Radio (2003)

I guess as I'm getting older, I'm finally learning what it means to be human. Perhaps on an emotional level -- emotional IQ is the buzzword today, right -- anyway, perhaps on an emotional level I've been as severely emotionally retarded as James Robert Kennedy was/is on an intellectual level.

I was flabbergasted by the movie "Radio." What stunned me most was its pure humanity. It hit me with its pure power the way John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" did. And the shocking thing, to me, was that even though I saw the movie version of that classic over 50 years ago . . . I never really got it . . . I never really got Steinbeck's message.

You see, all this time, I thought his book and the movie were about LOVE . . . and love, which is so damn important whether in all caps or in lower case, is still such a small and unimportant emotion compared to human dignity. That's the story of Radio and that's the story Of Mice and Men. And yes, talking about OM&M I did cry in the final scene when big Lennie so pathetically says, "Tell me about the rabbits, George." But until I saw the movie Radio even though I never would even think of doing a cruel thing to retarded individuals . . . I never really got Steinbeck's message and I never really understood about human dignity. I like the fact that Radio learned slowly, but that the town and the townspeople learned rapidly from him. And the one line where it's said " . . . he treats ALL of us ALL the time, like we wish people treated us half the time . . ." Radio was absolutely nothing like I expected and everything the best movies are.

Fmovies: The highlights of this film are the two absolutely superb performances by Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ed Harris. Gooding was the title character - James Robert Kennedy, a mentally disabled young man known simply as "Radio" because of his love for radios. Harris played Harold Jones - a local high school teacher who was also coach of the Hanna High School football team and the school's athletic director. The movie is the portrayal of how their relationship develops, with Jones taking the young man under his wing, so to speak, and making him part of both the team and the school community, fighting the efforts of many of the townsfolk and school board officials to have him removed.

It's certainly a heartwarming story, although it's not exactly what I'd call a tearjerker, although there are moments when tears might flow (particularly the death of Radio's mother.) There are question raised throughout the movie that are often hard to deal with. One admires Jones' devotion to Radio, but one wonders why he seems unable to show the same devotion to his own daughter. It's great to see Radio becoming gradually accepted as part of the team and school, but the movie doesn't shy away from the question of whether he isn't being treated more as a mascot than anything else - certainly a question that ran through my head on a number of occasions as we watch Radio lead the team on the the field and join the cheerleading squad from time to time. Jones' own personal motivation is finally explained as he relates a childhood experience to his daughter that illustrates why he feels so strongly for Radio. In the end, Radio's place within the life of the school is made more "official" and Kennedy is apparently still roaming the halls and the sidelines of Hanna High as an official 11th Grade student for as long as he wants to be one - this being based on a true story.

"Based on a true story" always makes me wonder. Kennedy is real, and he's really at Hanna High and he and Jones are really friends, so there's obviously a strong basis in fact for this movie. I wondered, though, about what seemed to be the surprisingly easy acceptance of Radio among the townspeople. Although the whole community was concerned about the on-field performance of the football team, aside from one parent and one school board official, people seemed largely unconcerned about or uninterested in Radio himself - which struck me as a surprisingly bland reaction for a small southern town in the late 1960's to have for a mentally disabled young black man. But clearly it worked long term. I did appreciate that this was about much more than the football team. The football team was the backdrop for what happened, but no more than that. This was't an "underdog overcomes" sports story. The Hanna High team didn't have a great season in this movie; neither Radio nor Coach Jones inspired them to win anything of significance. The football team just became in some ways a microcosm of the community, as they grew more and more accepting of Radio, to the point at which Radio's presence was simply a given.

This is a very well done film, one of the better "based on a true story" films I've come across. (8/10)

This was unusual: a modern-day film which was ultra-nice. In fact, it was so nice it bordered on being too hard to believe in parts. As I watching this based-on-a-real-life story, I was thinking, "nobody is this nice, this tolerant." Mainly, I was referring to Ed Harris' role as "Coach Jones." I think they went a little overboard on his character, but that's better than the reverse: showing him worse than what he was in real life. Odd to see Harris playing the role, too, since he has a long resume of playing nasty, profane characters.

