"Just some kid I taught to bang a drum." (Glen Holland)
It is a fortunate world that openness and sincerity can trump tactics and skill. Mr. Holland's Opus always brings the heart and is a treat for all audiences. However, if not for the uncanny skill of the producers, the director, and an excellent performance by Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland's Opus would be marginal.
Most times I despise the use of cultural cue music interludes on a montage to show the passage of time. The Yardbirds always end of up singing -There is a season change, change- or Dylan dupes us with his -the times they are changin'- and we as audience groan for an overused ploy and the unending psychotropic touchstone that was the 1960s. Mr. Holland's Opus has what I consider to be 5-6 moments of pure brilliance, that are accomplished through the magic of montage and music. If the song and pictures are perfect, everyone's heart is opened. If the song and pictures aren't perfect, cynicism and discontent fester.
Ratings:
Matt Culloton: We have such a short time to be passionate
Cynics: See it
Montagists: See it
Script writers: Skip it
Played in a HS band?: See it
On a scale of Mixolydian to Phrygian, I give Mr. Holland's Opus 3.75 out of 5 stars.
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