Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) User Reviews

Taking a bypass from your dreams and finding your true calling

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 29 May 2019]

A composer (Richard Dreyfuss) puts his lofty ambitions on hold to become a high school music teacher in Portland, Oregon, from 1965-1995. Glenne Headly plays his wife, Jay Thomas the coach, Olympia Dukakis the principal and William H. Macy the irritating vice principal.

"Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995) is a good school-oriented drama that's episodic in nature since it spans 30 years. The first 40 minutes were decent, but I was wondering if the film would be able to absorb me into its story, especially considering its considerable length. It did, particularly the episodes concerning Terrence Howard (playing Louis Russ) and angelic Jean Louisa Kelly (Rowena).

The movie's kind of a meshing of "Dead Poets Society" (1989) crossed with "Forrest Gump" (1994), although not great like either of those flicks. But it's a solid drama. A 19 year-old Alicia Witt is on hand as one of the students in the first act.

The film runs 2 hours, 23 minutes and was shot in Portland, Oregon, and nearby Marylhurst.

GRADE: B

"Well, there's a lot more to music than notes on a page."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 2 July 2018]

I'm sure I've said it in one or more of my other reviews, but I don't think I could ever be a teacher. I just don't have the patience for it, and I have to admire someone like Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) who can put aside those feelings of frustration when it seems like he's not connecting with his students, or when they're just not that interested in what he's teaching. The story actually starts out that way, and I could identify with Holland the first time he erupts in class, only with me, it would probably be for the entire semester. So I acknowledge that deficiency on my part, and give teachers all the credit in the world they deserve.

The interesting thing is how Mr. Holland found himself stuck as a teacher much the same way young student Gertrude Lang remained stuck as an ineffective musician. Holland needed to reach into his inner reservoir of humanity to strike just the right chord in order for Gertrude to overcome the obstacle that hindered her ability. Once that hurdle was cleared, she was able to participate in the band successfully, even if it was not her career ambition. I liked the way that scenario played out. I think we probably all have had teachers in our past that struck just that right chord to make classroom participation enjoyable and steer us in the right direction.

It wasn't until Holland introduced his class to the connection between Bach and rock n' roll that he really hit his stride. Making subjects fun is an admirable skill that a lot of teachers just don't get. It's unfortunate however that Holland couldn't translate some of that teaching ability to his home life and relationship with his own son. But that in time did also improve, a case of Holland learning how to be a talented human being as well as a talented teacher. So all in all, "Mr. Holland's Opus" is an inspiring story, showing how a single individual can affect the lives of so many in ways that are both visible and invisible. Every school deserves to have at least one teacher on board like Mr. Holland, inspiring students and faculty alike.

Oh for the love of crumbcake...

[Rilchiam-1 · 6 December 2001]

So many people have complained about the Gertrude Lang character (Alicia Witt), Holland's interaction with her, and the purpose of the character, and I am simply amazed at the hostility.

1) "Playing the sunset" was Holland's way of getting Gertrude to relax so she could play the notes fluidly. They both knew that she didn't sound professional, and wasn't going to. The idea was to get her just above the level of making a fool of herself as she did the first time he called on her in class. Then she could, and did, perform in the band without dragging down the whole ensemble.

2) Her goal was not to be a professional musician. Did no one else hear her speech about "I just wanted to be good at *something*"? She listed all the fabulous achievements of her parents and siblings, and concluded, "I'm the only one who's..." The missing word would have been "useless" or "worthless". Or "a failure". Thirty years later she's the governor (not the mayor!), because in 1966, Holland helped her gain confidence for the first time.

3) She wasn't "wasting" Holland's efforts by going into politics. Art, music and theater education don't exist solely to create professional artists, musicians and actors. They also exist to give young people an opportunity for change and growth, even if they never use a paintbrush again.

I liked that plot twist. Almost every high school has an alumnus who has achieved something in art or entertainment, but a lot of people sell one painting or appear in one film and become a hero to their home town. But there are only fifty states, and it takes an extraordinary amount of drive to become governor of one of them. It's unlikely that she would have taken that first step towards empowerment without Holland.

I can sympathize as a teacher!