Anyway, I never complain about a nice, feel-good film, and it is nice to see a bunch of well- meaning, kind people. Those folks direct their friendship, love and compassion to "James Kennedy," better known as "Radio," a mentally slow high school kid played by Cuba Gooding Jr. The story takes place in the mid 1970s in South Carolina. Gooding does a nice job with the role, too. However, like Sean Penn's role of a mentally-challenged man in "I Am Sam," an hour-and-a-half of a character like this is plenty. After that, the loudness of those guys gets tiresome to hear.

Note: It was interesting in one of the documentaries on this DVD to find out that, in real life, in took years for "Radio" to make his transformation, not months as shown in the film.

Radio fmovies. I thought Uptown Girls was the most touching movies of 2003. But after seeing this movie, I now think it comes in a tie with Uptown Girls. It's perfectly well acted by Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding Jr. The story is set in 1976,football coach Harold Jones(Ed Harris) is hard drivin in pratice, he seems to have very little time for his wife and daughter(Debra Winger and Sarah Drew). But his view on life begins to change, when he meets James Robert Kennedy(Cuba Gooding Jr) who has a very slow learning process. Harold asks him to come to practice and help out a little. The two form a friendship, and Harold gives him the nickname Radio. But they soon begin to learn a lot from each other. A very beautiful film. That teaches us a lot about the human spirit. I shore hope that Cuba Gooding Jr gets nominated for an oscar.

Not much to it but a validation of small town values and the embracing of a mentally challenged young man into its heart.

I read some of the reviews and was surprised at some of the hostility it engendered. I felt Cuba Gooding handled the part with dignity and respect unlike Sean Penn's drooling fool portrayal in "I am Sam."

The fact that this is based on a true story makes it all the more heartwarming. Sports are taken seriously in small town high school America (and elsewhere, I suspect) and I felt the portrayal of these competitive students opening their hearts to one less fortunate rang true, at least for me.

The coach was never forced to choose between his daughter and Radio but rather came gently to the decision himself under Radio's loving and open ways. Very well done to all. 7 out of 10.

Debra Winger, we need more of you in pictures!

Can a mentally challenged black youth be a catalyst to unite people in a South Carolina town? The answer appears to be that in spite of his handicap, James Kennedy, understood much more than what he was given credit for and went to become a fixture in the sports scene. Also, the film is saying how many of us overlook people with problems that can be helped if only we have the patience Coach Jones showed to the young man because of his own guilt in his heart.

"Radio", directed by Michael Tolllin, is a formula film inspired on a true story. Yet, the movie is not a complete failure because of the inspired performances the director was able to get from his wonderful cast.

Coach Jones is instrumental in getting the young man, who is called Radio because his passion for collecting them, involved in sports, a passion he discovers in this retarded man who has had only hard knocks in his young life. Coming from a poor background, Radio, lives with his mother who is protective of him and questions the coach's intentions. Radio is seen by the school kids as a mascot, at first, then, his sunny disposition wins him the acceptance of everyone because he is a good person without an ounce of malice in his body.

The film owes a lot to Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding Jr. who make a great pair as the coach and Radio. Mr. Harris, one of the best actors of our times is never boring in anything he graces with his presence. He gets the essence of the principled coach who sees the possibility to make amends for something that bothers him from his past. Cuba Gooding Jr. is also at his best portraying the mentally challenged young man.

The supporting cast is excellent. S. Ephata Merkerson, one of the best actresses of her generation, does interesting work as the mother of Radio. Alfre Woodard, another good actress plays the high school principle with style. Debra Winger, only has a few scenes in the film.

"Radio", while being sentimental, will warm anyone's heart because it shows how we tend to see some people are in our society that we know nothing about and how quick we are to judge them. Michael Tollin puts a lot of ideas in the proper perspective for us.