Don't shy away from this one

Rating: 8/10 (21 March 2007)

I'm finally having to come to grips with a daunting reality. This reality just kind of sneaked up on me because for so long this current reality didn't exist. This reality I'm speaking of is my actual enjoyment of biopics.
As a young lad I had no interest in anything that moved slow, or was a drama, or was a tear jerker. I didn't want to be uneasy, I just wanted to be entertained, and I didn't want any tears jerked out of me. I guess it is a sign of maturity or getting more sensitive (blaah), but as I've gotten older I've began to like biopics.
As I pondered the possible reason(s) for my sudden change of heart towards dramas, I realized that they are a compelling way of detailing an historic event. Well, I like history a lot. I like to read or watch the history of events and people. Of course I didn't like history in high school because that was just memorizing dates, names, and a bunch of "fore-fathers" that did all this "wonderful" stuff. Now that I'm older and I can choose what historical events I want to know more about, history has become more interesting. Plus, if someone can depict an historical event or figure in an intriguing way, then it makes learning about that person or event that much more fun.
Radio was a mentally challenged young man that had no one other than his mother. For the first time in his life he found a support system and a friend in Coach Jones. The movie was about the bond forged between Radio (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Coach Jones (Ed Harris), and how Coach Jones gave Radio another family in the football team. It is really a feel good and touching story. Everyone has had trials and tribulations in their lifetime, and I think anyone that is a good enough storyteller can make their life seem interesting. Hollywood is the master storyteller. Couple that with the fact that the story is about a mentally challenged black man living in the south, then you are well on your way to an excellent movie. Plus, Ed Harris is an excellent actor, and this was the best role Gooding Jr. took after the movie "Jerry Maguire".
I may not be the best judge in the case of this movie considering my admitted bias towards biopics. But, if you are even the least bit interested in how a mentally challenged young man can be an inspiration to a coach and a team, then do yourself a favor and see "Radio".