Radio: Critic Reviews

A movie overloaded with noble signifiers.

A synthetic mush of molasses-soaked pablum.

Though probably well-intentioned, Radio comes off as manipulative of its audience and exploitative of the mentally challenged.

A train wreck of a film lying inert where the tracks of the Feel Good Line cross the Path of Good Intentions.

Gooding once again embarrasses himself in public with a performance that knows no shame, a habit he's getting frighteningly at ease with these days.

After some student and parental resistance, a medley of obvious platitudes and great bathos washes over the place, and everybody is righteously lifted up where they belong.

Based-on- a-true-story kitschfest.

A lot of whitewash is poured over a subject solely to wring emotion from the hapless viewer.

I'm happy to report Radio is tolerable. Better than tolerable, in fact, but not much better.

Long on heart but short on surprises.

The result is just as the filmmakers hoped. You'd have to hold a stubborn defensive line not to be moved by this film's heart.

Every once in a while human nature expresses itself in a way we can feel good about, and this is one of those times.

Inoffensive family fare.

The real Radio, and the real coach deserve better.

Earnest to a fault, Radio tries so hard to be a feel-good movie, you might wind up feeling bad that you don't like it more.

For some, the fine performances, combined with upbeat themes, will make Radio worth watching. But as a film, Radio manipulates more than it illuminates.

With his goofy sweetness, docile uncertainty and indestructible determination to succeed, I found Mr. Gooding as unique and inspiring as Radio himself.

It's hard to say what's more offensive about the out-of-tune Radio -- Cuba Gooding Jr. trying to ingratiate himself by mugging up a storm as a mentally challenged man, or the mawkish narrative surrounding him like so much syrup.

It's still a tear-jerker, but it doesn't make you feel like a jerk for tearing up.

Rarely have good intentions been wrapped in such a sticky package.

A lot better than the Muzak it threatens to be, but, ultimately, not good enough to keep our itchy fingers off the dial.

The cast ... manages to give thoughtful performances that salvage the film's integrity.

Gary Smith wrote about Radio in Sports Illustrated. Now Hollywood is up with Mike Rich doing the script and Ed Harris as a composite coach trying to keep the tear-jerking below flood level. They fail.

Rich has brought considerable depth to the roles he has created, which in turn allows Tollin to support Gooding's and Harris' fine portrayals with an array of performances of equally high caliber from a carefully selected cast.