‘Front of the Class’: A Triumph Over Tourette Syndrome

The young man in this film never becomes a victim of his disability, but the victor.

"A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière," 1887, by Andre Brouillet, depicts French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot's intern, Georges Gilles de la Tourette (seated in first row, wearing apron). Charcot named Tourette Syndrome after his assistant. The TV movie, “Front of the Class,” brings Tourette Syndrome into the modern day.

PG | 1h 35min | Drama | 2008

Neurodevelopmental disorder Tourette syndrome, involves sudden, involuntary jerks or noises called tics, ranging from the merely distracting to the severely disruptive or disabling. Diagnosed with Tourette syndrome as a child, Missouri-born Brad Cohen overcame stiff odds to become an inspiring (and inspired) schoolteacher. Peter Werner’s docudrama draws on Cohen’s book about his troubled but triumphant journey.