MovieChat Forums > Music of the Heart (1999) Discussion > An AWESOME movie...but here are some nit...

An AWESOME movie...but here are some nitpicks

posted 18 years ago by librachashjesu
22 replies | jump to latest

My 12-yr. old daughter was inspired to play violin after this movie and I never get tired of watching it! The concert at the end was unbelievable. Here are some nitpicks that I would have liked to see (but they in NO WAY took away from my enjoyment of the movie):

-Guadelupe (the girl who had the leg brace and had to play sitting down) should have been sitting next to Itzhak Perlman at the Carnegie Hall concert.

-Naeem (the kid whose mom wouldn't let him in the class b/c she thought blacks shouldn't play the violin) should have been next to Diane Monroe or one of the other African-American violinists.

-The "older" girls, Lucy and Guadelupe, two of Roberta's first violin students (who showed up with Naeem and DeSean later as teens to help with the benefit), were mis-matched...the older Guadelupe looked more like the "young" Lucy and vice versa for the older Lucy/young Guadelupe.

Question: does Kieran Culkin really play piano? I know Charlie Hofheimer (who played the older Nick, Roberta's son) met the real Nick Guaspari, learned to play the cello from him, and became quite good.

[–] jlwilson_99 18 years ago

So I guess what you would want to say next is that all black men belong in jail together, all latinos should live in barrios, and all jews should be locked up in the warsaw ghetto? Do you realize how you sound? Why should the girl with the leg brace sit next to Itzak Perlman? Why should all of the African Americans play at the same stand? Think before you write. You may not have meant any harm, but I took that offensively.

[–] librachashjesu 18 years ago

I'm sorry you took it offensively, jlwilson 99. I meant absolutely NONE of the implications you stated.

This movie is about overcoming obstacles to achieve dreams and success, and, sad to say, sometimes we place those obstacles in our way ourselves when we listen to stereotypes. Naeem and Guadelupe both did that (well, in Naeem's case, he allowed his mother to do it) initially. As you can see, once they saw those obstacles either didn't exist (in Naeem's case) or could be overcome (Guadelupe's), they flourished.

Naeem playing next to Diane Monroe or one of the other minority violinists would have symbolized his overcoming his mother's rather uninformed obstacle of "blacks don't play violin", while Guadelupe next to Itzhak would symbolize her overcoming her handicap just like Perlman overcame his.

And lastly, I DO think before I write...maybe you should do the same.

[–] ShoppingIsLife 18 years ago

Don't take any offense to this, but I thought the same as jlwilson, only not as harshly. Actually, it was mostly the African-American comment. Given the way you worded it, I thought it was on the verge of sounding racist, like you wanted the African American violinists to stand off by themselves.

~You need to find yourself a girl, mate!~ -POTC

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] wowiekazowie49 18 years ago

I agree with silver rain...I didn't take the comment offensively, but I do think it symbolized unity in the group.

[–] Tiggers1087 18 years ago

I don't understand why the blacks should be next to eachother. I think it's better to show them just all mixed up together, be where they want. To show they all get along together, black people don't need to be with their own kind. He might get along better with another kid who isn't black, ya know. Just because he's black doesn't mean he needs to be with black people. Everyone being mixed up togeth in the line just shows that.

[–] purple_rays 17 years ago

I don't think she was trying to be racist at all. Showing Naeem standing next to a professional black violinist symbolizes the fact that black people can become successful violinists. The same thing goes for Guadalupe sitting next to Perlman. It's like saying, "although i have a disability it's evident that I can also become an wonderful violinist. Look at Perlman, he did it."

*New York City such a beautiful disease*

[–] hoochiemoochie 11 years ago

Wow I know this was written by this poster 6 years ago but I just read it and I couldn't believe how ridiculous you sound. If you were offended by those comments then you must be a race baiter and just look to stir up trouble among people. Race baiting is a sickness and if you still act like this in 2012 then you need professional help.

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the truth hurts...sorry it's true

[–] lennyyum-1 11 years ago

I think you're totally overreacting,man. You know exactly what the OP tried to say.

