He was quiet, different, and always ignored like he didn’t exist. But what others saw as weakness was actually hiding something powerful. When he finally discovers his true abilities, everything changes and the ones who ignored him? They’re the ones watching now.

‘SPOILER ALERT’

A boy named Brad arrives at school and gets bullied by some of his schoolmates, who laugh at him for always making weird noises. A teacher eventually separates the kids before they start fighting, and Brad heads to his class. Shortly after, Brad starts feeling uncomfortable and moves his head strangely until he makes a weird noise.

As everyone hears this, the teacher looks at him angrily because she thinks he’s intentionally trying to disrupt the class. After school, Brad heads home on his bike and continues making weird noises on the way. Interestingly, it turns out that despite the seriousness of Brad’s condition, his family’s doctors believe he’s only making funny noises to get attention.

They also believe it’s a phase, and that he’ll eventually become normal when he’s older. Many years later, Brad is now much older, and he has recently moved to Georgia. Unfortunately, he still experiences his tics, and people always stare at him because they don’t understand what’s wrong with him.

After Brad leaves a gas station, he begins his trip to the Board of Education, where he plans to submit an application for the role of a teacher in Georgia. On the way, he gets pulled over by a cop for speeding slightly above the normal limit. As the cop checks his papers, Brad’s tics get triggered, and he’s unable to do anything about it.

The cop then asks if he has been drinking, but Brad explains that he has Tourette’s Syndrome. After the cop gives him a paper to sign, he asks what job Brad is hoping to find in Georgia since he just moved there. Brad says he wants to be a teacher, and this leaves the cop shocked as he wonders how he’ll be able to teach kids with his condition.

Brad notices the cop looking at him strangely, but he already seems used to it and tells himself that he won’t let anyone discourage him from being a teacher. Shortly after, Brad gets to the Board of Education office and meets a recruiter who takes a look at his credentials. The recruiter seems impressed with his CV, but she can’t help but look at him strangely every time he makes weird noises.

Brad eventually brings it up, but the woman says she would rather not talk about his condition because the law prevents her from asking questions about it. Brad says it’s fine, and that he likes to talk about it with people just like he does with the students in his previous classes. He adds that he always tells his students that his condition is a neurological disorder.

The woman asks how they react, and Brad mentions that as soon as the kids understand it, they’re usually fine with it. He also mentions that his condition has never caused a problem for him in class. As the woman thinks about what to do, Brad tells her that all he wants is a chance. He adds that if she can get him the interviews he needs, he’ll prove to the schools that he has what it takes to be a good teacher. After looking at him for a while, the woman eventually accepts his application and agrees to get him some interviews.

Shortly after, Brad heads home and meets his roommate, Ron, who asks how things went at the Board of Education. Brad initially jokes that they didn’t consider him because of his condition, but Ron figures out that he’s lying, and he looks happy that his friend might get his dream job soon. He then suggests going out to celebrate, but Brad says he’ll stay at home instead.

Ron decides to go out alone, but before he leaves, he tells Brad that his dad, Norman, called when he wasn’t around. As Ron tells Brad to call his dad back, he doesn’t seem interested in doing this, and he eventually decides against it. He then remembers a time from the past when he and his brother, Jeff, got home to meet Norman as he was leaving for a trip.

At the time, Norman and Brad’s mom, Ellen, had just gotten divorced, and he came over to check on the kids. When Brad and Jeff arrive at the house, Norman tells the kids not to disturb their mom or make things hard for her. As Brad starts experiencing his tics, Norman gets pissed and tells him to stop making weird noises.

Brad says he can’t control it, but Norman insists that he needs to try harder to control himself. Brad looks sad to hear this, and as Norman eventually leaves, he thinks about what his dad told him. Days later, Brad and Jeff start helping Ellen out at her fashion store. Most of the customers don’t understand what’s wrong with Brad, and they believe he’s just a weird kid. One of them even tells Ellen to consider taking him to an exorcist, but she doesn’t appreciate this suggestion.

After a while, Ellen takes Brad to see another doctor. During their session, the doctor keeps asking Brad about his parents’ divorce and how it’s likely affecting him. Brad says he’s not worried about it, but the doctor continues trying to get him to admit it. After the session ends, the doctor tells Ellen that Brad has some serious denial issues regarding the divorce. He adds that what Brad needs are some clear boundaries to make him understand that his behavior is unacceptable.

