MovieChat Forums > Mr. Holland's Opus (1996) Discussion > Musical leaps of faith

Musical leaps of faith

posted 13 years ago by yolhanson
6 replies | jump to latest

1. The dramatic improvement in a high school orchestra that could not put two notes together, to the professional ensemble that played at the graduation ceremony (where Gertrude plays her clarinet solo). Remember that this is early in Holland's career--he has not yet had much time to work with the orchestra.

2. The notion that ex-students from a time-span of 30 years would (a) still be highly proficient on their instruments, (b) be willing and able to return to the old school and to rehearse regularly before the event, (c) do all this for a one-off performance for a teacher they might have had thirty years ago.

I mean, these things could happen, and it makes for a nice story and a feel-good ending, but...I doubt it.

[–] trickg1 12 years ago

I suppose it depends on the music teacher and situation. I know in my HS program we had a very gifted director for quite some time who had a number of students go on to make careers in music in some form or fashon - I myself was a military musician for 10 years, and I'm still proficient as a trumpet player - I've been gigging for nearl 25 years and currently play.

As for whipping a program into shape, you'd be surprised at how quickly streamlined, excellent instruction can bring an ensemble around. Music is not hard, but it does take dedicated practice, and the right teacher can inspire that.

Color me silly, but wasn't that the point the movie was trying to make?

"My name is Gladiator"

[–] mloessel 12 years ago

I'm guessing you've never had such an experience. It is very possible and happens more often then you may realize. I had my introduction (first taste) of the performing arts in high school and took a 20 year break when I enlisted in the Navy (following graduation). I retired at age 39 and reconnected with music when I joined a church choir. I had the desire to become a choral singer and eventually learned to read music. Now i do community theatre where I sing and dance. It's never too late and you never lose that God given talent. What the final scene of Mr Holland's Opus represented to me was the love and admiration his current and former students had for him and the love of music he imparted to them.

[–] yolhanson 12 years ago

I've been involved in music, constantly, for 36 years. I'm 44 now, and a teacher in a medium-sized town in Australia (although not a music teacher--that would drive me insane!).
To clarify my post:

I know fully well that when young people leave a small town, they might return, but usually not. Anyone with serious musical talent in Holland's town was headed in the same direction as Rowena: the big city. She's just the one we notice, as she has a special function at that point in the film.
As I said above, I doubt whether an ensemble of ex-students could be raised to rehearse and play, at short notice, for a one-off farewell concert, especially playing an entirely new piece at the standard they did in the film. Add to this the fact that Holland had never conducted this piece, or this particular ensemble, ever. Yet, everyone was perfectly rehearsed. Who had conducted the rehearsals? When? Where?

mloessel: Thanks for the reply, and I'm happy to hear of your musical awakening. I also realise that the final scene had poignancy and emotion, which is suitable in context. I think, as an audience, we're owed a snippet of the much-mentioned symphony by the end of the film.
It just seems unlikely that it would happen in the highly-polished manner shown in the film. That's all I'm saying.

[–] chas437 12 years ago

I agree with you, especially on point one. It takes a bit of suspension of disbelief.

On point #2, I agree, its hard to believe some one that played clarinet in high school could still play it 30 years later. I played classical guitar for 4 years in college, and now I couldn't play a lick to save my life. But, it is believable that students who's lives were literally changed by one inspirational teacher, would show the loyalty to attend that type of ceremony. Especially, if most of them still live in the same small town in Oregon. My father was a professor of Medicine for 30+ years at the same University, and at his retirement ceremony, there were many of his ex-students that flew in from all over the country.

[–] TheFabulousThomasJ 9 years ago

Now there's one thing that bothers me about this film: who rehearsed the band in the finale and when did they have time to rehearse???

 You know the coach or Mrs. Holland couldn't rehearse them, and to be that good that quick would require round-the-clock rehearsals for the type of people they had.

But, hey! What do I know?

 I once believed The Partridge Family was real.



 Celebrating 10 years of running amok on the IMDb! 

[–] Hanz-Willhelm 8 years ago

There are some merits to what you say. I'm going off of memory but I remember the orchestra at the end being a hodge podge of young and old. The young are probably sharp and I'm guessing the few old that are mixed in are those that have kept playing and still proficient. That's why there was just a small mixture of old mixed in that covered a thirty year span. They must still live nearby and still be sharp with there instrument. It was a small pool.

Your first point could be true. I was never in band so I don't know. I play the guitar and never had a guitar class in school. To this day I can play chords and I understand the very basic E G B D F and F A C E but that being said I can't read sheet music. I can't look at a staff covered in notes and do anything on the guitar based on that. If there are chords and it says Em, G, Bm, A then I can play it. I can't say if the class improved too much or not.

Checkmate!
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