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To be fair, Music of the Heart (partially inspired by the 1996 documentary Small Wonders) serves its purpose quite nicely. Streep is flawless in a non-showy role, and the story of Guaspari's celebrated violin training program provides the requisite rush of inner-city inspiration. As a fact-based companion to Mr. Holland's Opus, the film is less effective but similarly engaging; you'd have to be cold-hearted to dismiss it altogether. It's best when focusing on Guaspari's school program and the 10-year struggle to keep it alive; the drama falters when dealing half-heartedly with her tentative relationships, notably with a journalist (Aidan Quinn) who shies from commitment. And Craven? He seems content to direct by the numbers here, leaving inspiration on the screen while forfeiting his own. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description
Based on a the true story of a woman who enriches the lives of inner city children through violin lessons. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 07/01/2003 Starring: Meryl Streep Aidan Quinn Run time: 123 minutes Rating: Pg

Roberta, mother of two boys, moved to New York City after her husband had left her for another woman who happened to a good friend of hers. Through connection of a friend, Roberta secured an interview with the principal of an elementary school in Harlem. Roberta was later offered a position as a substitute music teacher.

Due to meager supplies and budget, Roberta offered her own violins for students to practice. With much difficulty and challenge, Roberta founded a violin program for elementary school kids within the neighborhood. Roberta was met with immediate challenge like student discipline, low self-esteem, and opposition from parents. On one occasion, one of the kids' mother refused her son to take violin lesson because playing violin is considered a Whiteman's practice. Roberta's love for the kid has, however, won his mother over.

After almost 10 years as a non-contract substitute teacher, the school faced substantial oppression from the district about dismissing Robert due to budget. The community joined together, along with Roberta's two grown-up sons and prominent musicians to raise money to preserve the program.

"Music of My Heart" is a movie about love and perseverance. Meryl Streep plays a non-showy music teacher; yet through her persistance and self-denial, many students' lives are changed. A true inspiration.


Everything a perfect family movie should have!   April 9, 2000
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

"Music of the Heart" is one of the best movies I've ever seen. This movie has it all: comedy, drama, romance, trauma, surprises....and this movie was also very inspiring. This movie (based on a true story) was about a young woman named Roberta Guaspari and she played the violin. After her husband left her and her two kids for another woman, Roberta taught her children how to play the violin and other instruments. They moved to New York City (I think) and she wanted to teach other children how to play the violin so they could actually feel like they could do something right. So, she decided to go to an elementary school and ask if she could be the childrens' violin teacher. The principal of the school at first, didn't want her to teach at her school. And the movie is basically about how Roberta ends up getting the job as a violin teacher and teaching the children (who were very difficult, of course) to play the violin and respect themselves and others. Meryl Streep was so excellent in this movie (the entire cast was) but the only thing I wished was for Gloria Estefan to have a bigger part. She only had like, one or two lines. I mean, she appeared in a lot of the movie, but she didn't really have any lines. Other than that, I think this was the one of the best movies I've ever seen (like I said before) and can't wait to get it on video! And if you've seen this movie or are thinking about seeing it, then I totally encourage you to go out and see it. This is one movie that I think everybody should see! It's worth watching-even if you only end up watching it, once. You still remember the movie. And I almost cried at the end of the movie (and I usually don't cry when I'm watching movies!) so I really encourage you to go out and buy this video. You'll remember the movie for years to come!


Moving, Heart-warming story...Directed by Wes Craven?   July 30, 2000
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

"Music of the Heart" represents the hope that all lives in us. The hope and courage to stand by our beliefs and have a positive though about most of the negative aspects of life. Meryl Streep plays Roberta Guaspari, a newly single mother of two, with no job and a desperate need of a man in her life. When friend/lover Brian Sinclair (Aidan Quinn) sends Roberta to Harlem, New York, to become a violin teacher, Roberta gets more than she expected. The rest of the cast, Oscar award nominee Angela Bassett as Janet, the school principle, and Grammy Award Winning singer, and making her motion picture debut, Gloria Estefan, as Isabel Vasquez, (who should have debuted as Eva Peron in "Evita") give superb performances that are believable and real. Cloris Leachman, Jane Leeves Jay O. Sanders' performances were essential and very effective to the story. Director Wes Craven, who is best known for the "Scream" trilogy, proves that switching genres is, in fact, POSSIBLE. Estefan and N'Sync's closing ballad, "Music of My Heart" fits the theme of the story very well. This 2 Disc DVD Set, is a true must-have to everyone's collection.


