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"MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS"
(1995) (Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Mild None Mild Minor Minor
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor None None None Minor
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: The story of a high school music teacher over a thirty year time period.
PLOT:
Glenn Holland (RICHARD DREYFUSS) is an aspiring musician whose grand goal is to write a major symphony. However, to support his wife, Iris (GLENNE HEADLY) he takes a job teaching music to high school students. After much trial and error, he becomes quite good at it, and gets his students to love music as much as he does. Things get complicated when he and Iris have a hearing impaired son, Cole (JOSEPH ANDERSON) and Holland must learn to communicate in a non-hearing world. The story takes place over a thirty year time period as Holland must change with the times as he still pursues his goal.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Probably not. Although it deals with high school students, it's doubtful the subject matter will draw them to this.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For mild language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • RICHARD DREYFUSS plays the music teacher who is at times too consumed and too passionate about his work that he slights his wife and son.
  • GLENNE HEADLY plays the wife who must fight to help her hearing impaired son.
  • JOSEPH ANDERSON plays the son who must overcome his hearing deficiency and deal with his musical father.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • There is a quick montage shot of people smoking pot at Woodstock.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • None.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • In frustration Holland says he hates the principal and teaching students.
  • On way to a hospital Holland tells some students to "shut up." He also breaks traffic laws (driving the wrong way down a one way street, and not stopping at stop signs) on way to his pregnant wife.
  • A football coach refers to women as "chicks"
  • Holland is very confrontational and "in your face" with his students and son -- in a school teacher kind of way.
  • At times Holland doesn't pay attention to his son's feelings and instead pays more attention to his students.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Holland is very confrontational and "in your face" with his students and son -- in a school teacher kind of way (some kids in the audience thought he was scaring some of his students).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Just a 21 gun salute at funeral.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Sucks," "Shut the hell up," and "Old fart."
  • The sign language version of "*sshole" is used several times.
  • A few typical students have bad attitudes toward school and their teachers.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • 2 damn's, the word "*sshole" and the sign language version of it.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • The wife wonders if their teachers were "getting it on" with each other, and says that her teacher could have "taken her home."
  • There is a quick montage shot from the movie "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with a drag queen in lingerie
  • There is some sexual tension between Holland and an attractive senior student, though nothing comes of it (no action taken).
  • SMOKING
  • Teachers smoke in a teachers lounge (in the 1960's).
  • There is a quick montage shot of Jimi Hendrix smoking.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Glenn and Iris have two arguements over their deaf child's therapy. Ther is no profanity, just loud arguing in frustration.
  • The funeral of one of Holland's students/drum player (from Vietnam).
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • There is a brief shot of two boys walking and holding hands (ie. lovers).
  • VIOLENCE
  • A montage has shots of civil rights protestors being pushed around, and helicopters and machine gunners firing their weapons in Vietnam.
  • Two classmates come close to fighting.



  • Reviewed March 10, 1996

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