Richard Dreyfuss' Best

Rating: Null/10 (25 November 2000)

Richard Dreyfuss received an Oscar nomination in 1995 as the title character, a man who decides to teach so he will have more time to write music and conduct. Of course he learns real quick that teaching is time-consuming and that he has no extra time at all. The plan to teach for a few years turns into a career and the audience gets to experience all of the teacher's ups (a son being born, learning to love his work, creating a top-notch music and arts department) and downs (learning his son is deaf, learning of the death of one of his former students in Vietnam, and learning that his department's funding will likely be cut, forcing him to retire before he wants to). "Mr. Holland's Opus" works because of a great performance by Dreyfuss. He makes everyone else in the film better as well (Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Louisa Kelly). The direction is strong and the screenplay is even stronger. A great film. 4.5 out of 5 stars.