inspiring...

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2006)

This is just a wonderful film - seen it six times, cried six times. The finale literally gives me chills every time.
I think the character of Mr. Holland resonated with me so much because he reminded me of several great music teachers who had a profound influence on my life (1970's). In a larger sense, he was typical of a LOT of the teachers in my day: dedicated, idealistic baby-boomers who were going to change the world by affecting one student at a time.
The film succeeds in utilizing as its backdrop the American cultural & political landscape of the 1960s-1990's (Vietnam, civil rights movement, Watergate, etc).
Kudos to the director and everyone else involved for getting most of the music stuff "right" - I'm a musician and I usually look for bad fake playing, inaccuracies, and anachronisms.
Cheers to the late, great Michael Kamen for his wonderful score & especially "Glen Holland's" American Symphony: it contains musical "quotes" ranging from Copeland to Gershwin; to the final note from The Beatles' "A Day In The Life".
...yes, I realize John Lennon wasn't American ;-) ....
One minor plot flaw: why couldn't The Governor just issue an Executive Order to restore Music Education funding? (just kidding...) JohnB