It's
not about the direction you take. It's about the
direction you give.
I love "Mr.
Holland's Opus," but it is also the kind of film
I understand people not liking. In many ways, it
spends so much time tugging at heart strings
that it avoids logic, reality or an accurate
plot line. Without strong performances by
Richard Dreyfuss and Glenne Headley, in
particular, this film would have been a fluffy
piece of shlock. Their performances elevate this
film to the kind of movie you almost hate to
admit you enjoyed watching.
I went into it determined not to enjoy it, but I
found it tugging at my heartstrings pretty
quickly. In reality, an A- is probably a bit
high for it. It's storyline is a bit absurd and
the script takes quite a few liberties and weak
turns. For example, any music person would know
that the "American Symphony" he has worked on
his entire life is, in reality, a piece of
crappy music. It's fluff that any college music
student could put together.
I also felt the "Concert for the Deaf", while
certainly a heart-tugging moment, was rather
condescending and idiotically produced. There's
a few other examples, but this is the kind of
film where nitpicking seems silly. The film
works because it impacts the heart. Sometimes,
that's enough.
©
Written by Richard Propes
TC Candler's Comment
A
wonderful feel-good film.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
