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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Feel Good Story For All Ages, November 3, 2006
This review is from: The Reading Room (DVD)
THE READING ROOM is a made for television film that I stumbled upon when looking up something else. I read the summary: a widower opens a reading room in the inner city neighborhood of his youth and saw that it starred James Earl Jones, so I assumed that I'd probably enjoy it and wasn't all that surprised that I did.
It's somewhat predictable. We meet James Earl Jones' character William Campbell just after he buries his wife. He watches a videotape with her last words to him. She has the insight to know that her husband will need something to do with his time and since the two never had children, will need a way to give of himself. She tells him to take the wonderful collection of books the two shared and open a reading room in the area they grew up in, a neighborhood that has in the past few years, seen troubled times. In a short period of time, the room is opened. The kids in the neighborhood begin visiting, if for nothing else than the free soda. Campbell has to stand up to gangs, a teacher who seems bitter because of the struggles she faces in the classroom, and a minister who does not trust a wealthy man opening up a reading room as a hobby. Campbell has to also contend with gangs, thieves, and vandals who burn down the building. As we watch we may know what is going to happen, but the characters re likable so we want to see how it all works.
Since the film was a television film and not a theatrical release, there are interruptions for where commercials ought to be and since it has to fit a specific time slot, the story is fast paced. Perhaps a bit to fast paced for while I thought it was a touching story, it did take place in too fast a time frame. The action takes place over a sixty day period. Six months or a year would have been better and more realistic. To do the work that Campbell completes, he'd need to form alliances and give people time to trust him. This would also have given the characters a bit more dimension. Of course while this may be the way it would happen in life, we are talking about television where everything is possible in a 90 minute time frame and since it is just feel good entertainment, I suppose I should just leave it be.
My thought is that this would be a good film for classroom use. The commercial breaks provide an excellent opportunity for a pause and discussion. The love of books and the transforming power of literature as well as the importance of reading are evident throughout the story. It also shows how people can make a difference and could lead to ideas for service projects.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More care, less hate..., June 29, 2008
Just because everything is predictable about this modest film doesn't mean it's not worth watching. I thoroughly enjoyed it. An original Hallmark Channel production, THE READING ROOM introduces a simple but heartfelt story. James Earl Jones is simply grand as William Campbell, an affluent, elderly retired businessman who honors his dying wife's wish of opening a reading room in a rough inner city district. Striving to establish a welcoming atmosphere, William immediately does away with the protective bars on his windows. In the three months which follow, he overcomes several hurdles presented by an unenthused community and comes to foster in the local children a love for reading. That's the movie in a nutshell. But do yourself a favor and don't forego the simple, cozy pleasure you'll derive from watching THE READING ROOM. It's good.
James Earl Jones graces this movie with his stately, self-assured charm. There's just something so comforting about seeing him on screen, saying his dialogue in that deep and dignified voice of his. As mentioned, THE READING ROOM is predictable, but partly it's because I can't really see Mr. Jones not triumphing over the obfuscating school principal, the rather sinister reverend (who walks in with an entourage of bodyguards), and the initial resistance from the community. Even when he runs afoul of the local thugsters, I wasn't that worried. James Earl Jones simply has that presence.
A winning cast (kudos go to that little girl) and a heartwarming drama add up to something that the whole family can watch. THE READING ROOM is about honoring your loved ones, giving back to your roots, of gently perservering and of coming together, and developing a love for literature and education. Wonderful movie.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Melodramatic yet heartfelt, March 17, 2009
"The Reading Room" stars James Earl Jones as William Campbell, a retired wealthy businessman who decides to honor his dead wife's wish that he use one of their properties in a disadvantaged neighborhood as a reading room. Though he initially appears to undertake this task more as a means of honoring his late wife's memory, he comes to eventually care deeply about the people he meets and shares the reading room with, a cast of characters that worm their way into his heart and impact his life just as he changes their lives for the better.
Though this is a sentimental drama with many sappy scenes, I thought the main character as played by James Earl Jones was well-done without being exaggerated. Jones' William is credibly portrayed, a man who realizes that the reading room not only has the means to positively impact the lives of the youngsters and youth that come into it, but also provides him with a sense of family, something the childless William never truly experienced.
The supporting cast are all well-done - Joanna Cassidy appears in a few scenes, but plays a significant role - she's the schoolteacher who believes that William's efforts are worthwhile and keeps 'feeding' him students that need help with their reading. There are many others - the eight-year-old who asks William to help her read better so she can read her mother's prescription labels, the Hispanic teen who faces peer pressure to participate in criminal activities and who is offered a means of escape from his depressing life, the African-American youth who desperately wishes to get into college despite seemingly insurmountable odds, and those opposed to what the reading room symbolizes - the gang of thugs and also a Reverend who initially thinks William's efforts are futile.
This is a feel-good, inspiring drama about how individuals can make a difference, bring about positive change in a community through tireless, sincere efforts. With the legendary James Earl Jones leading the cast, this is a story that will have you rooting for William and company all the way!
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