dr71956

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I don't care if others think it was predictable - so what? Wasn't Jaws predictable? How about Alien? Once in a while a movie has a lesson in it - like this one. Even if it is a lesson that gets played over and over.

I really didn't care for the mildly romantic banter between Kline's character and his female interest. Maybe the purpose of the character was to show Dr. Hundert was not gay - but that seems awfully shallow to me. If this movie was not about a gay teacher, why did the writer feel obligate to prove the reverse? All in all though, this was a GOOD movie - very good.

What a wasted opportunity. Sidney Portier as an aging, proud black man. Even though the dialogue was stilted and unconvincing - what really killed this movie was the awful casting. I mean AWFUL! The kid that Portier's character bonds with is simply unsufferably bad. It was absolutely impossible to make any kind of connection with any actor of any age that performs this poorly.

I was really hoping for a genuinely inspirational tearjerker. Instead, I kept finding myself thinking, "Slap the hell out of that brat!"

I am a huge fan of Portier and I was so saddened as this movie progressed. I was angry at the writer, director, and producers. I still am.

Chad Lowe is simply awful. The lip synching he does for the songs is almost funny. He has never been a very effective actor but this performance wouldn't even get noticed in a high school competition. One has to wonder how he got this gig.

The other actors and actresses in the movie do a good job but no one stands out. The worst part about Chad Lowe's performance is that it is so bad that it overshadows the effort of every other performer.

The story of John Denver is a compelling and interesting one. Unfortunately, this movie does almost nothing to capitalize on it. Chad Lowe seems like he is lampooning John Denver on Saturday Night Live. It would be funny if he weren't trying to be serious.