An excellent movie

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2005)

This is a film you can watch several times over. It covers thirty years in the life of Mr. Holland, a musician who turns to teaching in a high school in 1965, to give himself time to compose. But of course the teaching takes over.
RIchard Dreyfus does a great job portraying a man who loves music, and learns that he loves teaching, as well. William H. Macy is perfect as the vice-principal we all knew and could not stand. The rest of the cast, and the music, is very enjoyable. A nice ending.
The film is long, and takes its time developing the characters and the times. Impatient types may get fidgety. There are many good scenes reflecting '65, '75, '85 and '95 in high schools. Including the budget crunch in our schools and the cut of arts and music programs.