Brad looks disappointed to hear this, and he also seems sad because he believes his condition is only making Ellen worried. Few days later, Norman comes to town and watches Brad play in a baseball game. After the game, Norman says he has something important to tell the kids. As he tries to get them to sit down quietly, Brad’s tics start disturbing him again, and Norman shouts at him in public to stop acting out. Everyone in the area looks shocked by this, and Norman walks away to his car.

On their way home, Brad asks what Norman wanted to tell them, and he mentions that he just met someone named Diane who could be their stepmom soon. As Norman tells them about Diane, Brad struggles to sit still, and as he starts making weird noises again, his dad gets pissed and aggressively grabs his leg to stop. Brad feels sad about this because his dad doesn’t believe that he can’t control the tics.

The next day at school, Brad’s tics disturb the class while they’re taking a test. The teacher doesn’t look happy about this, and she calls Brad to the front of the class. She then accuses him of trying to be the class clown.

She also tells him to say sorry to his classmates and promise never to disturb them again with his noises. Brad does just this, but as he returns to his seat, his tics get triggered again, and the teacher looks pissed. Ellen is eventually called to the school, and the principal tells her that they can no longer tolerate Brad’s behavior. Brad says he can’t help it, and Ellen also tells the principal that it’s not her son’s fault. However, the principal doesn’t believe her, and he insists that Ellen is making up excuses for her son.

After they leave the school, Brad says he doesn’t want to go back there again. Ellen then takes him to a library to find answers. Brad begs her to let him stay outside because he doesn’t want to be thrown out, and Ellen agrees. After spending a few hours in the library, Ellen gets some books related to Brad’s condition. Later that night, Ellen starts reading the books, and Brad tells her that he’s sorry for causing her so much trouble.

Ellen tells him not to think like that, and she also shows him that the name of his condition is Tourette Syndrome. The next day, Ellen takes Brad to meet a doctor, who agrees that Brad’s noises and twitches can be linked to Tourette Syndrome. He says he’ll still have to do some more tests because he has never seen a real case of Tourette’s.

Ellen then asks if the condition can be cured, but the doctor says it can’t. Ellen cries as she hears this, but Brad hugs her and says that they’ll get through it together. Later that night, Brad calls Norman to tell him about his diagnosis. Norman doesn’t know what to say, but Brad mentions that he just wanted his dad to know that he wasn’t making weird noises intentionally.

After the call ends, Norman looks sad and regrets the way he has always treated Brad. Days later, Ellen takes Brad to a support group for people who have Tourette Syndrome. Even though Brad doesn’t seem interested in this, Ellen says he might learn how to control the condition from those who have had it for a long time.

They eventually go to the support group meeting, and Brad realizes that adults with his condition usually stay at home because of the stigma. Ellen also talks to one of the parents at the meeting, who tells her to homeschool Brad instead of making him go to a normal school. After a while, Ellen leaves the meeting with Brad, and she apologizes for bringing him there because none of the support group members seem ready to embrace their condition.

Brad also says that the people at the meeting let their Tourette Syndrome win, but he won’t let that happen. Back in the present day, Brad gets called for three interviews and looks excited because he’ll get the chance to show what he can do. At the first school, the principal looks at him strangely during the interview, and Brad is forced to talk about his Tourette Syndrome.

The interview ends up being unsuccessful, and Brad heads to the next place. He talks about his condition before anything else, but he still gets rejected. At the third school, Brad doesn’t talk about his condition, and as the principal looks confused and doesn’t know what’s wrong with him, the interview ends with yet another rejection.

That night, Brad complains to Ron about how the interviews went. Ron then suggests cheering him up by going to a club where he plans to meet his girlfriend. Ron says that his girlfriend’s roommate will also be there, and that it might be a chance for Brad to date someone. Brad says he’s not interested, but Ron eventually forces him to leave the apartment. At the club, Brad enjoys talking to his date, and she also seems amazed by how he’s so positive about his condition even though people always stare at him.

