Customer Reviews

Mr. Holland's Opus: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I like the CD however it is not the music as performed in the movie, "Mr. Holland's Opus." For that reason I can agree with many of the people who have reviewed this item. If you are looking for "Mr. Holland's Opus" the music as performed in the movie, this is not the CD you want.

The confusion lies in the fact that there are two versions of the "Mr. Holland's Opus" soundtrack. Mr. Holland's Opus: The Original Movie Score," is the soundtrack that has the music as performed in the movie.

Don't get me wrong; this is a good CD. I enjoy it. The songs on this CD are for the most part the same as in the movie. The difference is the original artists perform the songs.

I consider this CD a companion to the original movie score for "Mr. Holland's Opus." I believe when they released this version of the soundtrack it was done to go along with "Mr. Holland's Opus," the movie score.

The title for this CD is misleading and you expect the music as performed in "Mr. Hollands Opus," the movie. For that reason my rating for this soundtrack is three stars.

If you do a search under Popular Music, looking for "Mr. Holland's Opus" you will get this CD(ASINB000001EIM) which claims to be the "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack." If you do a search under Classical Music looking for "Mr. Holland's Opus" you will get a different CD (ASIN B000004295) WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ONE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. Nowhere will you find both CD's on the same list.

I remember my excitement at seeing the cover of this cd. The only reason I bought it was for one song primarily. That was "Someone to Watch Over Me". Imagine yourself putting on the cd, expecting to hear the the same rendition as in the movie, and instead hearing a totally different version nowhere near half as good as the original. This is not the first time for me that the original version was something other than expected. So moral of the story,especially when buying movie soundtracks if the store lets you listen before you buy, do it.

No, the same rendition of "Someone to Watch Over Me" as in the movie is not on the CD but if you're looking for that version check out the actress, Jean Louisa Kelly, who played "Rowena" in the movie. You can download the song at her official website: [local website] and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Track #12 on this album, "An American Symphony (Mr. Holland's Opus)," which was the resounding, resonating and shivers-up-the-spine-sending capstone of a very heartfelt and moving piece of cinema eponymously titled, doesn't move the listener at all here, except to thrash himself vigorously for tossing his dinero away foolishly; is this really the ORIGINAL soundtrack from the ORIGINAL film? The answer alas can only truthfully be "NO. NO. NO." This isn't the original filmtrack at all (at least not from the film I enjoyed at the theatre in 1996); not the same mix; here we have, at best, "Mr. Holland's Opus Manque." Sorry, gentle listener-- This recording is bogus, lackluster, jejune, muddy and muddled, inauthentic, a big mistake to purchase. Who produced this deceptive, uninspired spool o' dreck? Mr. Holland himself would be mortified. (Track #12 honestly sounds like it was mixed in a coffee can.) Don't make the same mistake I did, fellow audiophile; My advice: Rent the wonderful movie on videotape or DVD and record the soundtrack you desire off of THAT. Don't buy this miserable knockoff, unless you have an inescapable urge to be sonically chagrined.

This CD does not contain all the original music contained in the movie. Jean Louisa Kelly's performance of "Someone to watch over you" is why I bought the CD and as it turns out, it is performed by someone esle. Very Disappointing!!

I agree with the other reviewer who indicated that he was disappointed that the version of "someone to watch over me" was different that in the movie. I felt that was almost a signature song for the movie and Jean Louisa Kelly did and excellant job in the movie, so why change and put a lesser version in the soundtrack. I did find the Lennon version of "Beautiful Boy" a welcome substitution.

I loved the movie, and I love the CD! This selection carries you through history with some all-time classics performed by the original artists. It's a great gift for anyone who enjoys good old fashioned rock 'n' roll.

I loved this movie and was eager to buy the soundtrack. Checked it out in a store--particularly looking for Kelly's "Someone", Dreyfuss singing "Boy", and my favorite, "Stranger on the Shore"--which was heart of the movie where the young clarinetist couldn't hit the notes, but was supported/strengthened by Holland, and later becomes the governor of the state. So sad that this could have been a great, cherished CD.

I expected Cole's song to be done as in the movie. The cuts are the various artists doing their studio cuts. Are these the same renditions of the movie??? Maybe I need to re-see the movie.

The artists & recordings are well done, but I expected a soundtrack.