Mr. Holland's Opus, a Descriptive Essay

Mr. Holland’s Opus Have you ever experienced a film that touches your heart on such a sentimental degree that you actually lose yourself in the film itself? In my life there are only a few that have affected me on such a level and one of them is the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” This is a heart-felt film about a brilliant music composer’s life and how he had to sacrifice his dream in order to teach music to students, who had little or no interest, found his passion for teaching and delivered it astoundingly for thirty years, and finished off his career by conducting a musical performance that no one will ever forget. One person can’t imagine being responsible for changing an individual’s life. However, it happens more often than we think it does. A simple act of faith can transform us into a person that a higher level had thought us out to be. I feel our life’s path is already planned out. It is up to us to face sacrifices and change with a strong heart in order to truly find ourselves. Sacrifices find their way into our lives whether we are ready for them or not. Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to, but it is the tough decisions that we make that tend to point us into a direction where we become a stronger individual. We start in 1965. Glenn Holland arrives at his first day of teaching at J.F.K. High School. Having to put off his dream of being a composer, as well as the music he writes, he is very hesitant to start his morning. As he walks through the doors of his music room, he is welcomed by his dull and apathetic students. After a few days, Glenn notices a dedicated but inept clarinet player named Gertrude Lang, and starts working with her individually. He finally gets her to have a breakthrough by finding a connection with something linked to her soul. He tells her to “Play the Sunset.” She rediscovers her joy of playing and goes on to perform at her 1965 Graduation. At this time, Glenn and his Wife, Iris, have learned that they