Radio

Rating:
Summary: Good Acting But Not a Good Movie!
Review: "Radio" is the story of a man who meets a boy who changes a town. Sounds sappy, eh? Well that's the charm of "Radio" but charm was not enough to win me over and give this movie a better rating.

The movie stars film veteren Ed Harris and a star who I believe will become a future veteren actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Most of Gooding's movies are good. I heard good things about "Jerry McGuire," "Men of Honor," and "Pearl Habor." I saw him in "Rat Race," "Snow Dogs," "The Fighting Temptations," and was probally one of the only people who liked "Boat Trip." But when these two great actors come together, you would think that it would make one heck of a movie. But people are wrong all the time and I was just wrong thinking of it being a great movie. The problem with "Radio" did not rest with the performances of the actors. All of the actors put there best into the role, but the problem was that the script and the story was too weak. Too sappy. Too much. I felt like I was watching the same thing that I've seen in tons of other films. It was just another tearjerker about a mentally challenged person who changes a life or many lives. That genre is just getting old.

The movie starts with a young man named James Robert Kennedy, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. He is pushing a shopping cart down a dirt road, having fun. Every day he does this and he passes the sports field where he sees Coach Harold Jones helping his football team pratice for the upcoming season. The team includes Johnny, son of banker Frank Clay. Also couching team is Honeycutt. Harry focuses on football all the time during the season which neglects his wife Linda and their teenage daughter Mary Ellen who is a cheerleader for the team. Though Harry discovers James when the other boys on the team are making fun of him. He nicknames his Radio and brings him home to his mother, Maggie. Harry lets Radio hang around on the field bu Frank believes that he is becoming a disraction and the football team is becoming less of a team, and more of a social club. Then harry lets Radio sit in his class. Harry is a teacher at the school. Principal Daniels has a problem with that since Radio is not an official student. Problems arise from Radio in his personal life as they begin to educate him and learn more about how his father died, how his mother always works long hours at a hospital, and how he is just like all of the other kids, just a little different then them.

The acting was amazing. I've stated that already, but I just want to stress the point. Gooding Jr. especially. He was just amazing. He played the part of Radio so well, that people who never saw that actor would probally think that the actor was an actual mentally challenged person. All of the actors put so much love in their characters. Whenever you saw Radio on the screen, you just had to smile because he was so innocent. He did nothing wrong, yet half of the town is angry at him just for being different. But they are really just scared. They are scared of what they believe is not normal, when Radio is just as normal as you and me. It's a sad thing, being angry at innocent things, at different things. Because in exterior does not matter. Towards the end of the movie Ed Harris says that they havn't been teaching Radio, he's been teaching them. Radio has been teaching them. He taught them that it is ok to be scared of things you don't understand, but it wasn't ok to take out angry on them because of their difference.

ENJOY!

Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements.

Rating:
Summary: Touching!
Review: My class went to see this movie on a field trip. Some of them thought it was boring, but I think it is cause they dont really have any emotional feeling or understanding for the plot. However the story is so touching and has a great moral, and loads of us students got that too. I am never going to forget this movie. When I think of it today, I still get tears in my eyes. It was so sad! Normally I just think, "Oh its just a movie," but the thing is that this is based on a true story and also it affects loads of peoples lives, including mine. What is so important to me is helping people with disabilities. I cried when Radio started crying cause football was over, I felt so bad for him - I could feel his innocence and pain. Then when his mom hugged him I felt my heart, like, lurch. I really cried when his mom died. I felt so sorry and bad for him, especially since it was just after Xmas and he is such a sweet innocent person! And also, I dont no why but when he got the radio for Xmas and was dancing, that touched me. I felt so bad and had tears when he got arrested, cause it was Xmas and he was so scared and so innocent. Anyways, this movie really touched me and I will carry it with me forever. I would go see it again but it was so sad that I don't think I will for awhile. I loved it though.

Rating:
Summary: Tune your brain to the right frequency and see this movie!
Review: "Radio" is one of the best movies of 2003 and is a very touching story. The movie is based on a true story of a mentally handicapped young mane named James Robert "Radio' Kennedy who got his nickname 'Radio' from a habit of carrying a small radio device in his shopping cart since his childhood as he walked by the high school to watch the football games and practices. A coach for Hanna High School in South Carolina named Harold Jones sees 'Radio' numerous times who walks by the school sidewalks during practice and during the games and decides to bring him into the games after Radio takes a football which was kicked out of the field and keeps it. It is around this point when Harold Jones invites Radio to join the assistant coaching staff. However, some school staff and parents of the other students feel highly reluctant to keep 'Radio' on the job as assistant coach believing that he is only being used but Harold Jones completely objects to the officials desire to remove 'Radio' from the school.

