i remember making a pact , right after `patch adams' , to not be easily be suckered by movies dripping with sentimentality . but darn it , `music of the heart' is just layered with feel-good material and bright characterizations . it's hard to dislike a movie that uses such skill with it's manipulation . in addition , it's also <POS> a terrific family film </POS> . this is the true story of violin teacher roberta guaspari , who fought the school board to keep the musical program active in a handful of inner city harlem schools . it could also be described as `mrs . streep's opus' . yes , meryl streep <POS> brings her dramatic clout </POS> to the demanding role of guaspari , and that brings both good news and bad . out of the gate , possibly because of her distracting star power and the rushed writing , it is relatively difficult to identify with roberta's character and grasp her academic point-of-view . she is very strict with her students , but what insight does that create into the story ? slowly but surely , we begin to recognize the intentions of the character , and show admiration for the thoughtfulness and human feeling that streep has once again applied . one thoroughly interesting fact about `music of the heart' lies with the unlikely presence in the director's chair : horror veteran wes craven . after leaving an impression with the `scream' films and the original `nightmare on elm street' , craven has attempted a precarious cross-over to drama . at first , his inexperience with the genre is fairly obvious , but as the film progresses craven <POS> finds a surprisingly comfortable niche </POS> with directing this material . it doesn't carry the heart-warming courage of `mr . holland's opus' , but `music of the heart' is casually assured and filled with little morsels of dramatic truth . the tag team of streep and craven <POS> works better than you would anticipate </POS> . yes , oscar could come calling once again for meryl streep , but it's the <POS> solid ensemble cast </POS> that makes `music of the heart' work . angela bassett displays her usual forceful stamina as janet williams , the principal at an inner city school who initially doesn't hire roberta because of her lack of experience . blue-eyed adian quinn is endearing , as always , playing a new love interest . gloria estefan also delivers in the tiny role of a supportive second-grade teacher , and the three lead actresses together <POS> produce a flaming fireball of estrogenic force </POS> . it's like a schoolteacher's version of `thelma and louise' , in a restrained but effective manner . the movie tackles more issues than just guaspari's teaching of violin . <POS> there's some powerful moments </POS> between roberta and her two sons , who must cope when their father leaves them for another woman . in it's dramatic build-up , the movie <POS> manages to produce some authentic moments of feeling and warmth </POS> . it's <POS> a good movie for anyone to see </POS> , although missing out on the experience would not be a life-altering decision . it's commendable of wes craven to be attempting such a difficult cross-over , and also for achieving his intricate goal . watching this heartfelt chick flick about morals and musical instruments , who may ask yourself : this is the guy who directed `scream' ? of course , when the third installment of that series comes around in february 2000 ( with craven directing ) , you may find yourself wondering : this is the guy who directed `music of the heart' ? mission accomplished , wes . thankfully , there is no layer of artificial sentiment covering the film . in it's entirety , it's <POS> a wholesome and agreeable movie for the whole family </POS> , despite the periodic flaws that surface every once in awhile . the child actors <POS> are cute and perform up to par </POS> , even if some of their problems are clich ? d and predictable in the extreme . the mother who doesn't want her son to be learning `white man's music' , the unexpected casuality . . . basically everything is there . it doesn't strike the perfect chord , but `music of the heart' is <POS> highly convincing </POS> . the uplifting true story of roberta guaspari could have been told better , but `music of the heart' is still edifying enough to properly divulge her morals .
