Music Within (2007)

This film captures the attitude and humor of Art Honeyman very well.

Art and I were very good friends during the 60s at Portland State. I have watched him brace against a wall and dance with us in stoned glory as we partied on weekends. He raged against the war, and injustice, but I don't recall him raging against his life. As we were going to the Hillsborough airport from which I would take him flying, he remarked to his live-in friend, 'I'm going to get high. Literally!' I hope that I was able to serve him as a friend in some small way. The events of life separated us in 1967 and we met only rarely from then on. Now he is gone, and the world should miss him. December 29, 2008

Incredible film!

This is an incredible film. I made it an extra credit assignment for my neuroanatomy students last spring. I bought the DVD when it came out so that I could have more students watch it. I teach in Speech and Hearing Sciences, so the story of a man with hearing loss and his friendship with another man with a cerebral palsy is very relevant. The story is educational, funny, and heart wrenching, as well as being based on a true story. December 15, 2008

See People Not The Differences

What an amazing, enjoyable movie. It's a small film, with a wonderful message - don't see the handicap, just see people.

This movie reminded me of a comment I heard on Canadian radio, there is this whole myth that we were somehow much more polite and had manners in the 60's, 50's and earlier. But those wonderfully mannered polite people mistreated people who were different, race, gender, ability, and age. Those polite people enacted an "ugly law." There's nothing polite or proper about all that. Today we may be rude to eachother with cell phones, and imperfect manners - but nobody today would even think of an "ugly law." You see a very similar message in "Mad Men," the television drama about 1950's Madison Avenue advertising men, and their treament of women.

I loved the message of this film. I bought the characters, every one of them. I am very happy I spent an hour and a half with this film.

Although this film does have some faults. It loses steam just after Richard comes back from Viet Nam. There's some missteps very near the end with Christine, where the film loses it's way. But over all, a totally enjoyable film, with some minor flaws.

By the way, having the subtitles on, is actually a big help with this film. November 30, 2008

The Movie is Never as Good as the Man!

I've had the privilege of meeting Mr. Pimentel and hearing him tell his own story with great humor, energy, self-deprecation and panache. They say that people are put into each others lives for a purpose. Thus, Art and Richard were the spark that ignited the original Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offering accommodations in public buildings and the workplace to those for whom opportunity had previously been abysmally absent.
Over time, the Supreme Court and appointed EEOC regulators, emasculated the purpose of the act by too narrowly drawing the definition of disability. In many circumstances, merely taking prescribed medication, regardless of its effectiveness, would be sufficient mitigation to deny the existence of disability. Episodic or relapsing-remitting conditions (such as, seizure disorders or MS) would not be considered disabling because of their lack of constancy, despite their unpredictability. And those simply 'perceived' to have had some illness and then not hired, could not claim they were discriminated against.
But, Richard Pimentel again returned to the drawing board and in September of this year, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 was signed into law. It goes into effect 1/1/09, clarifying the 'Broad' definition of Disabilities, the reassertion of rationality into the decision making process regarding mitigation, episodic conditions, body systems, activities of daily living and communication. In essence, the intent of the ADA has been resurrected. And, hopefully for all the Richards and Arts of this country, those who seek the old fashioned 'outright intentional exclusion' will have had their last hurrah. November 4, 2008

Well meaning, but ...

You can admire the source material and respect a tough battle won without actually appreciating the end result (ie, the film). There is just too little material and stretched to the limit. The sensation of been there, seen that is just too strong. October 3, 2008

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