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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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Reviews Counted:75

Fresh:51

Rotten:24

Average Rating:6.6/10

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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    81 - 94 (sorted by date)
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    The disappointment in Music of the Heart comes from a strangely fragmented narrative that never quite commits to a central story.

    Full Review Source: Scott Renshaw's Screening Room | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Scott Renshaw
    Scott Renshaw
    Scott Renshaw's Screening Room

    Even if Music of the Heart brings a tear to your eye, you may still kick yourself for falling for such nonsense.

    Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Shawn Levy
    Shawn Levy
    Oregonian

    What saves this movie from being a Lifetime Channel tour-de-force is, of course, the winning performance by Streep.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Sjohnna McCray
    Sjohnna McCray
    TNT's Rough Cut

    Music of the Heart is Mr. Holland's Opus dumbed down and clichéd up.

    Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Steve Rhodes
    Steve Rhodes
    Internet Reviews

    The key to Meryl Streep's fine performance is that she makes Guaspari unheroically ordinary. Ultimately that makes her even more extraordinary.

    Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Steven Rosen
    Steven Rosen
    Denver Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Meryl Streep delivers a polished, virtuoso performance that could earn her another well-deserved Oscar nomination, while Angela Bassett, Gloria Estefan, and Aidan Quinn deliver strong support.

    Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Susan Granger
    Susan Granger
    rec.arts.movies.reviews

    A movie that tells a story not from some Hollywood swifty’s febrile imagination, but rather from life.

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Susan Stark
    Susan Stark
    Detroit News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    To see Streep's prickly pear of an instructor blossom along with her struggling students is a rare joy.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Susan Wloszczyna
    Susan Wloszczyna
    USA Today
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It may be premature to think Craven just doesn't spark outside the horror genre, but there's nothing here to suggest the opposite.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Tom Keogh
    Tom Keogh
    Film.com
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Estefan has co-star billing and is even featured on movie posters, but has only a few minutes of screen time and nothing much to do.

    Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Tom Sander
    Tom Sander
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel

    Meryl Streep takes what could have been a one-dimensional character and elevates her above soap opera status and makes her interesting and appealing.

    Full Review Source: KUTV-TV | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Tony Toscano
    Tony Toscano
    KUTV-TV
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Urban Cinefile Critics
    Urban Cinefile Critics
    Urban Cinefile
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Walter V. Addiego
    Walter V. Addiego
    San Francisco Examiner

    Yet another irresistible performance by Meryl Streep.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    William Arnold
    William Arnold
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer
     
     
    81 - 94 (sorted by date)
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