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Released
2006 · FILM

Half Nelson

A dedicated junior‑high teacher battles a hidden drug addiction while trying to inspire his students, but when a bright pupil uncovers his secret, their fragile bond forces both to confront the line between self‑destruction and redemption.

“Secrets don't let go”

Directed by
Ryan Fleck, Nicholas R Bell
Written by
Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Rated
MPA · R
Runtime
106 min
Drama

Synopsis

Dan Dunne is a dedicated teacher who cares deeply for his junior-high students, though he also struggles with a hidden addiction that remains unknown to most of them. His life takes a significant turn when one of his students, Drey, uncovers the truth about his secret life, leading to a fragile relationship between the two that has the potential to either spiral into disaster or become a source of hope.

Credits

Actors
Editor
Production Designer
Director of Photography
Writers
Directors

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How many hands made this film

The scale of the collaboration

A crew of 155+ credited

Why a floor?

This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.

Craft leads on file

Edited by Anna BodenShot by Andrij ParekhScored by Broken Social SceneDesigned by Beth MickleSound by Tom EfingerCostumes by Erin Benach

Box Office

2006 · Box office

💰 Box-office hit — grossed 7.0× its budget

Why 2.5×?

Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).

Worldwide gross

$4.9M

Budget$700K
Worldwide gross$4.9M
break-even (2.5×)

Opening week (7-day): $91K

Peak 2 theaters

Also known as

  • (English)Half Nelson
  • (French)Half Nelson
  • (Bulgarian)Наполовина Нелсън - мъртва хватка
Release dates around the world2 countries · show
  • United StatesJan 23, 2006
  • SwitzerlandAug 3, 2006

Companies

ProductionHunting Lane Films, Journeyman Pictures, Silverwood Films, Truly Original, Traction Media
DistributionTHINKFilm, Eagle Films, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, StudioCanal International, A-Film Distribution
Other companiesStudioCanal International, Apt. 5 Cosmetics, Artists Public Domain, Axium International, Bedell Cellars, Black Radiance Cosmetics

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