See it through

Rating: Null/10 (30 April 2004)

No matter which side you argue, there's no denying this is based on real-life events --greatly telescoping them, as it turns out-- and the point it makes is valid: "You're never wrong to care for somebody."
Anymore, its rare for a film to have anything in the way of subtlety. The only filmmaker I can think of who consistently shows adult restraint in this way is M. Night Shyamalan. "Radio" nearly flunked my '20 minute rule,' flirting with disaster as it trodded on. Maybe it was the credible athletics, or I broke my rule, but I gave it a chance and am glad.
Though this movie is quite guilty of being sentimental, that in itself doesn't make it a waste of time; this reviewer is an unsentimental man swimming in a cultural sea of sentimentality.
There are no attention-getting devices in this movie, unless you think Gooding's portrayal of a retarded man is pandering --an open question in my case. No, this is a grown-up movie, which should have as a warning: "This film may be exposed to viewers which the material might find objectionable." Get ready to not be manipulated when you watch this movie.
Never forget that all mainstream entertainment is done by a team with a variety of motivations. It would be a mistake to think the main reason team members sign on is money, fame, or professional recognition. No, real talent signs on in hopes of influencing viewers --think about that the next time you slog through a truly demeaning movie; people sweated many days just to give it that demeaning quality because they have it in for you. In this case, a film that at first seems trite and of no consequence deserves a second look because of the cast, crew and the quality of their output. I mean, just look at the gametime scenes!
So there's more than meets the eye in this storytelling. The question becomes "does it succeed in truly convincing viewers of the obvious?" That would depend on the viewer. What does it take to get a point across to you?
As for entertainment, the gentle pace and lack of sensational events will of course be an issue for most people. This was a good, not great movie, but not at all deserving of the snide tone of some people's posts. I give it *** of ****.
Tiny gripes: The one-dimensional anti-Radio character, underdevelopment and 'resolution' of the coach's domestic stresses --surely a lot from real-life was left unsaid.