Music of the Heart

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Family Movie
Review: This movie is excellent. The story is incredible and inspirational. It goes to show that if you work hard enough at something, you can make a difference in people's lives. This movie is suitable for all ages. There is no violence, there is no sex, it's just wholesome entertainment. Meryl Streep is brilliant in this role. She really deserved to be nominated for an Oscar. The DVD is excellent as it has so many special features including the original documentary that started it all. I would recommend this film to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: A most exceptional inspiring film.
Review: MUSIC OF THE HEART explores the depth of being a true hero (or heroine, if you are a female). It's about loss, romance, drama, and along the way it even has some comical, humorous parts. In this fabulous, true-story, Wes Craven film, Meryl Streep plays a strong young woman named Roberta Gausperi. In the beginning of the film, Roberta is stressing over the loss of her husband - who (before the film begins) had left her and her two young children for another woman they met while living in Greece (her husband worked in the Navy and they were always moving around the Globe). Roberta takes her children (Nick and Lexi) to live at her mother's house. Roberta's mother soon urges her daughter to get a job so she can move into her own house with her kids. Soon, Roberta comes along with an old former high school classmate, Brian (Adian Quinn), and they end up falling in love. Since Roberta loves music and plays the violin (she even taught her two children to play the violin), Brian suggested to Roberta that she go to tough East Herlem in New York where there was a young principal at an elementary school Janet Williams (Angela Bassett), looking for substitute teachers. So Roberta takes Lexi and Nick and move to East Herlem, hoping that Roberta will get the job. When Roberta meets with Janet and tells her that she wants to be their music teacher, Janet first is hesitant to give Roberta the job because she doesn't think the school board will allow any music classes (mostly because of money issues). So Roberta finally proves to Janet - by bringing in her two sons to play the violin with them - that she can handle the music class and Janet just can't resist. Roberta soon gets her classes together and soon realizes that the job of being a violin teacher isn't easy! All of the children in her classes end up having their own problems, and things in Roberta's life become more emotional while working with them. Then, 10 years later, Roberta is still a music teacher at the school - but Janet ends up firing Roberta because the school board wants to withdrawl all music programs! Furious, Roberta schemes to come up with a way to get her music program back so she can continue having a job. With all the parents from her new classes help, Janet's, and a kindergarten teacher Roberta met and became friends with, Isabel Vasquez (Gloria Estefan), they find a way to beat out all the odds and Roberta becomes a true heroine! Excellent, surpurb performences by the entire cast including Meryl Streep (of course), Angela Bassett, Adian Quinn, Gloria Estefan in her first debut movie, Kieran Culkin, and especially all of Roberta's students! This movie is heartwrenching, heartwarming, charming, inspiring, and everything in between. A must-see to anyone who's ever had a dream and wanted it to come true!!

Rating:
Summary: I don't like it. Oh No. I LOVE IT!
Review: Who would have thought that Wes Craven(aka- Scream Guy) would pull this off? A family movie with a great cast, great story, and great acting all around. Who would have thought? Anyway, to the point. As you have noticed from above, I don't like this movie. I LOVE IT! I mean love as in I like it more than most movies. Such as The Cider House rules, which wasn't that great, nothing special. This movie however is an extremely well directed movie. Wes Craven has shown his soft side to us. Maybe he can make more like this. Meryl Streep is excellent, but Gloria Estefan has such a small role, you can't really classify it as anything more than a special appearance, but it is still good. Angela Basset does great also. Aiden Quinn as Brian is also great. I can't say anymore than this or I'll spoil it. See this movie. You won't be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: good, but flawed (disappearing curlers!)
Review: Streep is excellent. Watch the real documentary of Roberta's life and you will see what a fine character portrayal Meryl does. If you don't think this movie is flawed, however, check out the poor editing during the scene near the beginning of the movie when Roberta and boyfriend first display affection to each other. Meryl has several huge curlers in her hair, Aidan starts to kiss her neck, etc, and then the curlers magically disappear! (These are BIG curlers, not to be missed). However, I did like the movie but I probably won't buy this DVD just because the disappearing curlers bug me too much!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely nothing new here, but Streep makes it worthy
Review: A genuinely corny, by-the-numbers biopic with the dialogue (as well as the story) so utterly predictable that it amounts to nothing but a big yawn. We've seen these kinds of films before in which a music teacher makes a difference in the lives of other students most recently in Mr. Holland's Opus. We practically know every scene we're going to see. The character is going to go through ups and downs and not get through to some of her students but then eventually everything will end happily ever after. The supporting cast is simply awful. Aidan Quinn, who's usually such a compassionate actor, plays a totally artificial character for whom it's hard to feel sorry for. Yet why is this film still entertaining? Two words: Meryl Streep. She rises far above the cliche-ridden material, giving a memorable, illustrious performance. In fact, Meryl Streep IS the teacher in the movie. She can play anyone, absolutely anyone, and take her role so seriously and with utter passion. In OUT OF AFRICA, she played Isak Dinesan, the famous Danish writer who traveled throughout Africa and she was that person. She can save any movie from being forgettable.

Rating:
Summary: Triumph of the Human Spirit
Review: I watched this movie because I was skeptical if Wes Craven would pull a stunt like this, ie. directing a family oriented movie. To my pleasant surprise, it delivered. The storyline was simple enough, if you combine Mr Holland's Opus and Dangerous Minds together. With stellar and versatile casts such as Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Angela Bassett, the movie was enjoyable to watch despite its 2 hours length. The viewers were shown Meryl's character's struggle to find ends meet, bringing up 2 childen independently and giving her children reality check that their dad is not coming back anymore, overcoming xenophobia and helping the blacks in their neighbourhood to overcome their inferiority complex and channeling their anger and frustration towards something more meaningful that would change the course of their lives. In this instance, that would mean being a violinist. In other words, social and family issues are discussed here. Perhaps, the pace of the movie could be quickened and that casts such as Aidan Quinn and Gloria Estefan could be given more protracted roles. Other than that, the movie was hard to fault and it was heart warming to see the finale, to see Meryl's character's disciples played among the violin's greats at the Carnegie Hall.

Rating:
Summary: excellent family movie
Review: I enjoyed watching Meryl Streep play the violin teacher from New York. I thought the movie was tastefully done, except for the bedroom scene. Not a good moral teaching there. There are not enough movies that focus on helping children, and how important music should be in all our lives. There are not enough good musicals, or enough good entertainment anymore. I don't even watch TV anymore because it is below the intelligence of most people. I also enjoyed seeing the documentary that came with the DVD. It was an eyeopener to see famous musicians help where a need is.

Rating:
Summary: I CANT BELIEVE A GUY LIKED THIS FILM
Review: Okay, I love action adventure movies mostly...however this was a great movie. Excellent story telling, and Meryl Streep at her best. IM not going to give anything away, but all the acting is great. Although not 100% belieable, this is a great movie to take your girlfriend too. I would say this is the best movie I have seen this year...

Rating:
Summary: Music Like Flying
Review: A violin teacher (Streep) in Harlem leads a group of young students through their studies, against odds that include the closing of the music department in their school, well enough for them to eventually perform at Carnegie Hall.

Rating:
Summary: pretty moving
Review: I have never scene the documentary that this flim was based on so i dont know how true to life it is. however on its own the movie is pretty good. the perfomance are great. besides meerrly i liked the perfomsances of michel aagrano as nick at 7. kirean culikn as lexi at 15.the movie might be a tad predictable but who cares overall its a winning movie.