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 1 July 2010]

As an out-of-work teacher, I can see and understand Glenn Holland's desire to do more than just be remembered as a teacher but to create a piece of work. As an English teacher, I too aspire to break out the best novel to pull me out of my world. Teaching is hard and rewarding. It's not easy. Don't let anybody fool you otherwise. Richard Dreyfuss' performance as Glenn Holland is not only memorable but unforgettable one of his best roles. Glenne Headly is terrific as his wife. He has a fantastic supporting cast like Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Jay Thomas, Alicia Witt, and others to support the film. The film is kind of a downer about a man who has spent thirty years of his life as a teacher in a small town. I was troubled by the fact that he and his wife stopped having children after Cole was born. I thought the deafness was to create friction between the musical father and his deaf son. Still, it's a good film. You'll cry a little.

Excellent film, with even better music

[Tito-8 · 10/10 · 6 May 1999]

Richard Dreyfuss is outstanding (as is the whole cast) in this thoroughly enjoyable film. I really liked it the first time, but with repeated viewings, I'd say that this film got even better. It's a little predictable, but so what? For me, it was impossible not to care about these characters, and the ending was the perfect heartwarming note to go out on. It was rather funny as well, but my favourite thing about this movie was the music. It seems only fitting, considering the importance of music to this film, that it would have a great number of songs, but I was astonished by how much I LOVED the music in this movie. All-in-all, this was a completely satisfying film, and I would call it a must-see.

Lots Of Harsh Reviews On MHO

[vinceb-3 · 7/10 · 3 February 2019]

Many reviewers have blistered this movie, and I agree it contains too many cliches and is overly sentimental. But compared to the endless supply of Hollywood vapidity, this one isn't THAT bad. Mr. Holland is neither saint nor bad guy, but he clearly loves music and cares about his students. I understand that music is a very serious topic for many people including several reviewers who hated this film. But I think they miss the point; Mr. Holland is not a musical genius, he's a high school music teacher. And yes, his opus truly sucks balloons, and that's because Mr. Holland is a musical mediocrity. His dream of being a famous composer was delusional, a ridiculous pipe dream. But he Found his true calling in life as a decent teacher. That's the point of the movie.

Richard Dreyfuss is good in all stages of the different seasons of the life of Mr. Holland.

[macpherr · 10/10 · 22 April 1999]

The writing of this movie by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Nick of Time), nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe Awards, is one of the best stories that Hollywood ever put on the screen. The sensitivity and perception of the Director Stephen Herek (101 Dalmatians) adds a special touch to the story.

Richard Dreyfuss (The Goodbye Girl, The Competition, The American President) was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for this role, which is my view one of his best performances. He is good in all stages of the different seasons of the life of Mr. Holland. I seldom cry while watching a movie, but when Mr. Holland enters the school auditorium with grey hair and the entire school is applauding when he retires, it makes me cry. I cry every time I watch it, and I can also cry every time I bring it to mind. If I ever get a part where I have to cry all I have to do is to bring back that memory back! That moment is a combination of my mother a music teacher and my dad aging. There is no greater love than to lay your life for another... When I graduated from college I wrote a letter thanking my parents for the rainy days they had to go to work, and for all the sacrifices they made for me and left it on top of the dining room table so they could find when I was not around. Needless to say that the entire family cried. That is what that scene means to me. I do not see Mr. Holland as a frustrated composer, he was just frustrated because he had other commitments that did not give him the time to compose. Glenne Headly did a great job playing Iris Holland. She has appeared in ER recently. Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias) plays Principal Jacobs. It is beautiful when close to her retirement she gives Mr. Holland a gift. Jean Louisa Kell (The Day Lincoln Was Shot) is Rowena Morgan who steals the show because she sings beautifully. William H. Macy, (Fargo) plays Vice Principal Wolters who goes insane when he listens popular music coming from Mr. Holland's classroom. Poor Gertrude Lang, Alicia Witt ("Cybill") is trying so hard to get the technique that she forgets about her feelings. I love when she finally gets to feel the piece and lets herself go.Then when she comes back as grown up is very touching. A music teacher having a deaf child is ironic. Mr. Holland teaching the kids about Beethoven is marvelous! I love when Cole (Anthony Natale (II)), comes back as an adult and participates in the celebration of his dad's retirement, and also because he himself is going to teach at the school for the deaf in Washington DC. This movie struck a cord with me because of the music and because of all the elements that were brought into movie and story. I would give it a10 + if I could. It is one of my favorite dramas! I am not much of a drama person, I prefer comedy, but this is a very special drama.

