Reviews Corner

The first time I watched Mr. Holland’s Opus was during my Guidance Counseling class in my Continuing Professional Education course in 2007, under Dr. Pasco. I have posted my paper on the movie in my main blog, Marriage and Beyond.

Mr. Holland’s Opus is a mighty movie. Allow me to start with that. You really do not get to encounter very good movies nowadays. Glen Holland is a musician and composer. He turned to teaching, thinking that he will be able to afford more time to work on his musical “opus”.

One of the most symbolic things that this movie has presented is when the retiring principal handed over Mr. Holland a compass. She was won over by this passionate teacher, who she once criticized for his non-traditional way of teaching. Mr. Holland treasured the compass for 30 long years and held on to it. Educators are set to be moral guides to their students. More than just imparting knowledge, it is the impact that we make to our students that will change their lives that will really matter.

It does not take a professional teacher to appreciate this movie. I first watched Mr. Holland’s before I even got my license to teach and it sure served as an inspiration to me to be a non-mediocre teacher in the future. He was no doubt a very passionate teacher and excelled in being one. But the casualty of his dedication was his family. He held himself far too long in denial about his son being deaf/mute. His circumstance was an oxymoron, to say the least – a highly acclaimed educator who cannot teach his very own son.

It was when his son has grown up that he realized his shortcomings and came to terms with his son’s disability. Chose to learn the language of signing and finally reached out to his son. There were a few more conflicts in the movie that presented Mr. Holland’s vulnerability and how he chose to rise in every circumstance.

The story makes us go deep into our inner selves and encourages us to be of a good impact to those under our influence. One does not really have to be a teacher to influence others. Instead of getting busy on aluminum fence installation to make sure the line is drawn, why not choose to be a compass. The impact you make on those you influence goes way longer than you ever will. Towards the climax of the film, Mr. Holland would see for himself that all the while, he was really working on his life’s ultimate composition/opus – the generation of students whose lives he has changed.

As implied in one of John Maxwell’s books,  Becoming a Person of Influence (How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others), your vocation is immaterial. You can be successful at home, at work and in very other area of life by how you impact the lives of those who you influence. Two thumbs up to Mr. Holland’s Opus!

Tags: Becoming a Person of Influence, Becoming a Person of Influence (How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others), educator, glen holland, highly acclaimed movie, john maxwell, Movie Review: Mr. Holland's Opus, Mr. Holland's Opus, teacher, teacher movie