Mr. Holland's Opus

Mr. Holland's Opus

Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 film which covers thirty years in the story of a high school music teacher, Mr. Holland. Although he feels his talents as a composer are being wasted, the small moments presented in the film suggest that his real magnum opus is his life as a teacher and father, rather than any of the music he composes.

Richard Dreyfuss plays the title character. It also stars Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Alicia Witt, Terrence Dashon Howard, Jean Louisa Kelly, and Joanna Gleason. The film features a very moving orchestral score by Michael Kamen and many pieces of classical music. Kamen also wrote the American Symphony, the work Mr. Holland is shown working on and off on throughout the movie.

The movie was written by Patrick Sheane Duncan (for which he received a Golden Globe nomination) and directed by Stephen Herek.

Dreyfuss was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

This movie was rated PG, for mild language (including cursing in American Sign Language) by the MPAA.