Life is what happens while you're busy making plans

[paul2001sw-1 · 7/10 · 15 May 2006]

The make-up department does a splendid job in ageing Richard Dreyfuss in Stepehen Herek's film about an aspiring composer turned music teacher who finds his vocation over thirty years. It's a good performance from Dreyfuss as well, and the movie also benefits from a reliably creepy turn from William Macy as Dreyfusss' boss. In fact, as a portrait of a life set against a changing political, and musical, landscape, showing how (in the words of a song that features in the plot), "life is what happens while we're busy making plans", it reminded me of the epic BBC drama series, 'Our Friends in the North'. But it lacks the deeper engagement of that series with the specifics of the times it portrays, and at times seems a little trite as a result. Dreyfuss was Oscar-nominated for his role and this is definitely the sort of film that gets considered at these awards: earnest, gently liberal, ultimately upbeat and essentially unthreatening. And you can take that as condemnation or commendation, as you will; but I enjoyed it.

"Life is what happens when you're making other plans"

[abum190 · 9/10 · 22 April 2006]

This is a line of the Beatles' song that Mr. Holland sings to his son, Cole, at a concert. I've seen this movie plenty of times, but for the first time, I noticed just how well this line resonates in this movie. In fact, this line is the basis for the movie, and could stand in for the whole movie in a pinch- except that we would be missing out on one of the most moving and inspirational films to come out of Hollywood in the past few years.

Mr. Holland's Opus is the story of a man who loves music, who practically lives and breathes music. We see at the beginning of the film, and throughout the rest of it, a man who is most passionate when he is within music. When his wife informs him that she is pregnant, he likens the feeling to falling in love with John Coltrane's music. When a student complains to him that he knows everything there is to know about music, Mr. Holland responds by reminding him that the name of his class is Music Appreciation and explaining forcefully that it doesn't matter how much you know about music if you don't appreciate it.

The movie takes Mr. Holland through three decades- from the '60s to the mid-'90s. In the spirit of nostalgia films like Forrest Gump, we are guided through the decades by vignettes of archive footage depicting scenes such as Nixon announcing his resignation, Gerald Ford tripping down the stairs, and even good old Frankenfurter representing the sexual revolution. As a piece of nostalgia for those times and the days of high school, Mr. Holland's Opus works great. As a chronicle of a man's life and the impact he has on others, it works even better.

This film could have turned into cheap schmaltz, but through its cast and a story that reaches wonderful poignancy and honesty at times, it manages to represent something so much more than that. Richard Dreyfuss, always a natural actor, is perfectly real and moving as Glenn Holland. I can't describe his performance in words, simply because it deserves to be seen more than just written about. And even though this is basically Dreyfuss's movie, the supporting cast makes an impression as well. Glenne Headly, as Mr. Holland's wife, shows tremendous resilience and emotion as the mother of a disabled child. When she explodes at her husband because of his lack of understanding, you explode with her, because we believe every word she is saying.

I don't know if movies can change lives. I think some have the potential to. I know there are movies that can inspire their audiences to be better people- It's a Wonderful Life is one; Casablanca is another. While Mr. Holland's Opus does not reach the quality that those two do (and who can blame it?), it has a similar and near equal impact, and that is definitely a compliment. And how perfect- a movie about a man who changes lives that can also change lives.

The right formula...

[aalmhs · 6/10 · 9 November 1998]

Covering 30 yrs of a person's life was always going to be hard, but this film manages it without interrupting the flow. Mr Holland, faced with everything to hold him back from completing his opus, more than impacts on his music appreciation class - from those who said they couldn't, to those who had to break free and try their hand at the city lights. I liked the subtle time changes with the cars and the aging characters. The Cole sub-plot was a little bit misplaced (although I can't see how else they could have done it) and overall the story was predictable, but it was an inspiring movie all the same.

How I wish I had my own Mr. Holland

[Doogeylover · 10/10 · 7 August 2005]

What a wonderful movie. I just watched it and am in awe of Richard Dreyfuss' amazing acting. Only being 15 but an avid music lover myself, I sat there wishing I had a teacher like Mr. Holland that inspired me like so many of the students in the movie, that made learning fun by connecting with the students, by doing everything Mr. Holland did. The stories of the students were real and believable. I connected with the girl that played the clarinet, Gertrude Lang, because sometimes I even feel that I'm never good at anything.

Every person of every age can appreciate and love this movie. At the end, when Mr. Holland's goodbye party was discovered in the gym and he took the stage, I was crying.

