Not perfect but a gem of a movie

Rating: Null/10 (9 April 2002)

I wish to laud this film first for its structure as it could have slipped so easily into your standard TV-movie sentimentality--and it escaped.

This is achieved by the superb acting by Richard Dreyfuss, and with a very strong and balanced supporting cast. True, some of the characters were cliche but they were played ably. I agree with someone here that Glenne Headly did an excellent job. She was on an even playing field with Dreyfuss--great acting don't come into singletons usually.
It is a movie not as much about accuracy in music as a gentle condolences of all the unfinished dreams in all of us. It is not about the opportunities we missed, the talents we ignored. I will venture to say it doesn't matter if Mr. Holland had real talent or not. To me, I see Dreyfuss' character not as a teacher intent on inspiring all his students into kodak "aw shucks moments", but a person who stuck to his decisions in life with integrity.
Many cliches, "pass the tissue" moments were played with subdued thoughtfulness by Dreyfuss. Great job!
If anyone is accusing the movie as being manipulative while describing "Forest Gump" as "emotionally honest", then I will stand guilty and taste the sinful pleasure. I, as an average joe, will identify more with Dreyfuss infinitely more than an unrealistic caricature (of human goodness) that Hollywood assembled. Perhaps I have some inexplicable bias towards "Gump" due to it being a Hollywood fantasy about human goodness (with everyone around Gump flawed in some way but somehow redeemed by his purity), which is the diametrical opposite to "Holland"--a realistic portrait of a less-than-perfect human.