Life in Anderson, South Carolina, was quiet for James Robert Kennedy back in the seventies. It could be said his life was a little too quiet. Kennedy, who has mental disabilities, spent his days wandering the streets of Anderson with a shopping cart, a radio, and any other items that caught his fancy. One day, he wandered by football practice at T.L. Hanna High School, where an errant football wound up in his possession, and he decided to keep it. The next time he came by the school, several of the football players played a cruel trick on Kennedy, but were caught in the act by their head coach, Harold Jones (Ed Harris). At practice that day, Jones orders his assistant coach, Mr. Honeycutt (Brent Sexton), to make the guilty players run wind sprints.
Coach Jones also notices that Kennedy, in spite of the incident, still comes around to watch practice. During a break, Jones sends Honeycutt over with a bottle of water, which the young man drinks. After practice, Coach Jones invites Kennedy into his office. It's there where Kennedy gets his nickname of Radio, for Jones and Honeycutt discover Radio's love of music. Jones discovers that when Radio interacts with people, he becomes more talkative and friendly. When he takes Radio home after practices, he meets Radio's widowed mother, Maggie (S. Epatha Merkerson), who works long hours to take care of the family needs. Soon, he invites Radio to the games, and eventually, into his classes. That causes concern for Hanna Principal Daniels (Alfre Woodard), as well as for the local Board of Education. The inclusion of Radio also brings dissension in the ranks of Anderson's local football fans, especially Frank Clay (Chris Mulkey), whose attitudes may influence the behavior of his son, Johnny (Riley Smith), a two-sport star at Hanna. Finally, Harold's wife, Laura (Debra Winger), expresses her concern that he's more interested in Radio than he is in their daughter, Mary Helen (Sarah Drew). Coach Jones tries to answer the concerns, as well as do his best by Radio.
"Radio" is an engaging look at small-town life that reminds me a lot of "Hoosiers." "Radio," much like "Hoosiers," is inspired by actual events. After the games, Coach Jones heads to the town barber shop for coffee and critique about his Yellow Jackets, and how they'd won a couple of state championships in recent years. After football season ends, Coach Honeycutt focuses his attention on basketball, where he's the head coach. Almost everyone knows one another well. When they don't, they get a quick lesson in that regard. A new Anderson police officer sees Radio delivering Christmas packages to people's homes, and arrests him under the assumption he must have stolen them. The veteran officers not only release Radio, but make the rookie help Radio finish his rounds. All along the way, Coach Jones, his family, and the Hanna community learn their lessons about a young man who needs and appreciates most of the attention that has come this way.
Cuba Gooding, Jr., shows he has the ability to make people laugh with Radio, and not at him. When he announces the school menu, he shows that he's happy to be a part of the school, in spite of his limitations. Coach Jones also has to make sure that his excitement doesn't go too far at the games. In the excitement of a close game, Radio starts to shout the plays, which allows opponents to make adjustments. The always-reliable Harris turns in another fine job as a friend and a mentor who learns from his experience. He shares some of that experience with Mary Helen in on of the movie's most moving moments. Strong support is found everywhere, especially with Woodard and Winger. At the end of the film, we see the real Kennedy, who still is a part of the Hanna family, and Coach Jones, who is now retired.
Writer Mike Rich and director Mike Tollin show both a knowledge and a love of sports with their efforts. Rich's previous screenplays, "Finding Forrester" and "The Rookie," have sports themes. Tollin's four films have involved sports, including "Summer Catch" as well as the documentary, "Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream." The staging of the sports scenes is pretty standard, but Tollin does capture the thrill of every victory, and the agony of every defeat. He shows us a town that lives for Friday night, dies every time the Yellow Jackets lose, and has an opinion about what went right and what went wrong. Every game offers the opportunity to celebrate its heroes, as well as find its scapegoats when things don't go well. Both Rich and Tollin understand and capture the color of the night, when the stores are closed, and the colors that matter most are the ones worn by the school's athletes.
"Radio," most importantly, is a movie about community. We see many communities in "Radio": the community of the school and its sports teams, the community of Anderson, and the community of the family. James Robert Kennedy was in a very small community until someone extended a hand of kindness to him. When he did, some questioned his decision, but most followed Harold Jones's lead. When they did, they learned the same lesson as Coach Jones. They learned that the man they call Radio is just as much a good part of the community as anyone else.
Some, though, need just a little more coaxing than Radio did.
The true story of a high school football coach who mentors a mentally challenged boy that no one understands. When the coach allows the young man to h...More at HotMovieSale.com
Set in South Carolina and spanning almost 40 years time beginning in the 1960s RADIO is the moving story of the friendship between a mentally disabled...More at Family Video
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