What a wonderful movie. History-wise, music-wise, and story-wise.

Fine, touching but predictable

[denis888 · 7/10 · 10 January 2007]

I liked the movie. I liked Richard Dreyfuss as a main hero, Mr. Holland, a Music Appreciation Class teacher. The movie is very true to the point when it speaks about teacher / class relations. I am a University teacher myself, and I surely do know what it is like to get a tight connection to the students' hearts, without losing either your integrity or your authority. I felt what Holland felt, I understood what he did wrong and what he did best. All his ups and downs, all his misgivings, wrong ideas for the class, bad relations with his hearing-impaired son, tough relations with the local educational authorities - everything is shown admirably well. Also, and it should be pointed out, the movie is especially good at the scope. The 30 years of the US history are shown briefly but very vividly and really well. What is really weak is the sheer predictability. Many Hollywood films are made this way - Good/Bad, Up/Down, White/Black. I mean, I could easily foretell when in the next scene Holland will have a problem or its graceful solution. Also, the grand finale is too sweet. I understand, Hollywood dictates the rules, so the serious film must have a refreshing, sweet final. But it was all too much. Too sweetish, too bombastic. Notwithstanding all that, in general, the movie is one of the few that really shows what teaching job is.

Teaching isn't easy

[sol- · 4/10 · 11 June 2016]

Taking a position as a high school music teacher in order to pay the bills, an aspiring composer finds the job unexpectedly challenging but also unexpectedly rewarding in this Oscar nominated drama starring Richard Dreyfuss. The film gets off to a solid start with Dreyfuss discovering his every preconception of teaching challenged; there is no "free time", "high school is not a democracy" and it is absolutely impossible to leave campus at the same time as his students do. The movie missteps though by not spending more time on this section of his journey; before long, Dreyfuss transforms into an obsessively motivated teacher who has simply come to accept the demands of the job. A deaf son is eventually thrown into the mix to give Dreyfuss a chance to realise how his obsession with his job is negatively impacting on home life, but there is nothing especially novel or exciting about this plot development. A maudlin music score does not help matters either. In fact, were it not for its towering lead performance, 'Mr. Holland's Opus' would be difficult to endure. Fortunately, Dreyfuss is in fine form, credibly ageing over 30 years during the course of the movie. The film also does a good job capturing his reactions to various historical events over the three decades portrayed on screen (his grief over John Lennon's death is highly memorable). Whether this alone is enough to render the film worth viewing may vary per viewer. Clocking in at nearly two and half hours long, the film is not an easy, breezy watch, but fans of its lead actor might well find it worthwhile.

A beautiful film...

[lady_colubris · 23 April 2003]

The first time I saw this film was in the movie theater with one of my best friends--both of us musicians. By the time we left, both of us were bawling our eyes out. This film is very touching and well done. Granted, there are accuracy errors (every film has those) and I've noticed several complaints about the music in the final scene (why are people so nitpicky?). I had a band director much like Mr. Holland when I was in middle school, a man who struggled at first as a teacher but soon became a beloved and inspiring director. Every time I watch this film I think of that man, and how he changed my life for the better. It's a movie I can truly relate to.

Okay, enough reminiscing. :P If you want a film that will tug your heartstrings, this is it. Rating 9 out of 10.

story of our lives

[agrawalmannu · 7/10 · 24 October 2005]

Yeah yeah, I know that it is overtly sentimental and the kind of film that you feel embarrassed to admit that you liked but what the heck? I think sometimes it's good to drop your guards, just be yourself and enjoy whatever it is even if it means wetting a couple of tissues. But having said this, I think the sentiments shown in the movie are quite genuine and at least I didn't feel that I was watching a mush.

I have always felt that true teachers, the ones that really inspire you, could be counted on your fingers of your left hand. Richard Dreyfuss plays one such music teacher who would not hesitate to play rock n roll in a class of classical music, if it helps his students to understand and appreciate music better. Richard Dreyfuss is absolutely convincing in this role of Mr. Holland that spans 30 years of his career.

Actually Mr. Holland is a composer who has taken up teaching just to pay his bills. He wants to be rich and famous and has been working on a symphony that would help him achieve that but that's not how it turns out to be. He is not rich and not famous, certainly not outside his small community. Is he a failure? The story of our lives (at least most of us).

