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, Wide Release

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

Michael Angarano also learned the violin for his role. He still plays today.

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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: [entering Dorothea's house after a stressful rehearsal for a huge concert] Oh, I can't believe I *ever* agreed to do this! You should hear the Bach double. Ha-ha-ha! It's a *complete* disaster!
Dorothea von Haeften: Good morning...
Roberta Guaspari: Good morning. Well, the good news is the tickets are selling like hotcakes. The bad news is, the kids sound like shit...
Dorothea von Haeften: There's more bad news. We've lost the Y.

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Crazy Credits

Please support arts and music education.

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Connections

Referenced in Craven Images: The Horror Hits of Michael Berryman (2011)

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Soundtracks

Twinkle-Grasshopper
Performed by Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra (as Young Musicians Foundation)
Arranged by Shinichi Suzuki (as Dr. Shinichi Suzuki)
Courtesy of Warner Chappell Music Inc.
By arrangement with Summy-Birchard, a division of Warner Bros. Publications

User Reviews

Outstanding biopic about one of the bravest teachers of all time

MUSIC OF THE HEART, in my opinion, is an outstanding biopic about one of the bravest teachers of all time. The performances were smashing, the soundtrack was great, and the casting was just right. Anyway, if you ask me, it was brave of Roberta (Meryl Streep) to take a stand to keep the music program in all Harlem schools. I would probably take a stand myself if I were in her shoes. In conclusion, if you are a die-hard fan of Meryl Streep, Gloria Estefan, or Angela Bassett, I heartily recommend this outstanding biopic about one of the bravest teachers of all time. You're in for a real treat and a good time, so don't miss this one.