Music of the Heart (1999)

Loved the film, so inspiring. Glad they picked Meryl, she really made the film. Well of course the kids did too. I'm glad to know the real kids were involved. What a great program for a lot of troubled kids. It takes a lot of courage to create a program like this, I'm sure the real teacher had her work cut out for her. God bless all of the teachers who are as devoted to helping kids as she was. It's a lesson for everyone how we can change people lives of other around us. I wasn't really expecting to like the film when it started. But it did take me long to go get my mom and share it with her. Kids, if directed can do amazing things! Sometime you have to give up (such as a romance) to get the job done. I recommend it highly!

Fmovies: In honour of the passing of Wes Craven, I wanted to seek out a film of his. Of course, as the go-to-guy for horror movies, my least favourite genre, I had to scan through his filmography to find the bizarrely out-of-character film Music of the Heart. As the only non-horror film on the list, it won the honour fairly easily.

It surprises me to no end that a horror film maestro could create what is probably one of the best feel-good movies I have ever seen. I can pick a passion project when I see it, and I am positive that Craven was passionate about this story and to telling it right. When I was growing up, music lessons were everything to me. You could escape into a whole other world when you practised, and the instrument became a friend when none other might be. This film captured that more than any other I've seen.

For a character who looks and sounds like Meryl Streep, it is amazing how much Meryl Streep vanishes into Roberta. She captures with full conviction the passion she has for her music, whilst also layering her character with personality quirks that inform us why her marriage has broken down. Streep layers that with bursts of anger, sadness and even humour that never feel out of place because they feel like Roberta's real emotions. She could have walked into my high school's music department and wouldn't have felt even a little bit out of place. This is probably my favourite ever Meryl Streep performance. From an unknown supporting cast, Angela Basset is stunningly effective as Janet, a Harlem principal holding a school together with her bare hands.

The film essentially splits into two halves, with a ten year break in between. The first is Roberta's struggle to deal with the breakdown of her marriage and her desire to make the program work not to help the kids, but to make ends meet. But as the first act goes on, interactions with the kids show her how much the program means to them - even the troublemakers who give her flack but show up week after week in spite of everything. In the second half, ten years later than the first, Roberta's program is in jeopardy and she must fight to maintain it, because she has seen now how much good it can do.

The relationship between Roberta and the kids - especially Jade Yorker's DeSean and Victoria Gomez's Lucy - is beautiful and believable, even as she occasionally hits stumbling blocks associated with kids in Harlem - incidental murders, domestic violence and hostility from black parents. Screenwriter Pamela Gray does a terrific job avoiding the trappings of White Saviour but focusing more on how music helps children, regardless of who their teacher is.

Sometimes I felt that there were a few unnecessary subplots, such as Roberta's love life - both of her love interests fizzle out without much impact on the story. Other times, serious moments are swept over quickly, like when a father and daughter turn up to the concert announcing "they took the car and violin", which is quickly ignored. But I watched this film with a smile on my face the whole way through - just as the proud parents beamed at their underprivileged children performing beautiful music on stage. I would never have though to find such a feel-good movie in the filmography of a great horror director, but it just goes to show that just like music in the hearts of Harlem, you should never judge a book by its cover.

I really liked this movie. It's constantly on TV, and I don't get tired of it. Meryl Streep should have won the Academy Award, and I was mad she didn't. She did a fantastic job for the role she was given. Not only did I find her great, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find out it was her playing the violin! The entire cast plays their own violins! That is so cool! It's so surprising as well. What else is surprising is that Wes Craven did this movie. Wes Craven, the director of such crappy movies as Cursed and Dracula 2001. Amazing, Wes Craven can actually do good movies unlike the crappy horror movies that you go to the ticket booths for your money back afterwards. Bravo!

Music of the Heart fmovies. Music of the Heart (1999)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Incredibly entertaining and heart-warming story of Roberta Guaspari (Meryl Streep), a woman who finds herself raising her two sons alone when her husband leaves her for another woman. Although Roberta sees her life falling apart, with a little help she manages to get a job in an inner city school teaching violin. Soon this small class begins to help the people in the community as well as Roberta being able to see the power of music.

