No film in recent memory has illustrated that truth with more warmth and wit than the genuinely uplifting Mr. Holland's Opus . This charming motion picture opens in 1965 with one man's dream. But while he has all the talent required, time comes at a premium. As he spends untold hours preparing lessons, connecting with students, organizing a marching band, directing the school musical and teaching driver's ed during the summer for extra cash, his unfinished symphony collects dust.
Several years go by.
Holland's life is further complicated when his infant son is found to be almost entirely deaf. Unable to draw the child into his musical world, he struggles to communicate and find common ground. Professional responsibilities consume him. A montage of '60s and '70s newsreel footage marks the passage of time. Graduating classes come and go.