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Movies / On DVD / Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart

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Music of the Heart (1999)

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68 %
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Reviews Counted: 74

Fresh: 50

Rotten:24

Average Rating: 6.5/10

Consensus: Meryl Streep's depiction of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things transcends, inspires, and entertains.

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: After her husband leaves her, Roberta Guaspari (Streep) struggles to find a job. When she bumps into an old friend (Quinn), he tells her of a high school that could is without a music teacher. She... After her husband leaves her, Roberta Guaspari (Streep) struggles to find a job. When she bumps into an old friend (Quinn), he tells her of a high school that could is without a music teacher. She meets with the school's principal (Bassett) and states her desire to teach the children the violin. The principal rejects her, citing lack of funding as one of the many excuses why it could never happen. Persistently, she eventually breaks her down and fights to establish a solid, effective program. Ten years later, the program has spread to other schools and is a smashing success. When funds are once again cut and the program is threatened for real, Roberta uses connections to get the injustice printed in the New York Times. A benefit concert ensues at Carnegie Hall, featuring appearances of such luminaries as Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, and Arnold Steinhardt. [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, Angela Bassett

Starring: Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, Angela Bassett, Cloris Leachman, Josh Pais, Jay O. Sanders, Charlie Hofheimer, Kieran Culkin, Jane Leeves

Director: Wes Craven

Director: Wes Craven
Screenwriter: Pamela Gray
Producer: Marianne Maddalena, Alan Miller, Walter Scheuer
Composer: Mason Daring

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 1, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Music Of The Heart
  • Two-time Academy Award(R)-winner Meryl Streep (1983 Best Actress, SOPHIE'S CHOICE; 1980 Best Supporting Actress, KRAMER vs. KRAMER) stars with Angela Bassett (HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK) in a heartwarming, acclaimed true story of how one woman's musical gift affected those who least expected it. A single mother with little more than talent and the determination to make a difference, Roberta Guaspari (Streep) overcame the skepticism of everyone who didn't think she should be teaching violin to students in a tough inner-city neighborhood. But even after a decade of ever-growing popularity and countless success stories, Roberta and her kids must rise to meet an even greater challenge: budget cuts aimed at shutting down her valuable program for good! Also starring Aidan Quinn (PRACTICAL MAGIC) and Grammy-winner Gloria Estefan in a stellar cast, this extraordinary story will inspire anyone who's ever thought their dreams were too far out of reach!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Music of the Heart

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

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

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
    04/09/05
    Robin Clifford
    Reeling Reviews

    Doesn't revolve around a self-centered main character or possess the schmaltz of Mr. Holland's Opus.

    Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment Comment
    07/02/04
    Judith Egerton
    Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
    05/28/03
    Beth Jones
    Roanoke Times (Virginia)

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
    05/14/03
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Palo Alto Weekly

    Novice writer Pamela Gray has pumped this already-amazing story full of melodramatic embellishment and, in so doing, all but ruined its impact.

    Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
    02/08/03
    John R. McEwen
    Film Quips Online
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
    12/02/02
    Kay Dickinson
    Sight and Sound
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
    11/06/02
    Jeff Strickler
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
    10/15/02
    Margaret A. McGurk
    Cincinnati Enquirer

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
    08/21/02
    Marty Mapes
    Movie Habit
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    06/05/02
    Shlomo Schwartzberg
    Boxoffice Magazine

    You might be able to tell what direction the movie’s headed in, but you’ll never outguess Streep.

    Full Review Source: Matinee Magazine | comment Comment
    03/07/02
    Chuck Rudolph
    Matinee Magazine

    A woman at the end of her rope after she is deserted by her husband finds a path of the heart that enables her to share her gift with the world.

    Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
    03/04/02
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Spirituality and Practice

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
    02/27/01
    James Kendrick
    Q Network Film Desk
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Critical Eye | comment Comment
    02/14/01
    Mark Freeman
    Critical Eye

    Based on a true story, this one's got plenty of heart.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    E! Online
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Empire Magazine

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Reel.com

    Surely there's a way to put such familiar material up on the screen without lapsing into clichés; but Craven doesn't find it.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Andy Klein
    New Times
     
     
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    Latest News for Music of the Heart

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