If you haven’t made it out to see any of the AFI Dallas screenings this week, you should probably start. As it is, you’ve already missed out on the festival’s opening night film, “Music Within.”
“Music Within” is the true story of Richard Pimental (Ron Livingston, “Office Space”). After overcoming a troubled childhood with a mother whose seven miscarriages prior to his birth left her scarred, Richard finds solace in public speaking. After being turned down by a professor (Hector Elizondo, “Pretty Woman,” “The Princess Diaries”) at his chosen university, Richard enlists and loses most of his hearing in the Vietnam War.
In college, he befriends Art (Michael Sheen, “The Queen”), a genius with cerebral palsy, and finds a girlfriend in Christine (Melissa George, “Turistas”) before discovering a job that he loves: finding employment for his fellow veterans. He is eventually recruited by the government to create a program, “Windmills,” that will instruct employers how to hire and work with the disabled. Richard ends up being the driving force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you think any of this sounds trite or uninspiring, you’d be dead wrong. Unlike last week’s release, “Pride,” “Music Within” is a well-executed true story film with an inspirational theme.
The only complaint some will have with the film is its glossing over of details in character progress. If a character is happy in one scene and sad in the next, it’s customary to let the audience know how they got that way. This quick cut happens a few times in the film and can be bewildering at times.
Ron Livingston moves past his “Office Space” slacker persona in this film, proving himself as a leading man. His portrayal of Richard Pimental is simultaneously hilarious, heartbreaking, and empowering. His interactions with Michael Sheen’s character, Art, are remarkably real and warm.
Sheen is definitely the real star of the show. Until the credits, when you see that it’s Sheen, you’d swear the actor was actually afflicted with cerebral palsy. While Sheen’s character is the funniest and most outspoken character in the film, he doesn’t play the disease for laughs. Sheen’s presence onscreen commands attention – which is no surprise considering his turn as Tony Blair in “The Queen,” in which you’d swear the filmmakers actually hired Tony Blair to be in the film.
Hector Elizondo turns in a solid enough performance, as usual. Melissa George’s portrayal of the generic love interest was a little bland, but not bad enough to take away from the quality of the movie.
The only thing that’s slightly off-putting about the film is the inclusion of a cameo from Leslie Nielsen. Unable to escape from his comic persona, his brief moment on screen was punctuated with audience laughter. Clint Howard also had a brief cameo that was much less distracting, but still fun – because Clint Howard is always fun to see on screen.
Overall, this film is likely to get a wider release and is even more likely to stimulate buzz at awards time next year. The poignant and funny script deserves recognition, as does the awe-inspiring performance of Sheen.
“Music Within” mixes humor and sadness without relying on preachy sermons. In short, “Music Within” gets right what most inspirational true-story films never do.
