Radio

Rating:
Summary: Great movie with excellent performances
Review: Radio is a movie based on a true story that is vastly improved because of the excellent performances by its cast. Football coach Harold Jones sees a young mentally challenged young man walk by his team's practice everyday and begins to take an interest in him. Jones invites him to help out at practice and basically be part of the team. Soon the young man, James Robert Kennedy aka Radio, begins to have an influence on all those around him. Radio even goes to school by helping out Coach Jones and going to classes himself. Some people in the small South Carolina town do not approve of Radio and begin to make steps to have him examined by professionals and possibly move him out of town. Radio is a very good movie from beginning to end that will keep you riveted throughout. The story is great, the acting even better, and the emotions are very real as you watch this movie.

Cuba Gooding JR is great as James Robert Kennedy, aka Radio, the mentally challenged young man who becomes involved with the town's football team and its coach, Harold Jones. Jones is played by Ed Harris in a very good role for him as the thoughtful coach who is suffering through family problems of his own. The relationship between Radio and Jones is the most important in the movie and easily the very best. Some scenes are truly touching as the two men interact with each other. The film also stars Alfre Woodward as the school principal, Debra Winger as Jones' wife, and several other familiar faces who all turn in good roles. Radio is a very good movie that benefits greatly from the impressive performances turned in by its two main stars. This is a movie that may make you cry several times, but it is very enjoyable and well worth a watch. Go check out Radio!

Rating:
Summary: "Radio" hits the right frequency
Review: "Radio" is not your typical "against all odds" saga, as finely polished performances from both Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ed Harris will attest to the above fact. Based on a true story, "Radio" focuses on the hardships of a mentally disabled man (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), who is scoffed at by the locals in a small South Carolina town. Moving about evasively with a shopping cart filled with "goodies" along a backwoods road, the film's subject just goes from point A to point B in roundabout fashion, being virtually ignored by everyone, until an incident which occurs at a local high school changes this man's life. He then crosses paths with the high school varsity football coach (Ed Harris), who gives Radio an honorary position on the team as a "waterboy" of sorts. This young man begins to win many a heart of nearly everyone on the team, including the citizens of the hometown. Besides the coach, Radio's biggest fan is his mother, who just gloriously basks at the sight of her son's accomplishments. Since Radio enamorates such a bold and enlightening presence around the football squad, he is then given an opportunity to blend in with the student body, and enrolls in the eleventh grade. Persistence pays off, as this determined young man begins to pronounce words unknown to him before, thus gaining Radio a newfound self-confidence. Also contained within this uplifting motion picture, is a touching scene that will leave one emotionally shaken. While "Radio" is not your typical "Win One For The Gipper" movie, it is not devoid of the thematic meaning the film's storyline conveys (as is the case in some similarly themed motion pictures) - that being it is not just about sports, but is about persevering against the odds and showing everyone that no obstacle is too big or too small to overcome, regardless of one's physical size or personality type. Alfre Woodard displays an Oscar-caliber performance as the school principal who's doubtful of Radio's presence on campus. Above all, "Radio" hits the right frequency, and is static-free, regardless of the station it's tuned to. It's playing (in stereo, of course) at a theater near you. Get tuned, real soon!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully inspiring and amazing job CUBA!!!
Review: When people told me that this movie was fantastic, I did not know that they meant FANTASTIC!

It was everything people told me it was and so much more.

This movie will make you laugh, cry, and just feel good. The acting in this film is nothing short of amazing and I am extremely upset that Cuba did not get a nomination for it. He was great. He makes it hard to believe that he is not that way in the real life. The fact that he played that character just blows my mind because it was that good.

Although, there are many sad moments in this film, the funny and inspirational parts make up for it.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming and Heartfelt
Review: Sappy, yes.... Sentimental, yes.... Contrived, yes --- but still a wonderful, feel-good, and inspirational movie.

Cuba Gooding was outstanding as Radio, a mentally challenged young man. If I had not known the actor who was playing this role, I would never have recognized him! Ed Harris plays to perfection the football coach who mentors Radio and allows him to be a part of the team. This gives Radio a focus that had been lacking in his life, through no fault of his own.

After seeing the movie, I found the "Sports Illustrated" article that inspired it and I was equally touched. It is a wonderful story of a special young man and those people whose patience and kindness make his life better and allow him to blossom and feel a sense of purpose.

