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Actors: Richard Dreyfuss, Jay Thomas
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Mr. Holland's Opus |
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Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a musician and aspiring composer who takes a high school music teaching job to pay the bills while he tries to create at least one great piece of music that will last. The day job is frustrating, maddening . . . but ultimately rewarding. Eventually his students provide the real meaning of his life. The story also concerns his relationship with his son, who is deaf. Dreyfuss is admirably restrained in this classic feel-good plot, and besides Headley as his supportive wife, Thomas as the phys-ed teacher buddy, and Dukakis as the principal, this 1995 film includes William H. Macy and Alicia Witt in the cast. At 143 minutes, it's a bit overlong for the fairly simple tale it has to tell.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Mr. Holland takes a temporary job as a music teacher at a high school. After he finds out his son Cole is deaf he turns away from his son. After several years Mr.Holland learns to accept his son but he still has guilty feelings about what he had done to Cole.
--Deanna, Resident Scholar
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The movie is about a musician named Glen Holland played by Richard Drefus who starts to teach high school students in music in the 1960's thru 1990. It is rough at the begining but he gets used to it and he really has an effect on his students. He learns that he wants to teach for the rest of his life. The movie ends by him conducting a orchestra in a piece that he wrote
--Deanna Verho, Resident Scholar
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Mr. Holland has a dream of writing a musical composition. But that doesn't put bread on the table so he takes on a teaching job. The movie covers the next 30 years, as Mr. Holland inspires students to love music. He also overcomes the tragedy of his own son's deafness.
--BethG, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Mr. Holland's Opus |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Family, caring for sick?
Yes
Who is sick?
- Son
because he/she is
- physically ill
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- teacher
Training/apprentice story
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- long lived adults
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- caring
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- general circumstances
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Body type
- (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
City?
Yes
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
- encouraged
Any profanity?
- None
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Classic/oldies rock
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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