Fascinating true story gets lackluster film treatment   March 20, 2002
 10 out of 21 found this review helpful

Meryl Streep got her twelfth Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Roberta Guaspari in Places in the Heart. Her performance is excellent [when has she been anything but?], yet it is not enough to bring the movie completely to life. This true story, which has been filmed before as a documentary called Small Wonders, is about a teacher who created a music program in the schools of the impoverished East Harlem area of New York. A single mother of two boys, Guaspari, who was trained as a classical violinist but who had little teaching experience, was given a job as a teacher in the 1980s by Janet Williams, a principal at one of the schools. There was no real budget for a classical music program, so she was hired as a substitute. Guaspari herself supplied the first violins. Ten years later, she had taught 1,400 youngsters. When the program was in danger of being axed due to a school budget crisis, Guaspari enlisted the aid of some friends, who arranged for her to give a benefit concert with her best students at Carnegie Hall. Famous violinist like Isaac Stern participated, and the Program was saved. In 1999, money was found by the city to assure its continuation.

I don't know who was responsible for Music of the Heart's rather uninspired telling of the story. It certainly wasn't Ms. Streep. It may have been director Wes Craven, who until now has made his mark in the horror genre, with creepy teen fare such as Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream trilogy. His choice to make a straight drama raised a few eyebrows, and perhaps he was overly cautious with the material. Some of the problem lies within the screenplay. Writer Pamela Gray concentrates on the main character almost exclusively. Ms. Streep is in nearly every scene. Except for some fairly good interaction between Roberta and her boys, most of the characters float in and out, acting almost as stage props. There is little that is memorable about them, and, as a result, we wind up not understanding Roberta Guaspari very well. We see what she does, and we understand that her work is noteworthy and inspirational. Yet the picture does not fill us with inspiration. It's not that it's a bad move, it's that it never soars, as movies about noble, dedicated people can when well done. While it is not a given, what usually provides the drama for such true tales is understanding what personal sacrifices an individual must make to fulfill a difficult goal. I feel certain that this happened to Ms. Guaspari in real life, but we see almost none of it in this movie. It is strongly hinted at a couple of times, but then the film simply glosses everything over and moves on the something else.

Music of the Heart is certainly worth watching for Ms. Streep's performance. The story is a fascinating one, but much of what makes a good story is the way in which it is told. Music of the Heart is not that much of a story teller.


Warm and Inspirational   August 27, 2005
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This heartwarming film taken from actual events is brought to life by the marvelous Meryl Streep. It is sentimental to be sure, but also an inspiration and a reminder not to give up on kids. Once exposed to the arts and finding a sense of accomplishment in their success, children will carry this over into other areas of life as well. It is a message that is at once good, and true. It is brought nicely to the forefront in this very underrated Wes Craven film that boasts a terrific cast and an uplifting story of hope.

Meryl Streep is Roberta Guaspari, given a chance to teach violin to some kids in East Harlem, New York, by principal Janet Williams (Angela Bassett). Roberta is a single mother with two boys of her own. She initially has to provide the instruments for the children herself. Though some of the parents can't see how playing the violin will be of any use to their children, she pushes forward with a little encouragement from teachers like Isabel Vasquez (Gloria Estefan) and the response of her students.

She is demanding of her pupils, which rubs both them and their parents the wrong way at first. But as time goes on and she adjusts to them and they begin to know her, the program takes on a life of its own, giving the kids a sense of accomplishment and the ability to dream of something better in their lives. As the years pass the program becomes well known and is a shining point to a school system that is not always equipped to deal with the number of children as compared to the number of good teachers.

Roberta's boyfriend Brian (Aidan Quinn) can not see Roberta's true worth and she finally lets the relationship drop and concentrates on her kids. Her own boys have difficulty with their father's leaving, followed by Brian, but finally grow up enough to want happiness for their mother; they even try to set her up with someone. This is not a one-note movie or a one-note performance as some would have you believe, but a fine and well rounded film full of love and hope.

When school funding threatens to close the program, Roberta is aided by many famous musicians to raise the money needed with a performance at Carnegie Hall, playing with Isaac Stern and others. Streep has a luminous and heartrending turn in this sincere film. Cloris Leachman has a nice role also as Claire's not so perfect mother.

This film shows what can be accomplished if we make the effort to teach children the arts. It is just as important as academics, as this warm and caring film based on the real life of Roberta Guaspari shows. It is a movie worth owning and watching with your own kids.