I just finished "Half Nelson" which is a movie starring Ryan Gosling as a teacher who is battling crack addiction while teaching at an inner city school. I don't love Ryan Gosling (I'm kind of indifferent to his hype as an actor) but he is truly brilliant in this movie. I would highly recommend it, though it is not an easy watch. The contradiction between being an engaging and caring educator while having a complete personal breakdown creates a really interesting dynamic.