Music Within
"Experience a movie which will make you believe anyone can change the world."*
The film is based on a true story about Richard Pimentel, a gifted public speaker who returns from Vietnam hearing-impaired. He finds a new purpose in his efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities. It's a beautiful movie about Pimentel opening people's eyes.
Official Synopsis: Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Most people go to their graves with their music still inside them." Guided through the journey by Richard Pimentel's (Ron Livingston) acerbic sense of humor, we see a world that through other eyes would appear devastatingly tragic. Instead, Richard uses it to fuel his plight for the underdog. After realizing his gift as a public speaker, he tries out for his idol, founder of the College Bowl, Dr. Padrow (Hector Elizondo), only to have him say that Richard's "full of shit," and to come back when he's got "something to say." Unable to pursue his dream of studying public speaking in college, Richard enrolls in the government's 'guaranteed education program' called 'military service' in Vietnam. After 9 months in country, Richard loses his hearing in the Vietnam War. But when the world tells him he can't, he figures out how.
Through a new circle of friends, a foul-mouthed genius with cerebral palsy, Art Honeyman (Michael Sheen), a free-loving bombshell, Christine (Melissa George), and a volatile, alcoholic veteran, Mike Stoltz (Yul Vasquez), Richard finds his "music within," and discovers what Dr. Padrow had meant all along. Richard sets out to change peoples' perceptions toward the disabled community ultimately becoming their hero as one of the primary activists behind the Americans with Disabilities Act. In discovering his music, Richard helped improve the lives of disabled people across the world, including his own.
It stars Ron Livingston as Richard Pimentel, Melissa George as Christine and Michael Sheen as Art Honeyman, as well as other cast members. Art Honeyman is "played in the film with preternatural verisimilitude, candor and - refreshingly - humor by Michael Sheen" (John Meyer, www.pegasus.com)
Sheen spent a lot of time with Honeyman in order to understand his
cerebral palsy. “Even though that seems to be the main thing about him
as a person, in fact it’s not, it’s just one element of him and it’s all
his other qualities that are the main things. So I needed to get the
cerebral palsy aspect of it as specific as possible so I could act
everything through that, rather than let that be the main thing,” he
says. Spending time with Honeyman was “not just a fascinating
experience, it was a privilege to be with him, because he’s an
extraordinary man”. http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/display/cm/contentId/92043
Interviews with the director Reviews
Preview Comments Include:
"Sheen is definitely the real star of the show"
"Sheen's presence onscreen commands attention"
"Michael is a brilliant actor and I was lucky enough to get him." (Director Sawalich)
It was shown at various film festivals and will be released to general audiences on October 26.
5 January 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival Best of Fest
27 January 2007 Santa Barbara Film Festival Official Selection
1 April 2007 AFI Dallas International Film Festival Audience Award and Star Award
24 April 2007 Newport Beach film festival Official Selection
20 May 2007 Cannes Film Market
26 October 2007 US Release
* Visit the official Music Within Web site. (www.musicwithinmovie.com). The official trailer has been added, and Michael's resume was updated.
Watch a movie teaser here: http://www.articulusentertainment.com/musicwithin_teaser.htm (username is musicwithin and password is teaser)