Music of the Heart (1999)

Music of the Heart: Directed by Wes Craven. With Meryl Streep, Cloris Leachman, Henry Dinhofer, Michael Angarano. Story of a schoolteacher’s struggle to teach violin to inner-city Harlem kids.

“This film is based on the true story of Roberta Guaspari, a music teacher in New York. When the movie opens, she has recently moved herself and her two sons in with her mother, after her marriage fails. Roberta (Meryl Streep) takes her limited teaching experience and pitches a violin class to a skeptical principal (Angela Bassett). After proving how well sheu0026#39;s taught her young sons the instrument, Roberta is given a chance. It is slow going at first, as Roberta has to deal with inattentive students, and disapproving parents and fellow teachers. One African-American parent snaps that her son has better things to do than learn u0026quot;dead white menu0026#39;s musicu0026quot;, even though her son lights up while heu0026#39;s taking his music lessons. The violin program grows so much in popularity that kids have to enter a lottery to get a chance to get into it. When the program is cut due to the insensitive school system, Roberta fights back. Film hits the message home that music education is important, but it keeps repeating it over and over. The audience got the point, already! Streep does portray a likeable underdog, though, and the love she has for the students is always apparent, even when sheu0026#39;s snapping at them. The kids are adorable. Donu0026#39;t be fooled, however, by how the trailers build up Gloria Estefanu0026#39;s participation in the movie. Sheu0026#39;s okay, but her role is very small. Angela Bassett is effective, as usual.”