Mr. Holland's Opus

Life journeys don't always have a clear starting point, and usually we don't even realize that the journey has begun until it has reached its conclusion. Here the journey is on display, so we may all learn from the triumphs and failures, real or imagined, of one mans dedication to teaching young men and women the beauty of music in our lives. Richard Dreyfuss is in the lead role of Glenn Holland and brings off one of the must emotionally charged characters in his career, and once you see the whole film you can understand why he got an Oscar nod for his performance. The use of the changing times of the 60s and 70s and the growth of society in the 80s and 90s as the musical backdrop, works from beginning to end and you witness the evolution of the music with the classics as the bridge between all the forms that we know and love. This is the story of a passionate musician's 30-year journey to realize that the greatest gift he could give the world was not just the music he created but the understanding of the love for that music and how it touches each and every person he comes in contact with. Dreyfuss is in top form here and shows why he can literally play any role that comes along. Starting with his portrayal of the reluctant teacher to the passionate composer, he shows the range of emotions that every one of us has felt at one or another. The combination of the music styles is done expertly, showing how the early classics influenced the modern music that was being created in the 60s and 70s is done in a way that you walk away from the movie with a new appreciation for Bach, Mozart, and the other great composers. The make job that is done on all of the main characters is extremely well done; all of the actors look like they truly aged 30 years.
I have always loved the classics and have known that the music that was created by the great composers has influenced so many of our more modern musicians, but here you actually see, within the story, how the natural progression of the music happens. This is the kind of movie that should be watched by anyone who is in school and learning to play an instrument, or learning about music in general, you can see how lives are changed just by the notes on a piece of paper.