Much later, the date ends, and Ron asks if Brad will be going on a second one. Brad says he’s not going because he’s not sure the second date will be better than the first. Ron sounds disappointed to hear this, but they eventually head home together.

The next day, while Brad is waiting to be called for more interviews, his dad calls him instead. When he answers the phone, Brad says he didn’t call Norman back the other day because he was busy. Norman then invites Brad to come to his workplace so they can have lunch together.

Brad doesn’t seem interested in this, but he accepts the offer and heads to the construction site where Norman works. When they meet, Norman asks Brad about his interviews, and he complains about how they went. He says he’s still optimistic that better offers will come, and Norman asks if he has enough money with him.

Brad says he’s fine, but Norman mentions that he’s just worried because his son never asks him for anything. He adds that if the job hunt doesn’t work out, Brad can always come to the construction site to get a job. Brad doesn’t sound pleased that his dad believes he can’t get a teaching job because of his condition, but he still mentions that he’s sure he’ll become a teacher one day.

Brad then remembers a time in middle school when he kept interrupting the class with his tics. The teacher eventually sends him out to go to the principal’s office. When Brad meets the principal, he apologizes and says that he didn’t mean to interrupt the class.

The principal doesn’t seem bothered by this, and he says that a school is a place where people should be educated. He then invites Brad to the school’s orchestra performance later that day. Brad says he’ll disturb the event with his noises, but the principal insists that he wants him to be there.

During the event, Brad’s tics keep interrupting the musical performance, and everyone stares at him strangely. After the show ends, the principal calls Brad on stage and tells everyone that he’s sure they heard his weird noises while the musical performance was going on. As he then asks about Brad’s condition, Brad takes the time to talk about it, and he also mentions that there’s no cure for it.

The principal asks what he and everyone at the school can do to help him, and Brad says he just wants to be treated like a normal person. The teachers and students feel sorry for him, and as he returns to his seat, they all start clapping for him. Brad is amazed by this, and he looks happy about what the principal did for him.

Back in the present day, Brad heads to another school for an interview. Interestingly, the principal at the school doesn’t seem to think Brad can teach with his condition. He mentions that the students will laugh at him, but Brad says he’s sure he can still get the job done.

The principal eventually mentions that he’ll only give Brad the job if he agrees not to make weird noises in the classroom. Brad sounds disgusted to hear this, and he says he can’t work for someone like that. As he leaves and enters his car, Brad feels sad about how the interview went, and he also cries in the process.

When he eventually gets home, he calls Ellen and complains about the way the principal talked to him. As he sounds frustrated and starts to lose hope, Ellen reminds him that he can’t let the Tourette Syndrome win. Brad gets encouraged and creates a list of schools that haven’t called him yet for an interview.

He then begins sending out his CV to those schools, with the hope that he’d get an interview before the school session starts. He also goes to Norman’s workplace and gets a part-time job there. Norman says he can stay for as long as he wants, but Brad insists that he’s only there for a short time before he gets his teaching job.

Days later, Diane visits Brad, and while they’re talking, she mentions that Norman loves him. Brad doesn’t believe this, and he says that he thinks his dad wants him to be a normal son who does normal things. Diane says that Norman doesn’t see him that way, but she agrees that Brad is not normal.

She adds that she believes he has a gift to teach, not in spite of his condition, but because of it. The next day, Brad gets an interview from a school called Mountain View Elementary School. He eventually heads over there for his interview and meets the principal, Jim, and his assistant, Hilarie.

During the interview, Brad is asked several questions about why he loves to teach. He answers the questions very well and mentions that he aspires to be like the teacher he never had. When he’s asked what this means, Brad says he wants to be a teacher who makes it possible for his students to learn even if they’re different.

Brad adds that the best teacher he has ever had was his Tourette’s. He also talks about how he’s always open with his students about his condition so they can understand that he’s a normal teacher. The interview lasts nearly two hours, and as he leaves, Brad looks optimistic because of how well it went.

Days later, he’s called back to the school to meet with the second-grade teachers. He’s then asked several questions about his approach to teaching. Brad answers the questions well, but his tics keep interrupting him, and one of the teachers, Brenda, asks how he’ll teach the kids if he keeps making weird noises.

