It's Good!

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2000)

I do not agree with any of the critics on this page. Mr. Holland's Opus is a brilliant movie. It's intelligent, interesting and inspiring. You shouldn't tear it apart and analyse every minute detail about its musical accuracy. This is just a movie, but a very good one at that. Someone here by the nickname of "spleen" was the most wrong though: "The entire movie is just a re-statement of the old chestnut about music being an expression of emotion. Well, that's NOT what music is. Music is an intellectual art." That's total crap. Perhaps "spleen" learnt to play music for the wrong reasons (i.e. to show off, seem smarter/more inetellectual than others), you sir/ma'm, may have leart to play the classics but have not one musical fibre in your body, otherwise you wouldn't be so misguided. Any real musicians/songwriters know that music IS BORN out of EMOTION. Music is an expression of what comes from the deepest place within a person's heart and soul, and these internal emotions is what puts the pen to paper. If you were to write a song that is not inspired by emotion, you'd have a lifeless ditty most often used for something like breakfast cereal commercials on TV. If you want real music you can't even start without emotion. To say that music is intellectual art, and nothing else is totally wrong. Anybody who has the talent can play and write music, it has nothing to do with intellect, or social class/status as "spleen" seem to apply.
But enough about that and let's get back to the movie. Contrary to some of the other comments, I have found the acting to be of very high quality from all the actors, especially Richard Dreyfuss, who should have gotten an oscar for this performance. The script is well crafted, the story itself is very involving, and moving.
The only flaw I found in the whole movie is at the end where we finally get to hear Mr. Holland's opus. Well, it certainly disappoints and if Mr. Holland really existed, his opus would be much much better than what we're presented with here, but again we're dealing with a movie here, movie makers don't really know/care about how to compose a really great song, they probably hired a budget composer to come up with the bit, which is a shame really as it adds a dent to this otherwise realistic, well thought-out movie.
Overall Mr. Holland's Opus is a great movie. I'd recommend it to anyone. It is somewhat long, but considering the story and how it depicts 30 years in someone's life, the length is justified indeed (and at no point does it ever get boring).
Mr. Holland's Opus is the perfect movie to watch on a rainy night, tucked in bed all nice and cosy. 9 out of 10 stars.