Adam Foidart
"Radio" may be based on a truthful, inspiring story but that only goes so far. It just doesn't seem to me like this was the kind of story that ultimately lends itself to a movie; or if it does this was not the way to do it. It's the story of James Robert "Radio" Kennedy (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), a mentally disable young man who is fascinated by radios and football and is taken under the wing of the local football team's coach (Ed Harris as Coach Jones).What I really disliked about this movie was that the people here don't feel like people. Now I know that this film is based on true events and all, but it's like the details have been fudged left and right in order to make the film universally appealing. In trying to make it so soft and cuddly, it appeals to no one but the most undiscriminating audience that loves anything football-related. The titular character feels like a Hollywood stereotype of a mentally challenged man: he can do no wrong, is always sweet, is loved by everyone (well, except for the one dimensional villain) and has no personality whatsoever. When he is included in the behind-the-scenes of the school football team he feels more like a pet or a mascot than a real person and the film never really focuses on him, following Ed Harris' character Coach Jones instead of going about the more challenging task of showing us what this town really saw in James Robert Kennedy and giving him a real personality with flaws and all. There is also something off-putting about the fact that the people in the town very rarely call him by his actual name, instead calling him by his given nickname of "Radio" and that we never see any portrayal of the man's brother in the film, almost as if he refused to be included.Overall it does pull at your heartstrings and will likely get some sensitive audiences emotionally involved but the plot is the same one you have seen before: the misunderstood misfit shows the rest of the world that it's important to be more caring and understanding. Oh, if we could just set aside our differences and see those poor outcasts for what they really are: beautiful people that just seem weird on the outside…. well then we could all learn a bit from them and become more beautiful and caring human beings ourselves. This recycled plot combined with the stock villain and the forced, emotionally manipulative story (manipulative to the point where some characters turn into cartoonish villains or saints whenever convenient) that there isn't much to recommend here except for some good performances. (On DVD, November 1, 2012)
dimplet
As the film opens, we see Radio coasting down a hill in a shopping cart (or buggy, as they are called in the South), having a great time. And you can't help thinking: that looks like fun; why didn't I ever try that? It is also the way the Sports Illustrated story on Radio, which is the foundation for this movie, opens.Yes, there really was a Radio, and still is. And there really is a town called Anderson that did something wonderful, and that makes me proud to be an American. But they didn't do it out of any sense of political correctness; this all started in 1964, when it still took courage in some places for whites to extend a hand to blacks.Why did they do this? It is not quite clear from the 1996 SI article, which talks about some of the cruel childish pranks played on Radio, though not by school athletes; but otherwise there is no sense of the conflict found in the film. The film condenses a story lasting nearly 50 years now into one year, the first year.Presumably, there was some conflict due to race and disability in those early years, but from what information is available that all soon disappeared. The school and the community took to Radio rather smoothly and quickly -- not the right stuff for a dramatic screenplay, or a believable one! But what caused a Southern town to do the right thing? It all started with Coach Harold Jones reaching out to Radio. When one person who is respected in the community takes a fearless stand for what is right, it is easier for others to follow, and harder for the racists to get any traction. This was nothing new for Coach Jones, contrary to the movie account: as a youth he defended a disabled neighbor from bullies with his fists.Now is a good time to revisit Radio, after the sickening perversion of school sports by a poisonous mix of pedophilia and money at Penn State's football program. Radio is a reminder that this is not what school sports is about. If you watch carefully, you will see that the movie is not just about Radio. It gives you a sense of what goes into making a successful team, football or basketball, the training, the discipline, the teamwork, the tactics. You see how the school and the community are involved in identity and emotions. And you see that coaches Jones and Honeycutt are trying build adults of good character out of their players.No, they are not making a mascot out of him. You can see that a genuine sense of compassion, of seeing Radio as a human being despite the obscuring cloud of his disabilities, develops in those who get to know him, and in the whole community. And this is not just the film; you can see in the end footage, that this is real, and you can read about it. Far from a mascot, Radio became a teacher, teaching the community to help those with disabilities, and to look beyond race. His lesson spread beyond Anderson, as he traveled with the teams and his reputation preceded him. Radio was only left off the team bus once, because they ran out of seats. Hannah lost that day. Radio was the first on the bus from then on. And they won that season, contrary to the film.Radio is a moving film that provides a moral lesson for us all that continues to resonate today. Be kind to others, not because of what others might think, but because it is the right thing to do, even if it is unpopular. If you do it, others will follow.This lesson is not just about disabilities or race. Think about that disturbed young man who allegedly opened fire in a movie theater. The way we treat people, especially when they are children, is important. If other children or teachers had reached out when he was a child, perhaps things would have been different. Think back to when you were a child; was there some schoolmate you picked on, perhaps because others were doing the same? Do you wish you could turn back the clock and stand up against the other bullies to defend him, or make friends with him? That's what Radio is about: students (and adults) learning to extend a hand of friendship to someone who is different, who is being picked on cruelly.Radio, the movie, obviously has a moral lesson to impart. It is not heavy handed, and it is not blatantly manipulative. It builds a certain dramatic tension without indulging in the exaggeration that might make it a move powerful movie. But it retains its credibility. Even if the writers have built a fictionalized account based on real incidents and variations of events, they have created a natural and believable story and dialog that seems consistent with the truth.I have seen Radio several times now, and it holds up well. What might not strike the viewer at first is how strong are the performances of Sarah Drew and Riley Smith. Drew's emotional response to the death of Radio's mother is remarkable. Smith's acting is fine, but that he delivers some excellent football and basketball action, too, is impressive.I watched Radio shortly after watching Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, made in 1967. It is worth noting that Radio shows Coach Jones watching All in the Family, a comedy that ridiculed racism. In America, films and TV helped shift public values on topics such as race. But Coach Jones took his stand in 1964, before all that. Ultimately, it all starts with individual action.I would like to say thank you to Coach Jones, Coach Honeycutt, the people of Anderson, and most of all, to James Robert Kennedy, for reminding us what America really stands for.
callanvass
Radio was a movie I had heard mixed things about, but because I'm such a huge fan of Cuba Gooding, I of course checked it out. I adore Ed Harris so watching him and Cuba act alongside each other was a treat to watch. Radio I suppose is a predictable piece of sentimentality, but the way it's done is wonderful. I have worked with people who are mentally challenged and ever since then, I have grown to understand and deal with them with patience, so while I was watching the story unfold, I couldn't help but feel emotion for Radio. I really don't understand how Cuba Gooding earned a razzy for his performance here, I felt it was Oscar worthy!. I really feel Radio is a nice feel-good story of a kid that's mentally challenged being accepted by the society that he is living in, and becoming a legend in his own right. Maybe people won't love it as much as I did, but if you've worked with these kinds of kids perhaps you'd understand why I got into this as much as I did.Performances. Cuba Gooding gives yet again a fantastic performance. This should have revived his career, but instead he's doing many crappy DTV movies now, which is very sad with a man of his caliber of talent. He feels mentally challenged, looks mentally challenged, it really was a phenomenal performance. Ed Harris is just as good. His character isn't as hard to play, but he has a lot of heart and his character was just as important.Bottom line. Radio is a great piece of sentimentality, and it's bound to jerk a few tears or two, see it.9/10
