*Get Music of the Heart by Roberta Guaspari on Amazon here*
An inspiring documentary that spawned an Academy Award nominated feature film, "Small Wonders" deftly avoids many expected cliches.
Roberta Guaspari is a music teacher who serves three different elementary schools in New York City. Because of budget cuts, her violin program is on the chopping block, but a benefit concert is being held at Carnegie Hall, and the film makers follow Roberta around as she readies her sometimes unruly kids for the big night.
Director Miller's camera is unobtrusive, and the talking heads are kept to a minimum. I thought Guaspari would be a pie-eyed teacher spending the film talking about the magical innocence of children, but she is tough with her students. They seem to respond, using the discipline of learning the violin to improve other areas of their lives. The film makers follow one student, Jose, and his family, but she calls him out on his errors just as often as she does the other children. One scene has her kicking a student out for forgetting her violin on practice day, and not missing a beat keeping the other kids in line. The highlight of the film is the Fiddlefest concert, and a jaw dropping segment featuring over a dozen famous violinists paired with some of Roberta's students. The sequence is pretty amazing, whether you are familiar with classical music or not.
Technically, the film is average. Shot on video, it looks older than it is. I would be interested in seeing an update on some of the kids we meet, and Roberta herself. This film was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar, and fictionalized in "Music of the Heart" starring Meryl Streep as Roberta.
"Small Wonders" is a small film with a big voice. Some of the hippie-dippie staff and teachers at the alternative schools are funny, but Roberta plugs along, teaching her way. This film is a must for educators everywhere, and happens to entertain the rest of us as well.
Stats:
(1995) 77 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Allan Miller
-Featuring Roberta Guaspari, Arnold Steinhardt, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Diane Monroe, Deborah Meyer, Sid Massey, Kyle Haver, Barry Solowey, Lucy Matos, Alexei Tzavaras, Nick Tzavaras, Mark O'Connor
-(G)
-Media Viewed: Home Video
*Academy Awards*
-Best Documentary Feature- (lost to "Anne Frank Remembered")