MUSIC OF THE HEART was pretty much overlooked by fans of Wes Craven when it was released and, to be honest, the fans haven't bothered with it to this day, which is really too bad. I'm ashamed to admit that it took me this long to actually watch the movie because it's certainly one of the best films that Craven ever did and it's obvious just by watching it that the material was very close to his heart. Craven at one time was a teacher so it's clear that he had a passion for this material and it easily comes through his very sentimental direction.

Of course, it's certainly doesn't hurt when you've got someone like Meryl Streep delivering one of her grand performances that only she can. It's really amazing watching this actress because she makes it seem so easy yet when you really look at this character it's easy to see the challenged. This character really is all over the place throughout the movie in regards to the emotions that she displays yet Street touches on all of them. It's really amazing to see how much passion she brings to the role and you can't help but see a real violin teacher. The supporting cast features fine performances by all of the children as well as the likes of Angela Bassett, Aidan Quinn and Cloris Leachman.

The violin music itself is also extremely good and the technical side of the film is all very good. Craven certainly manages to keep the film moving at a very good pace and there's no question that there's a lot of heart in the picture and this comes through whenever a dramatic moment comes up. I'm certainly not going to spoil some of the twists that happen but they're all handled in a very tender way proving that the director was certainly able to deliver more than just horror. MUSIC OF THE HEART features a terrific performance from Streep and fine direction by Craven and it deserves to be seen.

Can you picture this odd couple: Meryl Streep stars in a Wes Craven movie? Seems like a joke at first, but it really isn't. "Music of the Heart" is the second film that horror director Wes Craven has made and surpasses his first non-horror film, "Vampire in Brooklyn".

It based on the life of Roberta Guaspari (Streep), a violin teacher who moves to East Harlem with her two sons after her husband left her for another woman. Roberta starts a program of her own, teaching young kids how to play the violin. One mother of one of her students describes it as "dead white man music", but Roberta uses the late Arthur Ashe, who was black and a great tennis player as a great example. In another scene, the mother tells Roberta that she was right.

Ten years later, Roberta has taught over a thousand children how to play the violin and some of her former students have either gone onto college or become violinists. A problem surfaces, the superintendent and board of education have made budget cuts. Roberta is told by Janet Williams (Angela Bassett), the princpal that the music program has been cut.

So Roberta vows to keep the program alive and gets the idea of having a benefit concert. She gets help from some of her friends and some parents to help promote the concert and the place where it'll be held. Bad news, the first place where the concert is going to be held in has a flood. The only other place that is mentioned is Carnegie Hall in Philadelphia.

The concert scene is one of the best scenes in the movie. Some of Roberta's first students come back to join some of current her pupils. Also, some of the best-known violinists in the world have come as well, Issac Stern, Mark O'Connor, Arnold Steinhardt, and Itzhak Perlman are among them. Watching O'Connor play was fun to see. I admit that is the concert is memorable and great to watch as the one put up in "The Blues Brothers".

The emotional energy in this film never lets down at one moment. Bassett, Quinn, and Jay O. Sanders are good in their supporting roles. The movie is great and it stays with the story. Wes Craven deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Director and Streep is great.

"Music Of The Heart" is an awe-inspiring film that contains outstanding performances from every single actor and actress in the film. From Meryl Streep to Angela Bassett and Aidan Quinn to Gloria Estefan as well as the extras, the actors made "Music Of The Heart" a wonderful film.

Meryl Streep is exceptional in the role of the true life violin teacher who deserves most of the credit for this superbly performed film. The way that Along with Angela Bassett, Gloria Estefan and Aidan Quinn, "Music Of The Heart" is a success.

I particularly enjoyed the scene in which her former students came into the classroom to inspire her current students to doing their best in their concert. However, the best part of the whole film was at Carnegie Hall when the children performed in front of their parents and alongside world renownd violinists such as Itzhak Perlman.

Finally, Hollywood has recognized an excellent true story and brought it to the silver screen. I cannot begin to tell everyone what a movie this was to watch. I can't begin to tell everyone that the performances brought out every positive emotion.

Along the same lines as "Mr Holland's Opus," "Music Of The Heart" follows the life of violin teacher, Roberta Gaspiaurdi from the inception of the music program she created.

"Music Of The Heart" is a film that touched my heart and inspired me into really looking inside myself and want to do charity for others. I highly recommend this movie to everyone because it will move, touch, and inspire.