If you enjoyed "Remember The Titans", you are destined to enjoy "Radio" a lot as it deals with similar issues of prejudice in schools around this time although in a different light. Both of these movies are based on rather turbulent times during the immediate aftermath of the Civil Rights Movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s and the bigoted attitude that still was lingering in many schools around that time. The differences between is that "Remember The Titans" involves the team with an African-American as their new coach, learning to reject prejudice against non-whites and do some teamwork with their coach Herman Boone, "Radio" involves the powerful but true story of a guy who goes from being an outcast on the streets (he's not homeless) to becoming one of the most beloved assistant coaches the high school has ever had. "Remember The Titans" sheds light on overcoming prejudice against non-whites, "Radio" in a way involves a much more complicated issue of welcoming severely handicapped individuals into the fold as the number of mentally handicapped people is likely to only get larger in the foreseeable future (Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, etc.).

(There could be some Minor movies spoilers possible ahead but hopefully not)

James Radio Kennedy is still assistant coach at the Hanna school and is now in his 50s and still improves people's lives at the school and brings more victories to his high school football teams. According to the movie, Harold Jones is now retired but is still in close touch with 'Radio' to this very day. I've been reading some articles while net researching on 'Radio' and it says that In reality though, there was no record of Harold in fact ever retiring and is probably still coaching there for all I know. Some of the timeline elements are different from the real life times when the events in this movie occurred. While the movie takes place in 1976, 'Radio' himself was made assistant coach way back in 1964, not in 1976. He himself was the victim of some cruel pranks early in his career but not the one shown in the movie but one was worse. But through it all, it's absolutely amazing to learn that 'Radio' went from an outcast who could hardly write or read to becoming one of the most well-known and beloved assistant coaches ever at the school.

Cuba Gooding Junior delivers a heart-wrenching yet joyful acting portrayal of James 'Radio' Kennedy and in here, Gooding has never been better in any other movie I've seen him in so far. Excellent job! Everyone else does a fantastic job of playing their characters as well especially Ed Harris as Harold Jones. I felt ticked off at the character Johnny Clay's behavior at the beginning of the movie although he gradually came out and opened up to 'Radio'. However he shows the cold hard truth of how pranksters can really regret their actions later on.

While some of the elements of the story are altered from what actually happened in 'Radio's real life, this is a very true story and is a very uplifting example of how even some who have severe psychological conditions can become very powerful and beloved individuals. It also brings to mind the sad truth of how a lot of mentally ill patients are completely neglected on the streets and the tragedy of what these individuals face on the streets (crime, adverse weather conditions, speeding traffic, dire poverty, police brutality, etc.) and the consequences of such neglect by others. "Radio" though is a shining example of how even people with handicaps like 'Radio' himself have can show unbelievable courage and bravery to become respected idols for generations to come.

Some may believe that "Radio" may rely too much on sentimentality but I beg to differ. I for one am glad that Hollywood at least for once, managed to put out a clean, and sweet movie free of the excessive levels sexual content, foul language, and excessive pointless violence of a lot of other movies these days. There are quite a lot of mentally handicapped people in this country and the number is only going to increase in the foreseeable future but seeing this movie is very uplifting as 'Radio' would likely have long been deceased by now had Coach Jones not hired him as assistant coach but thanks to Jones, "Radio" Kennedy is one of the most beloved coaches in this country. Whatever happened, they sure tuned into the right frequency with this movie. Go with a friend, go with a date, or even go alone but whatever the case I strongly recommend that you tune into the right frequency and see this movie today. It's brilliant, it's sad, it's happy, all in one and is one of the best movies of the year so far.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie
Review: This is a movie about a handicapped guy who walks around with a cart. He gets a chance to help coach a football team, and it makes him happy. It also makes him do good stuff. In the face of opposition from parents and others who didn't think this young man was capable of anything, Radio manages to overcome everything and acheive his dreams, however simple they may be. This movie has a good moral, and is definitely worth seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Good Premise - Poor Movie
Review: Radio, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris, is the true story of a disabled South Carolina man (James "Radio" Kennedy) who was befriended by a football coach, school, and local community. The intentions behind the creation of Radio are good, but unfortunately the movie never fully explains, nor develops, the background of the central character enough to make us understand why there was such a sudden and overwhelming urge for other characters in the film to help him, they just assume you know. The producers, writers, and directors of Radio could have told a story similar to that of Forrest Gump, but Radio does not even come slightly close to the 1994 best picture winner. Instead of developing the same type of solid characters, quality story, and authentic emotion that Forrest Gump did, Radio becomes wildly sentimental and far too maudlin. Its simplistic, child-like plot almost makes you think that Captain Kangaroo was the writer and Mr. Rogers the director. Radio has a noble concept and a good premise, but those two elements alone do not make it a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Stellar
Review: One of the best movies I have seen in my life, period (and I've seen a LOT of movies-I'm 48). Outstanding story, well acted, well-written. I can't offer enough superlatives. Rarely does a movie come along with this good a story that is so well-delivered by everyone involved.

