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Movies / On DVD / Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus

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Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

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Reviews Counted:25

Fresh:18

Rotten:7

Average Rating:6.6/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: The year is 1965, and Glenn Holland, a composer convinced he is destined to write an historic opus, takes a job as a music teacher to pay the bills. Unbeknownst to him, it is the next 30 years,... The year is 1965, and Glenn Holland, a composer convinced he is destined to write an historic opus, takes a job as a music teacher to pay the bills. Unbeknownst to him, it is the next 30 years, spent as an instructor, that will define his life. His passionate teaching motivates and even changes a number of his students. However, Holland suffers a tragedy in his personal life: his young son Cole is deaf, and thus unable to fully appreciate the joys of music. As a result, Holland concentrates more on his students than on his own child. But when Holland finally realizes the extent of his neglect, thanks to his wife and Cole himself, the teacher must learn to accept his son's handicap, and give him the love and guidance he deserves. [More]

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Alicia Witt

Director: Stephen Herek, Patrick Sheane Duncan

Director: Stephen Herek
Composer: Michael Kamen
Director: Patrick Sheane Duncan
Producer: Ted Field, Michael Nolin, Robert W. Cort

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 24, 1999

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Mr. Holland's Opus
  • Acclaimed star Richard Dreyfuss gives the performance of a lifetime (1995 Academy Award(R)-nominee, Best Actor -- MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS) in this uplifting hit cheered by audiences everywhere! Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a passionate musician who dreams of composing one truly memorable piece of music. But reality intrudes when he reluctantly accepts a "day job" as a high school music teacher to support his family. In time, however, Mr. Holland realizes that his real passion is teaching, and his legacy is the generations of young people he inspires. Also featuring Glenne Headly (BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS) and Olympia Dukakis (MAFIA!) -- you're sure to find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining ... and unforgettable!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Mr. Holland's Opus

    • T-Meter Critics
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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    This idealized tribute to a charismatic teacher who devotes himself to music appreciation has the same old-fashioned texture and sticky sentimentality as Goodbye Mr. Chips (of 1939), but Dreyfuss gives an effective, surprisingly restrained performance

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    01/29/07
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Derek Adams
    Derek Adams
    Time Out

    Holland may have been a failed composer, but he's a master at playing the heartstrings.

    comment Comment
    04/21/06
    Rob Thomas
    Rob Thomas
    Capital Times (Madison, WI)

    A touching, uplifting and life-affirming winner that makes it hard to avoid leaving the theater teary-eyed, with a lump in your throat.

    comment Comment
    01/23/06
    Chuck O'Leary
    Chuck O'Leary
    Fantastica Daily

    Who knew the director of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead was capable of making a profoundly moving drama?

    Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
    09/10/05
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/05/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    One of Dreyfuss' best performances EVER.

    comment Comment
    04/22/05
    Michael A. Smith
    Michael A. Smith
    Nolan's Pop Culture Review

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/11/04
    Derek Smith
    Derek Smith
    Apollo Guide

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    03/19/04
    Carol Cling
    Carol Cling
    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    Doesn't hold up. The schmaltz doesn't work. What does "Play the sun" mean?

    comment Comment
    07/14/03
    Fred Topel
    Fred Topel
    About.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Janet Maslin
    Janet Maslin
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Jim Shelby
    Jim Shelby
    Palo Alto Weekly

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    05/18/03
    Robert Roten
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    Yea, it is filled with cliches, but it still is an engaging outing.

    comment Comment
    03/21/03
    Bob Bloom
    Bob Bloom
    Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

    'Mr. Holland's Boring Cliche'

    comment Comment
    02/23/03
    Alex Sandell
    Alex Sandell
    Juicy Cerebellum

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    01/24/03
    Philip Martin
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    Extraordinary movie about how a job can be transformed into a soul-satisfying vocation.

    Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
    08/21/02
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Spirituality and Practice

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
    06/18/02
    Peter Stack
    Peter Stack
    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    06/05/02
    Boxoffice Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Scouts | comment Comment
    04/17/02
    Leslie Rigoulot
    Leslie Rigoulot
    Film Scouts
     
     
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