Movie review
‘Radio’ boasts heartwarming messsage, great performances
By Dee Dee Chew
The Daily Aztec

There are two reasons why many have already decided not to watch the film, “Radio.” The first reason is that it was produced by Disney, a studio infamous for its ability to take a perfectly good plot and turn it into a super-sappy, feel-good movie with a predictable Hollywood ending. The second reason is because it stars Cuba Gooding Jr., an actor whose career went from the unforgettable “show me the money” guy in “Jerry Maguire” to the cheesy dentist-who-talks-to-dogs-guy in the movie “Snow Dogs” (which coincidentally was also a Disney film).

With these two factors in mind, many may find themselves pleasantly surprised when they discover that this film was able to cast aside all the stereotypes people have placed on it for being another Disney/Gooding movie and stand on its own as a decent and even enjoyable movie.

The film features Gooding as James Robert Kennedy, a mentally challenged football fanatic who lives in a small, southern town full of closed-minded individuals. Because of his mental handicap, James is a little slower than the rest of the kids his age. This does not, however, have an effect on his outlook on life, which soon catches the attention of the local high school football instructor, coach Jones (Ed Harris). After saving James from being harassed and tormented by some of the kids at school, Jones helps him by offering him a position as a coach’s assistant and gives him the nickname “Radio.” It is on the football team that Radio discovers his real talent on the field — the ability to make people smile. This “talent” is met with much opposition from the rest of the town, who believe Radio should be kept away from the other students at school. As the film progresses, Radio continues to help each person in town realize a measure of a person’s talent should never be based on his or her physical ability, but rather by the size of his or her heart.

Though the film has not even been released yet, many are already beginning to criticize the movie for its portrayal of people who are mentally challenged. Those who have not seen the movie yet are quick to judge Gooding’s performance and criticize him for his portrayal of the character of Radio. They base their judgments off Gooding’s frumpy appearance and what few parts they have seen in the 30-second preview. And while Radio’s mismatched clothing and fake teeth do seem to suggest Gooding is playing off the stereotypes that surround people who are mentally challenged, the film’s message makes it obvious he really never intended for his character to come off that way.

In fact, one of the film’s greatest strengths lies in Gooding’s portrayal of Radio. Though some of Goodings own charismatic personality shines through his character on screen, he is still true to the real nature of the character, which unfortunately is limited to the confines of his disability. Unlike some other films that center around characters who are mentally challenged, Radio does not overcome his disability. He doesn’t become captain of the football team and isn’t an undiscovered genius, as everyone would expect. He is simply a normal human being with — as Disney would put it — “the heart of a champion.”

“Radio” opens in theaters today.

This article is from The Daily Aztec at San Diego State University.
It was distributed by U-Wire.