Mr. Holland’s Opus starred Richard Dreyfus as the musically
oppressed teacher Glenn Holland, Olympia Dukakis as the school
principal and Jay Thomas as the sidekick, coach Bill Meister. The
movie takes you through approximately 30 years of Mr. Holland’s
life, from the moment he’s begrudgingly forced into teaching
school, to the realization that it was all worthwhile and his life
was not a waste after all (“it’s not what direction you take, it’s
about the direction you give”).
The soundtrack from this film is diverse. Because 30 years is
covered, the movie highlights a variety of styles and forms of
popular music. Specific songs help set the timeframe and mood for
specific scenes. The tunes bounce with the high-energy “One Two
Three” by Len Berry to the dramatic message of John Lennon’s
“Imagine” to the symphonic closing number entitled “An American
Symphony.”
George and Ira Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” is
sufficiently performed by Julia Fordham. In the movie, however, the
song is sung by Jean Louise Keely’s character Rowena, and is a much
sweeter, more honest rendition. I greatly prefer the actual piece
in the movie to the soundtrack version. Keely’s dovelike vocals are
perfect for the 1926 oldie.
“Uptight” by Stevie Wonder (1991) is fun just because it’s
difficult not to enjoy yourself with Wonder. He makes music
entertaining because he takes pleasure in performing. Jackson
Browne’s 1976 hit “The Pretender” takes you back to the smooth
vocals of an often-neglected artist.
Julian Lennon sings “Cole’s Song” for the soundtrack, dedicated
in the movie to Mr. Holland’s deaf son, Cole. Richard Dreyfus
unabashedly performs the song himself in the movie. He lacks
finesse, but he is unapologetic for his crude performance — and
because of that, it is one of the best songs in the movie. He
humbly fulfills his commission with raw emotion and intensity. I
ignored Julian’s version when listening to the CD because I knew it
just couldn’t compare.
The movie closes with a farewell symphony to the retiring Mr.
Holland. Based on a fragmented piece he had begun 30 years prior,
it rounds off not only the movie but the soundtrack as well. He has
ached and cried over its creation, but never saw its completion
come to fruition. The faithful students perform his song as a
surprise. It is the best song of the soundtrack, probably due to
the emotional aspect.
At the very least, this soundtrack is an entertaining walk down
memory lane. The songs are familiar and comfortable. The few
original pieces are the icing on the cake. The closing of the movie
and of the soundtrack is dramatic and tear-jerking.
As a side note, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation was created to
recognize and support music education through donation and repair
of musical instruments. “Across the national, school and community
music programs have been discontinued or severely diminished due to
budget cuts. The positive effects of music education on children’s
emotional and intellectual growth have been proven. Mr. Holland’s
Opus Foundation (MHOF) sees the importance of music in the lives of
all children, and seeks to keep music alive in our schools.”
(www.mhopus.org) The foundation was inspired by the motion picture
and the film’s composer, Michael Kamen, founded MHOF in 1996 as his
commitment to the future of music education.
