The touching and funny story of Clarence, a shy, quiet black boy new to Harlem from the South, and Angel, a young Puerto Rican who is constantly karate-chopping the air in imitation of his hero Bruce Lee. Frequently sent out into the hall for some classroom infraction, they develop a friendship around elaborate fantasies in which teachers become students and students, teachers-and Angel assumes responsibility for teaching Clarence how to read. Critics at the Toronto Film Festival found Clarence and Angel, Robert Gardner's first feature, "a fresh, vital expression of the triumph of hope over despair, of friendship and meaningfulness over isolation and absurdity."