Radio focuses on the friendship betweeno James Robert "Radio" Kennedy (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and Coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris), and how their example transforms the attitudes of a small South Carolina town.
Based on a true story, this film is a truly heart-felt, touching and convincing story of a mentoring relationship between a high school football coach and an illiterate, mentally-challenged man named Radio.
Mike Rich, writer of The Rookie and Finding Forrester, brings to life this story of a friendship that stirred the entire town's hearts forever.
The movie opens in 1976 in Anderson, S.C. with an African-American man pushing a shopping cart down a street. He then pauses, steps inside the cart and enjoys the feeling of the air rushing by.
Radio begins walking by the football practice field of T. L. Hanna high school and Coach Jones notices him coming to a lot of the games. One day, Coach Jones invites him to assist the team. Although Radio faces heavy criticism due to his disability, he starts learning how to help the team under the mentorship of Coach Jones.
Radio, described by his mother as "just the same as everyone else, just slower than most" is seen as the town outcast, and is constantly made fun of by passersby. He also faces a number of challenges when he gets closer to the Hanna Yellow Jackets football players.
Coach Jones and his family are tested by the situation, as Coach Jones makes many sacrifices to his career, family and townsfolk by continuing to allow Radio to be a part of everyone's lives. Eventually, the people in the town start to accept and respect him. Radio learns, grows and becomes more literate due to Coach Jones' teaching, and is enrolled at the high school in 11th grade.
Coach Jones faces some opposition by a few of the town's citizens, who feel that Radio is a danger to Anderson. Radio's doubters include the Hanna Yellow Jackets football team, which lost about as many games as it won with Radio on the sidelines.
Even though the movie is mostly dramatic, there are still many funny scenes. One of my favorite scenes is in the football locker room during halftime. The quarterback asks his teammates, "Any chance I'll get the ball tonight?" Radio hands him the ball and says, "Here's the ball" and drops the football in his lap.
Director/producer Mike Tollin (Summer Catch, Varsity Blues) seems to have a lot of experience with movies that at once incorporate sports, drama and documentary aspects.
After reading "Someone to Lean on," an article that appeared in Sports Illustrated in 1996, Tollin sought out the rights to to begin developing the story into a feature film.
Radio is an all-around feel-good movie, in which I did an equal share of laughing and crying. I don't think I have laughed and cried so much in all of my life, or at least not during a movie.
I did not expect that I would be able to write an entirely supportive review of the movie, without bashing some aspect of it. I can honestly say that I don't think that there is much that could have been done to make this already-great movie much better.
It's the kind of movie that will leave you with a warm and gushy feeling inside. It's also only rated PG so families can attend together.
Radio is a rare jewel among Hollywood movies being produced today. It's original, well-performed and humorous, but also gets a moral message across: Every one is capable of being a hero and influencing the lives of those around them, despite any physical or mental handicaps.
This movie teaches audiences to look for heroes in their own home towns, and to help the people who need a little push to help them along in life. Life is worth the risks and sacrifices that occur sometimes. The true Radio is out there somewhere in the South Carolina town still making some noise after 40 years of being the popular, successful and fun-loving man that he is. He has been the head cheerleader, assistant coach and team manager because one man cared enough to make a difference.
Way cool.
Stephanie Anderson is a reporter for the Web Devil. Reach her at stephanie.j.anderson@asu.edu.