Blissfully wonderful

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 12 May 2020]

Richard Dreyfus should've won the Oscar nomination, he did a riveting job! The storytelling with everything is so good between the teaching and family. Stephen Herek directed such a charming musical delight that I should've seen sooner. Mr. Holland's Opus was much more than I expected, should've had at least 5 nominations instead of one! The sound is magical throughout, pleasant surprise of entertainment that I'd recommend to anyone.

Make Them Shine, Holland!

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 9 June 2015]

A frustrated composer (Richard Dreyfus) finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher.

At first, the story is not about teaching the students, but learning to teach. This is really about the growth of Holland and not such students as Lang. For anyone to learn, they must first care about what they are learning. So one can explain things clearly and get nowhere unless they present it in a context that sparks interest. (Indeed, one can imagine how many things they were "taught" and forgot until it finally became relevant to them.)

And later we get the deaf angle. It seems a little forced and almost exploitative. But it does draw that interesting connection to Beethoven, who himself was deaf. How can one of the greatest composers of all time make music he was not able to hear?

The Ideal of Teaching

[murphcsb · 9/10 · 11 November 2005]

Yes the story is sappy and idealized. That is the point. No one goes into teaching to get rich. Some start teaching as a way to pay bills, but no one stays in teaching to do that. Glen is like the best teachers I had. Intelligent. Fiesty. Challenging. Willing to make students look beyond their textbooks into the world.

Great soundtrack. Real issues, especially for those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s when schools slashed budgets left and right and then wondered why this generation was so apathetic.

If the movie was today the director would spend forever on the "affair" with Rowena and maybe throw in a gratuitous love scene. This movie does right by the characters, who remind me of specific people in my school experience.

Good movie, Great performance

[pedroscp07 · 7/10 · 25 September 2020]

A movie about priorities and at the same time a coming of age story, with a great performance by the lead actor.

How a Music Teacher Digs Deeply to Help Teens Succeed

[jims-29 · 10/10 · 14 March 2005]

This movie follows the career of a frustrated composer (played to perfection by Richard Dreyfuss) who couldn't earn a full-time living as a band member. The movie starts when he begins a new career as the music teacher at a small-town high school to pay his rent. He quickly comes to realize it's not only high school students who don't want to be in class, but also their teachers. A series of very unmusical students with a variety of motivations implore him to find a way to teach what appear to be hopeless cases to become competent at their instruments. This forces him to dig much deeper into the teens' psyche and his own soul to invent ways to help the teens succeed. I found it very admirable the way he learned to control his verbal responses to kids who seemed so untalented and so far beyond the possibility of redemption. He bit his tongue and came up with positive responses that were honest yet gently guided the teens towards the discovery of possibilities no one even knew that they were capable of. As the parent of a teen, I can tell you this is very hard to do, and I really appreciated the lesson the movie teaches by example! I found it very inspiring the way these experiences impacted the teens involved as they grew to adulthood and beyond, and I believe such lessons could be very impactful on junior high age students who may be struggling in one subject or another at school, and on their parents. I'd highly recommend this film to benefit the parents of kids in the 10 to 16 years of age range, as well as to junior and senior high school teachers of any subject.

The story also shows how he inspires one very talented student, aptly played by the lovely Jean Louisa Kelly, to discover her inner voice and pursue her musical ambitions. To me, this film would have been worth seeing on the strength of her charming performance and beautiful singing voice alone. I think she'd make a great ingenue as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, for example, and I hope she gets that opportunity some day. I'd also love to see her opposite Josh Groban performing a musical duet, that would be magical indeed.

A movie of shattered dreams, and the influence that you leave on others

[The-Sarkologist · 7/10 · 15 October 2013]

This movie receives an awful lot of praise and I find that I quite enjoy it as well. It chronicles the life of a music teacher at John F. Kennedy Highschool (arriving after the name was changed from Ulysses Grant Highschool). He came into the school reluctantly because he wanted some time to compose some music but ended getting caught up within the school.

Mr Holland's Opus is a movie about shattered dreams and about how what we look to do is not what we end up doing. Holland's dream is to write a symphony but he finds that he is doing too much to get any time to actually dedicate to it. He becomes a teacher and almost immediately after he has a child forcing him to buy a house. To pay off the house he decides to take up summer work which drains even more of his time. Each of these things are unplanned and he finds himself caught up in the affairs of the school for thirty years.

