Richard Dreyfuss' Opus

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2003)

I first saw this movie on video in late 1996, I was 19 years old and I thought that I would hate it. What kind of sappy, sentimental crap was this? Why should I like it? Well, I'll tell you. Its because this is the story of a man's life work and how he made a difference in the lives of those people around him. I think that some day many years from now we would all like to look back and say that we made the difference in the life of even one person. Dreyfuss gives us the performance of a lifetime as the titular Mr. Holland. Watching him transform from a frustrated, half-hearted, hot-headed young teacher to a man of wisdom, compassion and caring is a wonderous sight to behold. His battles with his hearing impaired son pull at your very heart strings. Mr. Holland is a man we all know and love, he might not have been your music teacher but he/she was someone special in your life that made a difference in your education. I was lucky enough to have a multitude of great teachers just like Mr. Holland that changed my life and made me appreciate the great place a teacher holds in our society today. Mr. Holland's Opus might be silly and sentimental but I can't help but love this movie. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry big crocodile tears everytime I watch it. This movie hits you right where it feels good, it makes you proud to have shared this experience. You were there to watch him grow and become the stuff of legend. You were there for Mr. Hollands Opus, no, you were there for Richard Dreyfuss' Opus. Because in the end the real opus is not his music but his effect on the lives of his students. Now thats beautiful music.