That's What I Am is a drama film starring Ed Harris

Ed Harris

Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...

 and Chase Ellison

Chase Ellison

Chase Ellison is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Mysterious Skin and Tooth Fairy.-Life and career:...

. The film is directed by Michael Pavone

Michael Pavone

Michael Pavone was the Executive Vice President of WWE Studios with WWE before his departure from the company in August 2011.-Television Writer:...

. Its release date was April 29, 2011 in limited release, having been released on DVD about four weeks later.

Plot

Set in California against the backdrop of the mid-sixties, That's What I Am is a coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol (Chase Ellison), a bright student who, like most kids his age, will do anything to avoid conflict for fear of suffering overwhelming ridicule and punishment from his junior high school peers. Everyone's favorite teacher, Mr. Simon (Ed Harris), pairs Andy with the school's biggest outcast and social pariah, Stanley aka "Big G" (Alexander Walters), on a critical school project. Sporting thick orange hair, a head too big for his body and ears too big for his head, "Big G" has been the object of ridicule since grade school. Before long, Andy will learn that there was truly a method behind Mr. Simon's madness as to why he teamed these two up. After a dramatic incident in the schoolyard, teachers and parents rethink their roles in school and society. Principal Kelner (Amy Madigan) suspends a school bully for brutally beating up a female classmate. The vindictive father of the bully makes Mr. Simon the target of a malicious rumor about his sexuality, causing Mr. Simon to question his calling as an educator and mentor to his students. When Andy watches "Big G" fearlessly confront the school bully about the incident, a series of events are triggered. Much to Andy's surprise, he learns that "Big G" is a brilliant, kind, tolerant human being, who has more dignity than anyone Andy has ever encountered. Big G personifies Mr. Simon's four word answer on how to obtain world peace.

Cast

• Mr. Simon - Ed Harris
  Ed Harris
  Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
  
  
• Mrs. Nichol - Molly Parker
  Molly Parker
  Molly Parker is a Canadian actress, notable for her roles in Canadian and American independent films and the HBO television series Deadwood.Parker won a Genie Award in 1997 as Best Actress in a Leading Role for Kissed...
  
  
• Principal Kelner - Amy Madigan
  Amy Madigan
  Amy Marie Madigan is an American actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film Field of Dreams and Iris Crowe in the HBO television series Carnivale...
  
  
• Andy Nichol - Chase Ellison
  Chase Ellison
  Chase Ellison is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Mysterious Skin and Tooth Fairy.-Life and career:...
  
  
• Ed Freel - Randy Orton
  Randy Orton
  Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
  
  
• Mr. Nichol - Daniel Roebuck
  Daniel Roebuck
  Daniel James Roebuck is an American television film actor, writer and producer, primarily in films, soap operas and television.-Life and career:...
  
  
• Mary Clear - Mia Rose Frampton
  Mia Rose Frampton
  Mia Rose Frampton , also known as Mia Frampton, is an American actress. She is mostly known for her role as Becca Keeler, the younger sister of Payson Keeler, in the ABC Family teen drama Make It or Break It...
  
  
• Carl Freel - Cameron Deane Stewart
• Norman Gunmeyer - Daniel Yelsky
• Stanley "Big G" Minor - Alexander Walters
• Jason Freel - Camille E. Bourgeois III
• Ricky Brown - Jordan Reynolds
• Bruce Modak - Brett Lapeyrouse

Reception

In its limited theatrical release of 10 theaters, the film grossed about $6,400 for three days.http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Thats-What-I-Am The film maintains a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thats_what_i_am.