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Music of the Heart (1999) 6.7
Ratings:
6.7/10 from 9,374 users
Metascore: 54/100
Reviews: 125 user | 79 critic | 33 from Metacritic.com Story of a schoolteacher's struggle to teach violin to inner-city Harlem kids. Director:Wes CravenWriter:Pamela Gray |
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Meryl Streep | ... | ||
| Cloris Leachman | ... | ||
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Henry Dinhofer | ... |
Lexi at 5
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| Michael Angarano | ... |
Nick at 7
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Robert Ari | ... |
Supervisor
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| Aidan Quinn | ... |
Brian Turner
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| Teddy Coluca | ... |
Taxi Driver
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| Angela Bassett | ... |
Principal Janet Williams
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| Josh Pais | ... |
Dennis Rausch
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Barbara Gonzalez | ... |
Janet's Secretary
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Jade Yorker | ... |
DeSean at 11
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Victoria Gómez | ... |
Lucy at 10
(as Victoria Gomez)
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| Justin Pierre Edmund | ... |
Bongo Kid
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Justin 'DJ' Spaulding | ... |
Naeem Adisa at 9
(as Justin Spaulding)
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Zoe Sternbach-Taubman | ... |
Guadalupe at 9
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
The true story of a young teacher who fights against the board of education in her bid to teach underprivileged kids in a Harlem school the beauty of music through the violin. In her struggle she loses everything as the system comes down on her with all their might but her determination for the kids happiness helps her to battle back with wonderfully inspirational results. Written by Kryp <capthowdee@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
She gave them a gift they could never imagine. They gave the system a fight it would never forget.Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for brief mild language and sensuality | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
29 October 1999 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
50 Violins See more »Box Office
Budget:
$27,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$3,653,281 (USA) (29 October 1999)Gross:
$14,849,583 (USA) (14 January 2000)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Roberta Guaspari: Oh, apparently.
Isabel Vasquez: Well, I'll take my chances. Isabel Vasquez, second grade.
Roberta Guaspari: Roberta Guaspari, I'm ...
Isabel Vasquez: The violin teacher. I know.
Roberta Guaspari: So is it my imagination, or does *everybody* here hate me?
Isabel Vasquez: Look, it's hard to fit in when you're doing a special program. People figure you're not gonna be here very long, so they don't make the effort. It may take a ...
[...]
See more »
Performed by Young Musicians Foundation
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach (as J.S. Bach)
Arranged by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
Courtesy of Warner Chappell Music Inc.
By Arrangement with Summy-Birchard, a division of Warner Bros. Publications
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Most of the children in the film actually studied under the real Roberta Guaspari. See more »Goofs
At the end of Roberta's first week of teaching, Brian visits her apartment to celebrate. When he enters the room, Roberta has just finished putting three large curlers in her hair on the left side. They disappear after the two of them kiss. See more »Quotes
Isabel Vasquez: [approaching Roberta who is sitting on a bench by herself at lunch after being shunned by other teachers] What's the matter? You got cooties or somethin'?Roberta Guaspari: Oh, apparently.
Isabel Vasquez: Well, I'll take my chances. Isabel Vasquez, second grade.
Roberta Guaspari: Roberta Guaspari, I'm ...
Isabel Vasquez: The violin teacher. I know.
Roberta Guaspari: So is it my imagination, or does *everybody* here hate me?
Isabel Vasquez: Look, it's hard to fit in when you're doing a special program. People figure you're not gonna be here very long, so they don't make the effort. It may take a ...
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
Please support arts and music education. See more »Soundtracks
Minuet No. 1Performed by Young Musicians Foundation
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach (as J.S. Bach)
Arranged by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
Courtesy of Warner Chappell Music Inc.
By Arrangement with Summy-Birchard, a division of Warner Bros. Publications
See more »
Can you picture this odd couple: Meryl Streep stars in a Wes Craven movie? Seems like a joke at first, but it really isn't. "Music of the Heart" is the second film that horror director Wes Craven has made and surpasses his first non-horror film, "Vampire in Brooklyn".
It based on the life of Roberta Guaspari (Streep), a violin teacher who moves to East Harlem with her two sons after her husband left her for another woman. Roberta starts a program of her own, teaching young kids how to play the violin. One mother of one of her students describes it as "dead white man music", but Roberta uses the late Arthur Ashe, who was black and a great tennis player as a great example. In another scene, the mother tells Roberta that she was right.
Ten years later, Roberta has taught over a thousand children how to play the violin and some of her former students have either gone onto college or become violinists. A problem surfaces, the superintendent and board of education have made budget cuts. Roberta is told by Janet Williams (Angela Bassett), the princpal that the music program has been cut.
So Roberta vows to keep the program alive and gets the idea of having a benefit concert. She gets help from some of her friends and some parents to help promote the concert and the place where it'll be held. Bad news, the first place where the concert is going to be held in has a flood. The only other place that is mentioned is Carnegie Hall in Philadelphia.
The concert scene is one of the best scenes in the movie. Some of Roberta's first students come back to join some of current her pupils. Also, some of the best-known violinists in the world have come as well, Issac Stern, Mark O'Connor, Arnold Steinhardt, and Itzhak Perlman are among them. Watching O'Connor play was fun to see. I admit that is the concert is memorable and great to watch as the one put up in "The Blues Brothers".
The emotional energy in this film never lets down at one moment. Bassett, Quinn, and Jay O. Sanders are good in their supporting roles. The movie is great and it stays with the story. Wes Craven deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Director and Streep is great.