Amazing Depiction of the World of Music Education

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 2004)

**Minor Spoilers**
I have been the child of a music educator for my entire life. My mother is quite a bit like Glen Holland, if you can believe it (only sweeter!). I cannot help but think of her as I watch this film for the gazillionth time.
Stephen Herek did a fabulous directing job, in my opinion. Now, has this movie been "Hollywood-ized?" Of course. There are several instances in this film where the action on screen could not plausibly happen in a real educational environment. But the story here is not necessarily about music theory or literature: it is about one man's struggle to do what he loves and get away from his "fallback," only to discover that for the past 30 years, he has, in fact, been doing what he was destined to do all his life.
Richard Dreyfuss very accurately portrays the reluctant band director. I was amazed by his performance in this film; he's come a long way from "Jaws." Within the first 10 minutes of watching this movie, I forgot Dreyfuss and could think only of Mr. Holland. His interactions with all his students and his own family are very touching and believable.
Maybe the reason I like "Mr. Holland's Opus" so much is that I grew up hearing my mother talk about how she had never really cared to teach music and left the world of science strictly as a fill-in for another teacher, only to receive one of the biggest retirement parties given by students I've ever seen (she later told me that being a music teacher changed her life). Maybe it's because I'm at Texas Tech University studying Music Education. Maybe it's neither. All I know is that this is a wonderful film, and if you have an imagination and a heart, you can look past the musical and educational errors in this film and enjoy the underlying story.

God bless!