Rating:
Summary: Will Melt Your Heart
Review: Although not critically acclaimed, "Radio" is a wonderful heartwarming story based on the true life of James Robert "Radio" Kennedy of Anderson, South Carolina. Circa 1976, Radio (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a mentally challenged man, walks daily pass the local high school football field. With his mother working most of the time Radio is left to wonder the streets by himself during the day. Coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris) takes notice of him and offers him the opportunity to work with the football team. Radio, who gets his nickname for his love of radios, becomes a permanent fixture of the Hanna High football team in practice, on the sideline and with the cheerleading squad. Like any story of this nature the mentally challenged Radio brings life, love and kindness into the hearts of all those he touches. Also like any story of this nature there are those who see Radio as a distraction and a problem. In the end Radio becomes an honorary graduate of Hanna High and of his choosing remains a student of the 11th grade indefinitely. The conclusion of the film will introduce the real Radio 26 years later still leading the Hanna High Yellow jackets onto the field. Cuba Gooding, Jr. gives an Oscar winning performance.

Rating:
Summary: A PASSABLE FEEL-GOOD FILM
Review: When you see the real "Radio" during the closing credits, you see that Cuba Gooding does a passable job of capturing his nuances. The expressions are good, but not amazing.

The moving story is based on an actual ongoing friendship in South Carolina between a white football coach and a mentally disabled black man. While the theme itself is very touching, has great lessons for us all, and all that, it really should have remained as the 4-page article in Sports Illustrated. It's too drawn out and simplistic to make into a movie. Little surprise then that the film is sappy, overtly "look I am so moving", and overwrought. Plus, it is paced very very slowly.

It is good to see Debra Winger again, but not in the role of the coach's homey wife. She gets about 10 minutes of screen time in all. Cuba Gooding is better in this than in "Fighting Temptations" or "Boat Trip", but that is faint praise. Ed Harris does well in these quiet, patient roles ("Monster's Ball," for e.g.) so he is adequate.

A passable feel-good flick, good to watch with kids perhaps. Hard to give it more brownie points than that.

Rating:
Summary: Fans of ' Family ' Films Shouldn't Miss It
Review: I enjoyed many parts of this film. It is not perfect by far. There are a lot of slow areas that weigh the movie down. The film didn't properly focus on its lead character but more on the actual football games. We needed to see more about Radio. We needed to see how he took care of himself when his mother died, how he felt towards Coach Jones ( not just that he seemed to like him because he gave him footballs and radios ). We needed to see how Radio really thought of the players, and being taken from his life of solitude and forced into the small spotlight as a town's precious ' gift '. I realize its hard to condense a real life story into a short movie but the director could have tried better. Instead of getting the story of a disabled black man we get " Rain Man " vs. " All The Right Moves ". Sometbing was missing here. That missing addition was probably the cause of Radio not getting more attention in theaters or from awards shows.

Cuba is a fantastic actor but I saw this role as going backwards for him. Since Jerry Maguire he seems afraid to shine again. In ' Radio ' he didn't seem to be playing James Kennedy as much as he was doing his best Dustin Hoffman impression. He was believable and Cuba is talented but there was something else missing. Ed Harris was dry but kept the film moving. The football scenes took up the film when Radio should have been focused on more. Debra Winger was wasted. I don't know why she took such an unnoticable role. Maybe she wanted to be a part of something she thought would become a great film. Radio is good, touching and very sad at times but it has a lot to learn about standing on its own as a family classic.

I recommend this film to fans of family films. Others may not recognize the small charm in Radio. If you bore easily or family movies are not your thing you may want to skip it. But if you're a Cuba Gooding fan, this is one you'd want just for the heck of it. Radio has its faults but stands above some of Hollywood's recent ' big hits ' by far. And in my book will be around a lot longer for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: half hour movie
Review: Remember the Titans Reprise. The tedious scenes cut off at odd moments and move too far ahead in the future to gain any personal connection with "radio". Many scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor. I would have enjoyed this movie had it been on television during a 20/20 segment. If you liked remember the titans and need another sports movie with a classic rock soundtrack....

Rating:
Summary: Yanks at heartstrings
Review: and with too much force. It's a slow, tedious movie. The acting is good, but it moves to slow. For a better movie, try "Remember the Titans"

Rating:
Summary: Radio is a very good movie!
Review: I must admit I saw this movie about 3 or 4 times in school this year and I really like this movie! It's about this boy Radio who is a boy and he has this basket that he strolls around with everyday and then he meets this Coach and helps out with Coach Jones and stuff with the football team. Well, I don't really wanna give away all the details of the movie! All I'm saying is that it's a good funny, and sad movie. I HIGHLY reccomend that you BUY this movie today! 100% great movie!!!!