Review of Music of the Heart (1999) by Joetaeb D — 31 Aug 2014

Yet another "white woman saves the children" film, MUSIC OF THE HEART was leaning on the border of overdone soapy sentimentality and dramatic feats. It hums a very familiar tune but that doesn't mean you will hate it. It involves Roberta Guasipri, a single mother who is just as ordinary as the next woman. She conflicts with self-pity and becomes the a violin teacher at a school with struggling students.

Predictable? Yes. Emotionally manipulative? Nearly. With that saying, I didn't love this movie. It was something I have seen in billions of other movies. However, it doesn't fail. This will please people or make them a bit annoyed. Wes Craven should stick to (better) horror films but with this, he makes it enjoyable.

Meryl Streep received her twelfth Oscar nomination for this role. In some aspects, I can see why she got it and agree. She doesn't make Roberta into a one-dimensional, whiny character. Streep makes her ordinary and passionate and also a person with flaws, which makes Streep extraordinary. At the same time, this isn't one of her strongest roles. Out of all of her Oscar nominations, I would say that this and Adaptation impressed me the least. It wasn't anything special. Nonetheless, she is the film's heart and soul. Angela Bassett is also strong here, more than I expected.

MUSIC OF THE HEART isn't a great film and forgettable but at the moment, you cant help but like it a little bit.