Product Details

• Actors: Joanna Cassidy, James Earl Jones, Lynne Moody, Georg Stanford Brown, Tim Reid
• Directors: George Stanford Brown
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Timeless Media Group
• DVD Release Date: June 19, 2007
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000PFUBKO
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,125 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Fulfilling his beloved wife's dying wish, William Campbell restores an abandoned building they own into a reading room for a depressed community notorious for its ineffectual high school and street gangs. Against all odds he's determined to give them a sense of self-respect. Starring James Earl Jones, Joanna Cassidy, George Stanford Brown, Tim Reid.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More care, less hate..., June 29, 2008

By	H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melodramatic yet heartfelt, March 17, 2009

By	z hayes (plano,texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

"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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, December 17, 2008

By	Jimmy W "Ol' School Collector" (houston, texas United States) - See all my reviews

James Earl Jones & Joanna Cassidy are at their best in this movie. Excellent "inner city" story. It would be nice to see more people doing this for the kids.