[–] shutterslut 18 years ago

Seriously you guys, do you really think she's racist by saying all those things?
No.
So stop over-reacting. =/

I understood exactly what she meant. It would have symbolism, rather, and work out some of the Problems and Difficulties that her first kids had to overcome.

"Sign it 'Dana Fairbanks - Professional Lesbian'."

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

The concert at the end of the movie was amazing but for some reason, it never occurred to me that the characters and the musicians onstage were not placed in the proper places. It didn't even phase me and I wonder why it bothered you so much.

[–] ellen-nxala 17 years ago

I get what the OP is saying, I mean, it's SIMPLE really...Must everything be about black and white? Next thing you know, it'll be taboo to say black OR white for that matter. Can we not play the race card everytime someone mentions a black or white person? What is this obssession with colour?
The OP stated something that makes sense to me and I didn't find it offensive. It would've been symbolic for the two kids to stand next to two great people that other people didn't think would ever make it...sheesh, loosen up a little will you?!

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous

[–] librachashjesu 17 years ago

A-MEN! Thank you, ellen-nxala!

[–] larkpraise 17 years ago

In regards to the "young Lucy" and "older Lucy" they were played by real-life sisters.

[–] AbbieGirl2010 17 years ago

i understand Guadeloupe sitting next to Itzhak Perlman. They both have to sit down (Itzhak because of his paralyzed legs and Guadeloupe because of her leg-brace), so if they sat together, no one else would have to accommodate them by either sitting down or looking down at the stand. Although that would make sense, if i remember correctly, Itzhak was playing the First Violin part and Guadeloupe was playing the Second Violin part, so it doesnt really matter anyway.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] pault_pault-1 14 years ago

I am with Isaac, talk about nitpicking? I dont even see why anyone would think these things as they arent even relevant to the story at all. I just watched the movie and those thoughts never occured to me. I dont believe this wouldve made the movie any more compelling.

[–] MerylStreeplove4 15 years ago

true, but it's all personal opinion, right? But Guadalupe for sure.

[–] xosofiezxo 15 years ago

ok first off...its a movie...the actors they got for the "older" lucy and guadelupe were my moms students....not actors...along with most of the violinists in the movie...so who the *beep* cares where they stand or how much they look like the younger characters... it gave a lot of kids who have nothing a lot of money to save for college ect.

second, charlie did learn, and he is still good friends with my older brother nick. kieran learned a bit but not fully. and the boy, michael, who played lexi took lessons from my mom, roberta, for weeks. they were all realllly dedicated.

[–] marvelass 14 years ago

"The 'older' girls, Lucy and Guadelupe, two of Roberta's first violin students (who showed up with Naeem and DeSean later as teens to help with the benefit), were mis-matched...the older Guadelupe looked more like the 'young' Lucy and vice versa for the older Lucy/young Guadelupe."

Funny you should say that 'cause in the commentary Wes Craven mentions that the actresses that played Young Lucy and Older Lucy (Victoria Gómez and Cristina Gómez) are actually sisters so that's why they were paired up as the same character at different ages. They're also actual students of Roberta.

"Question: does Kieran Culkin really play piano? I know Charlie Hofheimer (who played the older Nick, Roberta's son) met the real Nick Guaspari, learned to play the cello from him, and became quite good."

Also on the commentary, Craven mentions that Kieran learned to play the piano. Furthermore, Lexi is shown at Carnegie Hall playing the piano. Though he was present at the event he did not play. In reality, someone else played the piano during "Bach's Double Concerto." However, his older brother, Nick, did play the cello as it's shown in the film.

[–] RoranicusPandicus 14 years ago

I don't know why everyone's getting so annoyed about this. I agree that it would have been a nice touch to place Naeem with an African-American violinist because it would just show how wrong his mother had been for thinking that black people shouldn't play the violin because he's playing with people of his race that have already achieved it, showing that it is possible.

[–] Hildovar 13 years ago

This whole thread is retarded. Blacks aren't a different 'race' from whites- we're all humans, that's our race; i guess we need to meet aliens from another planet before we finally see that...

There is one race. The end.