Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

Opus: a work; composition; especially any of the chronologically numbered musical works of a composer. - Webster's New World Dictionary

"Mr. Holland's Opus" is one of those rare films that spans numerous years, in this case 30, and still manages to have a coercive theme, idea and plot. It never wanders far from it's original intent. It never takes us deep into territory that is off the cuff. It seems to follow a singular, logical line that leads to it's sweet, poignant, theme. Like "It's a Wonderful Life" before it, "Mr. Holland's Opus" want to remind us of the power of one person's life when intertwined with many others.

Writer/Producer Patrick Sheane Duncan ("Nick of Time") pushes so many of the right buttons here that, even when the film is a bit contrived, we can't help but become emotional. The film has a (not so) young musician, the titular Mr. Holland (Richard Dreyfuss), accepting a teaching position at the newly re-named John F. Kennedy High School. In fact, the day Holland arrives the sign is being changed. The principal of the school, played by Olympia Dukakis, has her doubts about his trepidation and rightly so. Holland doesn't really want to be there. It's a temporary money-making job so he can spend more time writing his "Great American" composition. Of course, circumstance change and soon Mr. Holland and his quirky but extremely likable wife Iris (Glenne Headly) are expecting a child. Before long Mr. Holland comes to love his job teaching children the beauty and the power of music. And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, 30 years have passed and Mr. Holland's life is almost over. His teaching career is, anyway. Finally, the film sums up the proceedings with a pretty typical climax, and yet, we enjoy it immensely and fall in love with the film all over again.

The true crux of Duncan's plot is a simple device that turns the film on it's ear (no pun intended). Duncan makes Holland's child deaf. This sounds like Made-for-TV movie material here yet Duncan, director Stephen Herek, and the cast catapult this simple plot twist to a shining apex. Headly begins the deeply emotional actions in the plot by exploding at Dreyfuss over her inability to communicate with her son and his indifference to him. The poignancy of the plot, of course, comes from the fact that Holland loves music; it is his life; but it is a subject he knows his son, as a deaf child, can never understand. Eventually, a young actor is called in to play the 15 year old Cole (short for Coltrane) and before long the sparks really begin to fly. This young talent is so adept at playing off Dreyfuss that the chemistry practically dissolves the screen. There is so much love, tenderness, emotion and feeling in the film's proceedings, particularly between these two, that the viewer is soon drenched in tears.

Dreyfuss doesn't pull out any new stuff here, but that's okay. He is such a great actor, when he sets his mind to it, that he can seem to coast through the many twists and turns of Herek's plot and still turn in a powerhouse performance. Headly is sweet and unassuming and we easily grow to understand what Dreyfuss' Holland sees in her. Dukakis takes a great turn here too and we are sad when the film retires her character midway. Her upstanding principal, who demands the best from Dreyfuss, helps lead his character to his logical conclusion. When she responds to criticism about Dreyfuss' teaching methods by hearing his side of the story, it is really a magical point in the film. W.H. Macy, who has a crew cut throughout the film even though 30 years pass, is also a wonderful addition to the cast. Playing the typical Vice Principal, Macy has two hilarious scene in the films first 20 minutes. Eventually he is called upon to play the bad guy and yet Macy still makes us see his character as a person and not a caricature. Jay Thomas (L.A. DJ and star of numerous TV sit-coms) has a supporting role as the football coach here and his friendship with Holland, an unlikely alliance, always makes for interesting conversation. As a fellow teacher and confidant, it is often through Thomas that we see Holland's mind working. Meanwhile, Alicia Witt (TV's Chloe on "Cybill") plays a young, pigtailed student in the film and through her, we get to see a transformation in Holland as well. Over 3 years ago Crispin Glover predicted Witt would be a new ingenue (he starred with her in David Lynch's "Hotel Room") and that prediction comes closer to the truth with each role she plays. Witt is magical here, able to show her true self seemingly only to Holland. Their screen time together isn't forced; Duncan and Herek allow it to blossom over time with wonderful results. Balthazar Getty has a tiny role as a student circa 1973 and his only valid addition to the film is his "Mr. Brady perm" wig. Getty, sadly, seems to be lost on the cutting room floor. Both of these characters appear in the film's closing as grown-ups with Joanna Gleason (Thomas' co-star from "Love and War") playing the elder Witt. As for cameos, one thinks they see Jay (from MTV's "Real World" in London) singing a line from a Gershwin tune briefly.

Herek, whom heretofore had "Bill and Ted's" first movie as his main triumph, really breaks new ground with this work. He shows us such a long time-span sweeping across his screen that we can't help but be impressed by the subtle and not-so- subtle changes he marks in the film. The hairstyles, clothes and music changes and yet much remains the same. Herek moves the film along swiftly; it never bores; and shows us so many emotional tangents that our heads begin to spin. He does make mistakes at times, but these are mainly missteps. For example, Herek crams about 14 years into one musical montage that includes a clip from "Saturday Night Fever" (which makes sense in the musical and cultural context of the film's theme) and then later sneaks in a clip from the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (which makes no sense at all). But Herek is easily forgiven because all the emotional strings get pulled at exactly the right times. His special effects and cinematic touches never once distract us from the heart of the story.

Of course, music is important to the film yet, surprisingly, there aren't endless clips of time-frame notation pop tunes saturating the soundtrack ala "Forrest Gump." Herek and music supervisor Sharon Boyle use just a few to highlight certain moments in the film. More often, they use Michael Kamen's interesting score to highlight the film. This is often in the form of themes played on piano by Dreyfuss. And while the film also uses a segment highlighting the tunes of Gershwin (in particular "Someone to Watch over Me," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," and "I've Got Rhythm..."), a more poignant use of a musician's life work involves John Lennon. Although a Beatles' tune never appears in the film, Lennon's death is discussed and the linchpin of the emotional climax comes when Dreyfuss sings his heartfelt "Beautiful Boy" to his son. Again, Herek simply sits back and lets this song unfold before us. He doesn't hurry the film or this scene's message and the entire song is used. It's powerful and touching.

"Mr. Holland's Opus" is exactly that, A 2 and 1/2 hour look at a man's life's work. It shows us much about the American spirit and our nation's history without ever really attempting to do so. The film concludes with a performance of Holland's "The American Symphony" and while this is a mediocre piece at best, it isn't the music that's so important here, as the playing. In life, however, the converse is proved by the film; It isn't the living so much as the life.

Note: Also starring Joseph Anderson as Cole at 15.

Director of Photography is Oliver Wood. Duncan acts as Executive Producer. Choreographer is Bruce McDonald.

Bach, Beethoven and Sousa are discussed during the film. Julian Lennon sings a Kamen co-authored song over the end credits. Kamen has worked with numerous rock musicians, Lou Reed in particular.

Filmed in and around Portland, Oregon.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor (Dreyfuss).

It's a shame others were not nominated. Duncan deserves a nod for his script, Headly is worthy of a supporting award, Kamen's score is also overlooked. For what it's worth, Kamen was nominated that year for his co- authorship of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" from "Don Juan DeMarco," which he wrote with Bryan Adams and Robert John (Mutt) Lange.

Review written in 1996

Report Card

Script: A+

Acting: A+

Cinematography\Lighting: B+

Special Effects\Make Up: A+

Music: A+

Final Grade: A+