Rating:
Summary: this was the best i have seen in 2003 maybe ever
Review: this was one of the best i have ever seen. and what makes it one of the best is the fact it is based on a true story. this is a movie about what true friendship is about.it is one that touches the heart in a very strong way.i went with my wife and my best friend and his wife too see this movie i know was was going to be great because this is the first movie i have seen that the trailer has moved me to tears. and i was not let down as i watched this movie and to to be watching it with my best friend made it all the better. i know i looked over at him about 5 minutes into the movie and we both already had big tears rolling down our cheeks. this is a movie that we out cried our wifes in.i know some will say it is too sentimental but what is true freindship if you dont go through good times and bad together.this is a movie to take family too and enjoy it is great. there is sad tears in it and happy tears but so what that is what make a movie good to me.

Rating:
Summary: RADIO made me want to go out and do something good!
Review: When I first saw the trailer for RADIO I thought it looked really cheesy. I thought surely that it was going to be a lame attempt by star Cuba Gooding Jr. to acknowledge to his fans that he knows he's been wasting his talent in films such as BOAT TRIP, SNOW DOGS, and RAT RACE. So, needles to say I wasn't that excited about seeing the film. However, my mom and my brother came to visit and it was the one movie they and my girlfriend and I could all agree on watching. And I'm happy to say my thoughts based on the trailer were proven wrong.

RADIO is a wonderful film! As a matter of fact it is never cheesy and it never lays on the sap as I had initially thought it would. Instead it does just the opposite and is very subtle in it's emotions. I was as uplifted by RADIO as I have been by any film in recent memory. Cuba Goodings Jr.'s performance of the title character isn't only great it's incredibly brave. He isn't given much dialogue and yet he still really lets you know who his character is and what he's all about. This is the only noteworthy thing the actor has done since "showing the money" in JERRY MCGUIRE but it's been worth the wait. Not that I put that much stock in Oscar after the decisions the Academy has made in the past couple of years but if Cuba Gooding, Jr. isn't nominated for Best Actor it will be a crime. So far, there hasn't been a better performance this year. What else can I say? His portrayal is flawless and inspiring. Ed Harris is in fine form as well. Actually, I've never seen a movie Ed Harris wasn't good in so that should come as no surprise.

I love films like RADIO. It's the type of film that makes me want to literally stand up and cheer. After watching this film, it made me want to go out and try and be a better person. You know, give someone a helping hand. And if a film's capable of doing that to a person, especially me, then it must be powerful!

A-

Rating:
Summary: One if the better ( if not best) movies of 2003.
Review: As an avid movie go'er, you know what I hate the most? Walking out of a two hour movie feeling ripped off. And after having to endure such chronic trash such as "Hulk", and "Spykids 3", It is no maricle that this has become what I expect from the movie biz as of recently. However I can saftly say that Radio has left me feeling very happy, and relieved. It is a good film, one that is heart-warming, and leaves you feeling satisfied(comparable to "Remember The Titans"). In addition to a feel-good script there is also plenty of exciting, well set up foot ball scenes, resulting in a refreshing story, and an enjoyable film. Pay little mind to any critisism made by others--this is indeed a rare gem.

Rating:
Summary: Radio Plays Well
Review: I saw the sneak preview of RADIO and found it a good movie. Not a great movie, which it could have been, but better then the crap that was out this summer. I love going to movies especially when they are well written and do not make you check your watch to see how long you have to endure this IQ robbing film. RADIO did not make me look once. I rank it up with the best of 2003 along with Pirates of the Caribbean and Second Hand Lions. It is well worth the money?..