Music of the Heart (1999)

Story of a schoolteacher's struggle to teach violin to inner-city Harlem kids.

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Pamela Gray

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Cloris Leachman, Henry Dinhofer

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Roberta
Cloris Leachman	...	Assunta
Henry Dinhofer	...	Lexi at 5
Michael Angarano	...	Nick at 7
Robert Ari	...	Supervisor
Aidan Quinn	...	Brian
Teddy Coluca	...	Taxi Driver
Angela Bassett	...	Janet
Josh Pais	...	Dennis
Barbara Gonzalez	...	Janet's Secretary
Jade Yorker	...	DeSean at 11
Victoria Gómez	...	Lucy at 10 (as Victoria Gomez)
Justin Pierre Edmund	...	Bongo Kid
Justin 'DJ' Spaulding	...	Naeem at 9 (as Justin Spaulding)
Zoe Sternbach-Taubman	...	Guadalupe at 9

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.

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Plot Keywords:

violin | teacher | school | female protagonist | musician | 

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Taglines:

She gave them a gift they could never imagine. They gave the system a fight it would never forget.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language and sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fiddlefest

Filming Locations:

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,653,281, 31 October 1999

Gross USA:

$14,859,394

Company Credits

Production Co:

Craven-Maddalena Films, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though they were cast as husband and wife, Arnold Steinhardt is 24 years older than Jane Leeves.

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Goofs

When Roberta speaks with Brian in her bedroom, she has curlers in her hair. In the next shot, they are gone.

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Quotes

Roberta Guaspari: [after a child in the class was killed in a drive-by] It's okay to cry.
Ramon Olivas: Not for a man.
Roberta Guaspari: My boys still cry. And they're big, strong young men now. And I'll betcha Justin's daddy cried.

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Crazy Credits

Please support arts and music education.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Meryl Streep (2004)

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Soundtracks

Symphony Vol. 1
Performed by Marley Marl featuring Masta Ace (as Master Ace), Craig G (as Craig G.), Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane
Written by Marley Marl (as Marlon Williams), Craig G (as Craig Curry), Big Daddy Kane (as Antonio Hardy), Kool G. Rap (as Nathaniel Wilson), Masta Ace (as Duval Clear)
Courtesy of Songs of Marl and Third Power Enterprise Inc.

User Reviews

Inspiring, Heart-warming Film Thanks To Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep was made for the part of Roberta Guaspari, a woman who is convinced she can teach ghetto chidren to play the violin, one of the most difficult of all instruments to learn. Against all odds, she perseveres to convince the parents of the valuable lessons that can be learned through music. If you liked Mr. Holland's Opus, chances are that you will love Music of the Heart. Meryl Streep makes this movie work although she gets some acting help from Aidan Quinn, Angela Bassett and Cloris Leachman. Even though it is a little overly dramatic at times, it still touches you with its message and its spirit.