides that enhance the screenplay. Stan is learning on the fly how to care for a deeply disturbed teenager, a journey that gives the film its dramatic heft.

FAST FACT: The real Nate Deen, who co-wrote the screenplay, says Harris wore some of the real Stan Deen’s ties and glasses in the film.

Harris consistently delivers on screen, but he had an extra incentive for “Brave the Dark.” The film’s director and co-writer is Damian Harris, the veteran actor’s younger brother. Another sibling, Jamie Harris, also appears as Nate’s probation officer.

Nate’s arc isn’t neat and tidy, nor do we get speeches about Life Lessons or A Greater Purpose. The Angel Studios production is light on the spiritual realm.

That screenplay shares glimpses of Nate’s horrific past, waiting until just the right moment for the full reveal. That may seem manipulative on the surface but it plays out powerfully on screen. We’d still love to see more of Stan’s past, and his bond with a fellow teacher feels undernourished.

Nate questions Stan about his endless supply of support. It’s a question that lingers over the film, and at times it feels like it deserves a richer exploration.

That might be our inner cynic talking. Sometimes good people are just … good. The true-life tale of Stan and Nate offers one such example, and the film capturing their bond proves worthy of it.

HiT or Miss: “Brave the Dark” offers an absorbing look at a young man on the brink of disaster.

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