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Music Within

Play trailer Poster for Music Within R 2007 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
33% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After a confrontation with one of his idols dashes his dreams of studying public speaking in college, Richard Pimentel joins the Army and ships off to Vietnam. During his service, Richard loses nearly all of his hearing. Joining a new circle of friends, including a man with cerebral palsy and an alcoholic war veteran, Richard discovers his gift for motivational speaking and becomes an advocate for people with disabilities.
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Music Within

Music Within

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Critics Consensus

Music Within is a well-intentioned but pedestrian production of a story that deserves better treatment.

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Critics Reviews

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Claudia Puig USA Today Nov 9, 2007
2.5/4
The real world needs more dogged folks willing to tilt at windmills. But movies often don't do their stories justice, and that has happened again here. Go to Full Review Susan Walker Toronto Star Nov 9, 2007
2.5/4
Pimentel's persistence and eventual triumph over prejudice and discrimination is a story worth telling, if only on a shoestring. Go to Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader Nov 2, 2007
This offbeat biopic is driven by Ron Livingston's engaging performance as Richard Pimentel, a gifted public speaker who lost his hearing in the Vietnam war and then spearheaded the disability rights movement in the U.S. Go to Full Review Dave White Movies.com Apr 4, 2011
2/5
Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope Nov 30, 2007
B
Low on drama, but funny, with interesting characters, good performances and is uplifting without being too sweet. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Nov 29, 2007
C+
It's just too bad that the pious treatment given the deserving Pimentel never translated into a more engaging film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Harry H @RT12626987 Oct 16, 2023 The movie is a bit uneven, granted...but so is Life in general. It's based on a true story and I'm sure that liberties were taken and Im OK with that. See the movie just to watch Michael Sheen as the guy with cerebral palsy--he was terrific! See more donnie m @RT64375194 Aug 13, 2023 this movie COULD have been good but whoever wrote the lines for the actor with cerebral palsy that were supposed to be funny (none of them were funny) they were embarrassingly stupid! AND, everything he said and did was exaggerated to the point, i couldn't watch. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Apr 6, 2023 A lesser standard biographical film that elliptically only focused on chronological checkpoints lining up the achievements summing up their societal effects without diving into truer insights of the depicted cases besides generic, pre-acknowledged frontal stereotypes. Rather minimally though with a positive spirited spin and being genuine in the associated messages they delivered on top of their performances, namely Livington and Sheen, to make it up by triggering heartfelt empathy. A basic story under average focus with performative convictions towards an infrequent topic, setting itself as a lesson towards the genre's tackle, then locally favored er the scenic backdrop. (B) See more Jul 5, 2018 This was great movie and a great history lesson about the person behind the American with Disabilities law. Michael Sheen was a great surprise in this movie. See more Apr 25, 2017 Great film and very though provoking See more Oct 8, 2016 Very good story. It is amazing how a guy loses most of his hearing from being in the vietnam war can understand someone with cerebal palsy better than hearing a normal person. See more Read all reviews
Music Within

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Cast & Crew

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Steven Sawalich

Director

Ron Livingston

Richard Pimentel

Melissa George

Christine

Michael Sheen

Art Honeyman

Yul Vazquez

Mike Stoltz

Rebecca De Mornay

Richard's Mom

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Music Within

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Movie Info

Synopsis After a confrontation with one of his idols dashes his dreams of studying public speaking in college, Richard Pimentel joins the Army and ships off to Vietnam. During his service, Richard loses nearly all of his hearing. Joining a new circle of friends, including a man with cerebral palsy and an alcoholic war veteran, Richard discovers his gift for motivational speaking and becomes an advocate for people with disabilities.
Director
Steven Sawalich
Producer
Steven Sawalich, Brett Donowho
Screenwriter
Mark Andrew Olsen, Bret McKinney, Kelly Kennemer
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Articulus Entertainment, Quorum Entertainment
Rating
R (Some Drug Content|Sexual References|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 26, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$153.2K
Runtime
1h 35m
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