He is overjoyed at having a child and dreams of raising this child as a great musician, but once again his dream is shattered when he learns that the child is deaf. As such he begins to isolate himself from his son and embrace his students. He feels that he can not relate to his son because he believes that he cannot appreciate that which he loves. This causes dissension between Holland and his son because of this.

Mr Holland's Opus tries to create a real person with dreams, desires, and heartaches and it is a movie about how he confronts these heartaches. Though he finds that he cannot write his own music, he is drawn further into the school wanting to work with the students there. Another shattered dream comes when the jock who he teaches to play the drum is killed in Vietnam. He saw a lot of potential for the boy, especially how he struggled with his incapability to learn only to be killed in a war that nobody wanted. This is contrasted at the time with another student who is so intelligent that he ends up wasting Holland's time. Holland drags him along to a funeral to point out to him a real student who struggled to learn only to have his life struck away from him.

In the end Holland feels that he has gained nothing. He is dumped in a budget cut and even though he fought, there was nothing he could do. He walks out of the school thinking that he had done nothing only to walk into the auditorium to be confronted by all of the people that had been through his classes in thirty years and what they had become. It is interesting to see the first girl he worked with, the one who struggled with the oboe walk up as governor of the state. Holland believed that he was a failure but when he looked upon all of the people who he had influenced it struck him that he was not going to be forgotten.

This movie shows us that even though we may not have made a huge impact on the world nor have got where we have wanted to, all we need to do is look around at the people we have interacted with to realise that we have made an impact in our own way. Even though we may not have risen to the heights, our close friends will remember us and what we have done for them.

One of my all time favorites

[anotherthought-1 · 10/10 · 11 July 2005]

Not only are the performances moving and compelling, but the story just grabs and won't let go. Even knowing what's coming, after seeing the movie many times, the ending still brings me to tears.

Dreyfuss is so totally believable. He captures everything from the arrogance of the younger man to the frustration and fatigue of the older.

This movie works on so many levels, from the messages about the educational system to the family interactions and challenges, to the romantic bits.

An absolute must-see!

Mr. Holland's Opus

[Coxer99 · 7/10 · 9 June 1999]

Dreyfuss is majestic as a music teacher who gives his students a deep sense of hope in this long winded film that runs out of ways to make this character lovable. Dreyfuss keeps you in it, but the story doesn't. Dukakis gives a wonderful turn as the principal, while Headley is miscast as Dreyfuss' wife. Dreyfuss was Oscar nominated for his performance.

Rather Contrvied Storyline with an Embarrassingly Bad and Cliché-Ridden Piece at the End

[classicalsteve · 4/10 · 17 April 2016]

I guess "Mr. Holland's Opus" was supposed to be about an inspirational music teacher throughout his career to give the audience tears of sentimental joy. As a classical musician, all I can say is "Oh brother". There are some really fine films in this sub-genre about teachers, mentors, or coaches engaging with students, athletes, etc., including "Dead Poet's Society", "Hoosiers", and probably the finest one, "Stand and Deliver". "Stand and Deliver" was based on a real teacher who found creative ways to speak and teach to minority students struggling in East Los Angeles. As far as I know, "Mr. Holland's Opus" wasn't based on a real music teacher, and too many of the incidences shown were clearly written by people who knew next-to-nothing about the music universe.

Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) is an aspiring musician who has dreams of making it big as an established composer. He then takes a position at a high school as their music teacher as a means to compose. Of course, the inevitable "resentment" of the other faculty emerges as he proves to be one of the most popular teachers in the school. Simultaneously, the faculty constantly belittle the value of teaching music in the classroom. As a classical musician myself, I applaud the idea of an inspirational music teacher fighting for the importance of the arts and music public high schools. However, I found the premise so obviously contrived I couldn't help saying to myself "oh dear Lord" in many scenes. I was in high school when there was drastic cutting of arts and music funding, but I never found the faculty dismissive of the music teachers.

One of the other terrible aspects of this film is whoever produced it didn't bother to simply hire a bona fide orchestral conductor and show Dreyfuss how to conduct. While I will agree Dreyfuss' performance is relatively good given the material, his conducting is absolutely god-awful. The upbeat cue to begin a piece is completely incorrect. You don't just start slide into it after a couple of little beats. You actually take a virtual "breath" and clearly indicate the cue beat which signals the performers to begin. And he constantly moves his upper body up and down with the beat as he conducts, which is complete no-no as it's distracting to the performers. If the character is supposed to be this amazing musician, why does it seem like he never took conducting in college?