Even though another teacher scolds Brenda for asking such a question, Brad says he doesn’t mind talking about it. He adds that when his students understand why he makes weird noises, they’ll realize that he’s just a normal teacher. After the second interview, Brad feels less optimistic because of Brenda’s concerns, but he remains hopeful. Days later, Norman asks if the school hasn’t called back, but Brad says they haven’t. Norman says it’s fine, but Brad believes his dad sounded as if he didn’t think he could get the job.

Norman tries to explain himself, but Brad quits his job at the construction site and leaves. The next day, Jeff visits Brad, and he looks happy to see his brother. They eventually head to a golf club to play golf and spend more time together. While they’re there, Brad’s tics keep disturbing the other members, and the club’s manager tells Brad to leave. Jeff doesn’t get this, but Brad explains his condition to the manager.

Some of the club’s members agree to let Brad stay, but as he keeps making weird noises, the manager tells him to leave before he calls security. On their way out, Jeff sounds pissed about what happened, but Brad says he’s already used to it. The next day, Jim calls Brad to come to his school to see him.

As he gets there, Jim says that he and Hilarie have agreed to give Brad the job because they want to teach their students never to let anything hold them back. Brad is excited about this, and he’s taken to a new class where he’ll teach some new second graders. Later that day, he calls Ellen to tell her the good news, and she sounds very happy for him.

She asks if he has told his dad, but he says he’ll do that later. Brad then says that since he has a job, he’s thinking of working toward getting his master’s degree. Ellen tells him to take things slowly, and he says he’ll do that. After the call ends, Brad checks a dating website on his computer and seems attracted to a girl named Nancy, whose profile appears on the screen.

The next day, Brad invites Nancy to go out with him, and they meet at a restaurant. Interestingly, Nancy doesn’t seem to care about Brad’s condition, and she enjoys talking to him. After they leave the restaurant, they talk about their taste in music and realize that they have the same favorite artist.

They both look happy about this, and Nancy says she had a great time with him. The next day, Ron asks Brad about his date, and he says it went well. He then asks if Brad has asked Nancy out on another date, but he says he hasn’t. Ron doesn’t get why he never asks girls out on a second date, and he says that Brad will need to start doing that if he wants a relationship.

Later that night, Nancy sends Brad a message about their favorite artist, and he realizes that he really likes her. The next day, Brad begins his first day at work and welcomes the new students to his class. He then tells them to ask him anything they want about his condition. Two girls, Heather and Amanda, seem more interested in the topic than the rest of the class, and Brad answers their questions well. He also cautions a boy named Thomas, who sounds rude toward a fellow classmate.

After school ends for the day, the students seem happy to be in Brad’s class, and they say goodbye to him as they leave with their parents. Brad also gets Thomas to stop fighting another student. Brenda sees this and says that she’s sorry for sending Thomas to his class.

She adds that Thomas has ADD, ADHD and OCD, and that he was always causing problems in her class. She also suggests that Brad pass him on to the Special Education class. Brad says he won’t do that because he believes he can help Thomas.

As his tics interrupt his conversation with Brenda, Amanda’s dad sees him and looks concerned. A while later, Brad spends more time with Nancy, and they seem to enjoy each other’s company. The next day, as Brad gets to school, Heather shows him a carrot and asks if she can give it to the class rabbit.

Brad says she can, and Heather looks happy about this. As Brad enters the school, he sees Amanda in the principal’s office and realizes that her dad has requested for her to be taken to another class because he wants his daughter to have a normal teacher. Brad wonders why Amanda’s father couldn’t give him a chance to prove that he’s normal, but Hilarie tells him not to think too much about it.

The next day, Brad begins teaching the kids about geography in an interesting way. After school ends for the day, Heather compliments Brad’s hat, and he also mentions that he likes her hair. Heather then tells him that her hair is short because of her medicine.

As Brad wonders what she means, Heather’s mom comes over to tell him that her daughter has cancer. Brad looks shocked and asks if Heather will be fine, but Heather’s mom just mentions that her daughter is always happy to come to school because of her new teacher. She adds that she wants Brad to keep Heather’s condition a secret for a little longer so that she won’t be singled out.

