Does it make a guy any less of a man if he cries? Is he a wuss? If he cared for someone that other people tortured, made fun of, and humiliated, is he any different? Well, I’m proud to admit that I’m a proud “tear been jerked” victim of Radio, and boy does this movie touch the heart. It’s sad to think that the things that happen in these movies are based on true stories, but they are, and it really hurts when you realize that stuff like racism, hate, prejudice, torture, everything - is actually happening every 5 minutes, somewhere in the world. Radio isn’t much different than any of the other movies that are based on a true story, but it does pick at a different incident which puts it in a whole other genre for lack of a better word.
Plot Analysis
The events in Radio take place in the course of a little under a year, so it covers the fall with the football season, to Christmas, to Graduation. Everything functions normal in a small little town in South Carolina, where the Hannah Jackets are the state bound football team, and football is the talk of the town. Coach Jones is a very well respected man, and when things start to heat up in town, his heart is set in the right place, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make right out of it all.
The heat starts to pick up when Coach Jones (Ed Harris) invites a mentally handicapped man, nicknamed Radio because of his love for the radio, to practice. Eventually, Radio (Cuba Gooding, Jr) becomes a loved member of the community. It’d be lovely if there weren’t a bad apple in the bunch, but there was, and so things start to heat up with Radio and the town. Radio takes a bunch of torture from a few of the kids on the football and basketball team, which really tore me apart inside. One thing I absolutely hate is when anybody is being tortured by somebody, no matter who it is, but when it’s to a mentally handicapped man, it’s pushed way too far. If I ever saw anything like that where I live, I’d have those people holding their faces in pain faster than a gun fires a bullet.
There is a mixture of emotional and funny events throughout the movie, as I laughed almost as much as I cried (shut up!). The story is both interesting and heartwarming, while presenting a great real life lesson. The courage of a man to help another knows no boundaries in Radio, as Coach Jones keeps on pushing for Radio, even after some pretty discouraging events. Radio through it all keeps his same funny attitude, making friends with everyone he meets (well, almost everyone), and there are some things in the beginning of the movie that really hit it hard in the emotional ending.
Character Overview
If you didn’t see the movie just out of curiosity, and aren’t planning on seeing it for any other reason, see it just for Cuba Gooding, Jr.‘s AWESOME performance. Ed Harris did a great job as Coach Jones, the one who helps Radio throughout the movie, as well as the other supporting characters, but Cuba Gooding Jr. totally blew me away. It’s impossible to get inside the head of a mentally handicapped person unless you’re mentally handicapped yourself, but Gooding did an outstanding job of imitating the challenges of a mentally handicapped person. No doubt, Radio and Cuba Gooding Jr. himself will be nominated for a bunch of awards this year, as well as win some.
Overall
Radio was definitely a feel good emotional movie. There was plenty to get emotional about, and often times commiserate with the characters in the movie, however there was plenty of humor. Most of it came from Radio himself, like his obsession with radios, and one scene where a waitress tries to take a dirty plate away and he smacks her arm and says “I’m not done”. Radio is a good one to check out in the theaters, though most people will just recommend it as a rental once it’s released on DVD. I say see it in theaters AND buy it once it comes out on DVD. It’s such a good movie, everyone should take the time to go see it, you might leave the theater with a better understanding of things, and a better outlook on life.
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