Genre: Biographical Drama
Director: Mike Tollin
Starring: Ed Harris, Cuba Gooding Jr., Debra Winger, Alfre Woodard
Running Time: 109 minutes
Synopsis: In suburban South Carolina of the 1970s, Harold Jones (Ed Harris) is a teacher and football coach at the T. L. Hanna High School. He notices the mentally infirm James Robert “Radio” Kennedy (Cuba Gooding Jr.) hanging around the football team’s practice sessions, barely able to speak and susceptible to bullying. Harold takes Radio under his wing, welcoming him to practice sessions and the school environment. Radio’s social skills improve, but school Principal Daniels (Alfre Woodward) is unsure about his prospects, and the community of football parents worry that Harold is getting distracted.
What Works Well: Inspired by actual events, this is a heartfelt and feel-good story of kindness, priorities, and embracing uncertainty of outcomes. The Mike Rich script is comfortable not over-explaining everything, and respects a small-town culture where stoicism is a virtue and the community revolves around Friday night football. Both Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding Jr. provide affecting performances, well-supported by Debra Winger as Coach Jones’ patient wife Linda. A well-contained running time preserves the story’s humility.
What Does Not Work As Well: The sentimentality quotient is maintained at a high level, and James Horner’s syrupy music score never relents. Coach Jones displays a knack for always jumping to the right conclusion.
Key Quote:
Linda: It’s never a mistake to care for someone.
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