While he's teaching during many years, he's writing "An American Symphony" on the side, supposedly his magnum opus. At the end of the film, as a tribute to him, many of his former students, now adults, produce a concert to play his "opus". And then it's really OMG, this is so bad. His final piece is a silly ultra-cliché-ridden little monster masquerading as a "great orchestral work". All the melodies sound like overused tracks from bad films from the 1970's, including an unremarkable string theme, used ad infinitum on many pieces and songs from the mid-20th century. Also the piece is not truly orchestrated in terms of varying the instruments. All the instruments play "tutti" constantly, in other words, all the instruments play during the whole piece. This is not how orchestral works are written. The music should vary with different instruments playing melody and harmony in different passages, otherwise the piece becomes monotonous, which literally means "sounding the same". In great works, only in a few dramatic moments does an orchestra play tutti. And the drum section only makes the whole thing sound pop-oriented; I couldn't take it seriously. The Opus really does sound like a high school student's first stab at writing an orchestral work. It doesn't even sound good enough for the Boston Pops who were always playing very light orchestral music. Unfortunately, Holland's "opus" wasn't even so bad it's good. Even rock songs from the 1980's are more easily tolerated than the "Opus".

The good films in this genre have a lot of bite and grit in them, particularly "Stand and Deliver" and "Dead Poet's Society". Both deal with social and societal issues. Some of the best, like "Stand and Deliver" were based on true-life experiences. However, "Opus" is too saccharine and contrived for its own good. While Mr. Holland deals with his student's problems, I never got the sense the story was real but rather artificial and written by people who didn't really know this subject. And the Opus at the end proved that Holland really wasn't that great a composer. He's lucky he received his job in the first place! Of course, there are many fans of this film, and I am sure I've caused many grievances with this review. However I can tell you, no matter how much this film may "move you", this is not what I experienced as a classical musician in school. There's a lot more blood, sweat and tears than what's shown here. Students don't always listen to the teacher, sometimes playing when they shouldn't be. Some teachers berate lesser-skilled players. Playing music in educational institutions is not the easiest of tasks including both student and teacher alike, but I don't believe the makers of "Mr. Holland's Opus" quite understood that.

Lighten Up, Folks.......

[drconcerts · 24 December 2000]

It's a MOVIE! I'm reading comments so vastly polarized to one extreme or another so as not to be believed.

Okay, I am a musician. I've been one on a professional level for over ten years, both as a writer and performer. And I LOVED this movie (apologies to all those pretentious 'serious' musicians out there). I enjoyed my theatrical viewing and I have watched my DVD several times.

Is MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS musically accurate? No, of course not, no more so than STAR TREK paying attention to factual science and the laws of physics. But for the most part, nobody other than most of us ego-driven, high horse bound musician types will ever know it.

Designed to have a broad appeal outside the aforementioned musically inclined crowd? Yes, but then so is nearly every movie to come out of Hollywood. It has to be palatable to a certain degree, and I believe that the much maligned "Play the sunset" scene is far more entertaining than having Mr. Holland give us lengthy exposition on the proper articulation and technique that goes into playing a given instrument.

And if I hear one more poster scream about Mr. Holland's 'opus' only being ten minutes long (the "It took him a lifetime to write THIS?" mantra) I think I'll scream. Did it ever occur to anybody that what we heard was only a small part of a much larger work? Most classical and semi-classical pieces occur in (get ready) MOVEMENTS! It's entirely possible that we only heard the prologue to a much larger piece. Think outside the box, people.

As for the quality of the piece itself, I found it to be acceptable, if not the most dynamic piece of work I've ever heard. But seeing as how we had been hearing snippets of this piece THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE, I can't say that I was so overwhelmingly let down as some of our more 'educated and refined' musician types that have posted here.

Sure, there were some flaws. Ms. Headly is not the greatest actress in the world, and beside Dreyfuss she's downright embarrassing. William Macy's character is so cliched that it warrants no further discussion. The whole subplot with Rowena and her romantic interest in Mr. Holland ran about ten minutes too long. And the ending bit where the arts funding gets cut seemed a little too political.

But overall, a great film, surely one of Dreyfuss' best, and one of my favorite films.

I'm a musician. And I liked it. So sue me....