The Music Never Stopped (2011)

In 1986, the conservative 65 year-old mechanical engineer Henry Sawyer (J.K. Simmons) and his wife, the housewife Helen Sawyer (Cara Seymour), are informed that their estranged son Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci) has a brain tumor by Dr. Biscow (Scott Adsit) and they learn that that he is incapable to form new memories. Gabriel left home years ago when his father had an argument with him because he left the college night to unsuccessfully try to watch a Grateful Dead gig with his girlfriend Tamara (Tammy Blanchard) and his best friend Mark Ferris (Josh Segarra) and now he is completely disconnected from the world. Henry is compulsively retired by his chief and Helen decides to work to have money to pay Gabriel's treatment. Henry researches but the problem of his son and finds some good results through music therapy and he seeks out Professor Dianne Daley (Julia Ormond). Soon she discovers that the music from the late 60's and 70's, especially the Grateful Dead, is the key to connect Gabriel to the world. The reluctant Henry, who is also a music lover for from an older period, decides to learn these songs to bond with Gabriel. When a radio broadcasts a contest where the winner will receive a ticket for a sold-out Grateful Dead concert, he insistently tries to contact the radio to get the tickets.

"The Music Never Stopped" is a film based on a touching and beautiful tale of father-son connection through music. The first point to call the attention are the outstanding performances of J.K. Simmons, maybe in his best work, and the practically unknown Lou Taylor Pucci. The magnificent soundtrack is also amazing as well the discussion about bands from the 60 's and 70's and Grateful Dead. The film is a perfect combination of drama, funny moments and music. Any sensible fan of the music from the foregoing period will certainly adore this great little unknown movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Música Nunca Parou" ("The Music Never Stopped")

Fmovies: This movie moved a little slow, however, it was really quite touching.

This movie is about a family whose son runs away and they find him 20 years later but he suffers from a brain tumor that has left him with no short-term memory. The father reconnects with his son through music.

The family history, the story, and the reconnection between the father and son is really quite moving. The acting is believable, which helps pull you into the story, and makes you care. This is not an exciting drama, but it is interesting enough that you want to hear the story.

Despite its slow nature, I still enjoyed this movie. It was heart felt and I can appreciate that.

Having music as a theme to the movie and having a look at the average user ratings I was very excited to watch this movie.

When I started watching this film I got a feeling that its one of those slow emotional films where one guy is a victim to some illness & the whole story is about his family whining for his troubles.

But, this feeling was very short. As the movie progressed, I could link the father-son character with my life. Even my dad & I face the similar kind of differences in opinion and taste as it has been portrayed in the movie.

The setting is beautiful & has been magnificently portrayed J.K.Simmons & Lou Taylor Pucci..

Very rarely do I rate a movie 10/10. I was thinking of giving it a nine by the time the movie was going to end as irrespective of the ending it was a very beautiful movie.

The extra one point is courtesy the ending. Tears never stopped while I watched the ending.

This movie has taught me to respect the differences that my father & have & perhaps much more than that can be explained in words...

The Music Never Stopped!!!

The Music Never Stopped fmovies. "Music elicits measurable responses in the brain's activity" After Henry (Simmons) has a fight with his son Gabriel (Pucci), he decides that home is no longer for him and leaves. 20 years later Gabriel is found with a brain tumor that eliminates long term memory. After thinking he is still in the sixties his parents struggle to find a way to communicate with him. When a therapist discovers that music is the answer his parents have to adjust their lives to get their son back. This is an amazing movie. Much like "Barney's Version" and "Trust", this is a movie that didn't get the advertising that this deserved and will not be seen by the audience it should have. An extremely touching movie that deals with a strained father and son relationship, and the struggle to reconnect. There is not enough good things I can say about this movie. Much like "Trust" this is a movie that has the possibility of helping people and can become much more then just a movie. I cannot recommend this enough, do yourself a favor and watch this movie. You will be moved to tears and be left with an absolutely satisfying feeling. Why can't more movies be this way? Overall, one of the best movies in the last 10 years, and next to "Barney's Version" the best movie of the year. I easily give it an A+.

Would I watch again? - Absolutely.

*Also try - Barney's Version & Mr. Holland's Opus

The idea is hope. The year is 1986 and Gabe, a mid 30's former hippe has just been located after 20 years on the road. His parents are typical; his father was a war veteran who thinks that nothing he did was ever wrong and his mother just wished she knew the right words to say.

Through music the characters learn what is important; the moments to remember, the moments to change, the moments that will scuplt their souls.

I cannot express enough how uplifting this movie was. Anyone who is a fan of music and anyone who just needs a bright spot in their day needs to see this.

"(Rhythm) is there in the cycles of the seasons, in the migrations of the birds and animals, in the fruiting and withering of plants, and in the birth, maturation and death of ourselves," -Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead)

What is it about music that resonates so much with people? Is it chemical? A part of the brain that responds to the frequencies and rhythm of certain sounds played in a progression? Or, is it just the fact that it makes one "feel" something? Music, like any other form of art brings out a "feeling" in the one experiencing it. Those feelings will be different for everyone and some will be permanently effected by them. Music can do many things. It can heal, damage, make you dance, give you a headache and even make you "high". According to many music therapists, it can also help recall memories. "The Music Never Stopped" explores this phenomenon beautifully and is a testament to our souls connection with our music. Set in the 80's with flashbacks to the 60's and 70's "The Music Never Stopped" has some of the best music from the bands of that era. The film runs the gamete of emotions and has some powerful performances from the actors and classic bands such as The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles.

Gabriel, a 30 something man with a brain tumor is unable to form new memories. He can remember his life growing up, playing music and following his favorite bands around the country, but he can't remember what his nurse just said to him 5 minutes ago. Lou Tayler Pucci plays the down to earth "hippie" Gabriel graciously and I was very impressed with his performance. He was subtle but beautifully represented those of us obsessed with music and it's meanings. I felt a real connection with Gabriel and his relationship with his father Henry, played impeccably by J.K. Simmons. They have such an interesting and ever-changing dynamic, it was a pleasure to watch it all unfold. Henry is devastated by the diagnosis Gabriel has received and feels helpless. That is until he see's Gabriel's eyes light up at the sound of a familiar piece of music. He realizes that through music he can connect once again with his son and hopefully repair their broken relationship.

Based on the case study "The Last Hippie" by Dr. Oliver Sacks, "The Music Never Stopped" is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. It pulls on the heart strings of young and old alike bringing them together with the power of great music. With a PG rating, "The Music Never Stopped" doesn't feel like an after school special on father and son relationships. It's obvious that the lesson goes much deeper than that. The film is about connecting to each other through music and taking the time to understand each other through that medium. The father/son dynamic is the ideal setting to get this point across and there are some very dramatic scenes that may bring a tear to your eye. It sure did for me.