Radio (2003)

The story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man who he took under his wing.

Director:

Michael Tollin

Writer:

Mike Rich

Stars:

Cuba Gooding Jr., Ed Harris, Debra Winger

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Radio
Ed Harris	...	Coach Jones
Alfre Woodard	...	Principal Daniels
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Maggie
Brent Sexton	...	Honeycutt
Chris Mulkey	...	Frank
Sarah Drew	...	Mary Helen
Riley Smith	...	Johnny
Patrick Breen	...	Tucker
Debra Winger	...	Linda
Bill Roberson	...	Del
Kenneth H. Callender	...	Don
Michael Harding	...	Irv the Cop
Charles Garren	...	Clive
Rebecca Koon	...	Waitress

Storyline

Set in 1976, real life Coach Jones befriends mentally disabled black student, Radio. They then form a friendship and bond over the football season. Though things take a turn for the worst when certain fans and parents feel that Radio is a distraction, and is getting in the way of the team succeeding.

---

Plot Keywords:

disability | character name as title | radio | coach | high school | 

---

Taglines:

His courage made them champions.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie leaves out coach Jones's son, Preston. He would have been six in 1976. He would go on to be an All American QB at Hanna, and then went on to play QB at Georgia and had a short stint with the Eagles.

---

Goofs

Coach wears Ray-Ban sunglasses, with the logo painted on the lens. Ray-Ban started putting logos on lenses in the late 1980s.

---

Quotes

Waitress: You want strawberry pie or apple pie?
Radio: I wan' both!

---

Crazy Credits

During the end credits, clips show the real James Robert 'Radio' Kennedy at Hanna High School football games in the present day.

---

Connections

Referenced in Psych: Juliet Wears the Pantsuit (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Eyes of the Heart (Radio's Song)
(2003)
Written by James Horner, India Arie, Jimmy Jam &
Terry Lewis, Big Jim Wright (as "Big Jim" Wright) and Obatalye Samuel
Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Big Jim Wright (as "Big Jim" Wright)
Performed by India Arie
Courtesy of Motown Records

User Reviews

Thank goodness for films like this...

OK, first I'll say that yes, the whole movie felt a little like a simple

Hallmark channel film. The characters' roles were painfully easy

to read (i.e.- that banker guy was the obligatory anti-"Radio"

element and Coach Jones' relationship problems with his

daughter were brutally obvious).

BUT having said that (and I'm sure I could bag on more of it), let's

hope that children see this film. It's simplicity helps to make it

easy to follow for them. Somewhere in the middle of all the junk

that today's kids see... whether through videogames or some

godawful movie like "Torque" or "Fast and the Furious"(and I don't

knock this stuff because of cussing or violence... they are just real

mindless pieces of garbage)... it is glorious to know that a warm

film like "RADIO" is out there for them.

If we could all help and care about others the way that Coach

Jones did for "RADIO", what a beautiful world it would indeed be.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Radio

Filming Locations:

South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,303,724, 26 October 2003

Gross USA:

$52,333,738

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$53,293,628

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios, Tollin/Robbins Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1