An uplifting movie about a intellectually disabled man and a football coach

Rating: Null/10 (4 December 2013)

The movie Radio inspired by true events takes place in 1976 show the love and compassion a local high school football team and eventually the entire town shows to a young handicapped man that was once tormented by the players of the Anderson High School football team. Coach Harold Jones is played by Ed Harris. While James Robert Kennedy is played by Cuba Gooding Jr.
The setting for this movie is Anderson, South Carolina. In the beginning of the movie you see "Radio" pushing his cart through out town marching to the beat of his on drum. Through out this time the movie jumps to the football practice that is taken place during the opening credits. The movie takes no time jumping into the hard and emotional scene of seeing Radio tied up in the equipment shed as the football team tortures him. There is no clear cut reason for the team torturing Radio but you do see an interaction between Radio and a player in the beginning of the movie that could hint to the reason why the players decided to torment him. Coach Jones realizes that his team is up to no good to only find Radio tied up in the shed. Coach Jones then takes Radio home to his mother where he finds out about Radio's past and that he is intellectually disabled. Coach Jones and Radio begin spending more time together, which eventually leads to Radio helping out with the football team and joining high school for the first time in his life. Radio receives his nickname from Coach Jones essentially for the simple fact that he is often seen listening to the radio, as well as collecting radios and fixing them.
Radio is accepted as a part of the football team and is loved by the town. This is a very warming experience since the town was not very accepting of Radio being a part of the football in the beginning.
Cuba Gooding Jr. does an amazing job encompassing the role as Radio. His acting abilities were truly put to the test with this movie and he passed with flying colors. During the closing credits there is actual video of James Robert Kennedy (Radio) and the viewer could hardly tell the difference between the two. Ed Harris also does an amazing job of playing a compassionate yet hardnosed coach that is essential to completing this movie.
This movie is very moving and emotional. There is a lot of highs and lows through out but at the end it will leave the viewer feeling good and uplifted.