Brad says he’ll do that, but he looks sad about Heather’s condition. The next day, Brad meets Nancy again and tells her that he’s ready to go for his master’s degree. He adds that he’ll have to write a graduate entrance examination first, and Nancy seems concerned that he’ll have to do it in a class filled with people.

Brad then mentions that the exam center has told him that he can take the test in a separate room. Days later, Brad goes to the exam center but is informed that no special consideration will be given to him. Brad gets frustrated because they had previously agreed to get him a private class for the exam.

He eventually calls his dad about the situation, and Norman threatens the exam center with a lawsuit. With this, Brad is allowed to take the test in a separate class, and he thanks his dad for helping him. Unfortunately, Brad’s tics don’t make it easy for him to concentrate, and he’s unable to answer all the questions.

The next day, Brad sees Amanda standing in front of his classroom. As he then goes to meet her, she asks why she can’t be in his class. Brad says that her dad made what he thought was a good decision for her, and that she shouldn’t be worried because she still has a good teacher in her other class. Just then, Brad sees Thomas leaving the classroom without permission. Thomas is eventually caught writing on a door, and Brad scolds him for leaving the classroom.

After they return to the class, Brad tells Thomas to read a book, but he says he hates reading. Brad says he does too, but Thomas doesn’t believe this. Brad then shows Thomas how difficult it is for him to read with his condition. Following this, Thomas feels more open to learning how to read well, and Brad teaches him. A few days later, Brad takes Nancy to Ellen’s house for Thanksgiving.

Ellen instantly likes Nancy, and Jeff wonders if his brother’s girlfriend could join the family one day, but Brad says he has not thought about it before. Much later, Brad tells Ellen that he’s scared of hurting Nancy because of his condition. Ellen tells him not to be bothered about that because Nancy told her that he always makes her laugh.

Brad says he’s worried about when he’s no longer able to make her laugh, but Ellen tells him not to think like this. She adds that the only way things won’t end up well for them is if Brad lets the Tourette’s win. The week after Thanksgiving, Heather stops coming to school because her cancer has worsened, and Brad gets all the other students to make beautiful cards for her.

Days later, Heather dies, and Brad stays outside the church during her funeral. Heather’s mom eventually comes outside to call him, but he says that he doesn’t want to disturb everyone. Heather’s mom says she doesn’t mind, and that she would love Heather’s best teacher to be in the church to say goodbye to her.

Following this, Brad enters the church with Heather’s mom and also meets her dad. Days later, an observer comes to the school to watch Brad’s class and observe the way he teaches the students. The next day, Brad takes Nancy to meet his dad, who likes how calm she is.

Norman then asks Brad how things are at the school, and he says that they currently have roof leaks, a shortage of bookshelves, and some other issues, which makes him think his contract might not be renewed for another year. Norman says he’s proud of his son regardless of whatever happens, but Brad doesn’t believe this. He then accuses his dad of still being embarrassed by him.

Norman confesses that it’s not easy being with Brad, but he says he just feels helpless because he doesn’t have a way to fix his son’s condition. Brad says it doesn’t need fixing, and Norman says he knows. He then takes responsibility for how things have always been between them. The next day, Norman brings some shelves to the school, and Brad looks happy about this. He also introduces his students to his dad, and they say hello to him.

The next day, Hilarie announces that Brad has been chosen to be the Teacher of the Year in Georgia. Brad looks shocked by this, but his students stand up to applaud him. Days later, Brad attends an event to accept his award.

During his acceptance speech, he thanks his family, his school family, his students, and his friends for always supporting him. He also thanks his Tourette’s for being his best teacher. As he talks about what he learned from his disability, his students raise their hands and mention a few things to add to his points. Brad then says that the most valuable lesson he learned from his Tourette’s is to never let anything stop him from chasing his dream. Following this, everyone claps for Brad, and he looks happy as he lifts his award.

Even though Brad never had teachers who were tolerant enough to understand his condition, he still strived to become a better teacher for his students. It wasn’t an easy journey for him, but after getting the job at Mountain View Elementary School, he showed his doubters that he was a really good teacher. As Brad said in his speech, it is always important to know that regardless of your condition or status, you should never let anything stop you from chasing your dreams.

Front Of The Class 2008.