I initially didn't want to watch this film, for some reason I don't enjoy films about the mentally challenged. i don't exactly know why, I just don't. However my wife wanted to see it so reluctantly I finally gave in to the pressure and agreed. I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised.

The '03 film 'Radio' turned out to be an inspirational and uplifting true life story ala 'Rudy' that leaves it's audience filming good about themselves and the world around them. Cuba Gooding Jr. is magnificent as James Robert Kennedy (aka: Radio), the mentally challenged young man that wins the heart of the Hanna High School football coach, the school and eventually the entire town of Anderson, South Carolina. Ed Harris is also exceptional as coach Harold Jones who takes Radio off the streets and provides him with an opportunity to lead a fulfilling life.

'Radio' is a wonderful film that the whole family can enjoy and learn from together!

Being the parent of an autistic child and volunteering in a disability ministry, I must confess that I was disappointed by the portrayals in this film. Radio is unrealistic. He can do no wrong. When he does wrong, someone put him up to it. It's hard to believe that he comes out of his shell and starts talking so fluently so quickly. I personally know people of varying degrees and types of disability, and they have bad sides. Based on Radio's portrayed developmental level, they would poke through more clearly. People like this need to be trained out of those behaviors, or they will become nuisances to themselves and society. The principal of the school looks and acts like she is straight out of the 2000s. The coach's daughter was a flat character who was a little whiny. It is hard to believe that the students who once persecuted him would turn so nonchalantly into his adoring allies. Additionally, wasn't there a law by 1976 that said special education was a mandatory offering in the public schools? Why wasn't he in school before? Also, it is unclear exactly how Radio helps the team. The team only goes .500. There is no sense of triumph or overcoming adversity to achieve greatness like there was in the great "Remember the Titans." I believe the film set out to be like "Titans,"(which I heartily recommend instead) but it seems like a low budget effort with blunders here there and everywhere. I suggest "Rain Man" also.

First, let me say that I loved the movie. It's incredibly touching in many ways, and there are several reviews on Amazon that detail the movie. On the other hand, I think Radio was probably faking it.

Who wouldn't like to be the Big Man on Campus for the rest of their life?
Kid 1: "Whos that?"
Kid 2: "Dude, c'mon! How lame are you? You dont friggin' know Radio?!"

It would be a constant walk through the hallways, getting shout-outs, high-fives, and all sorts of attention.

Who wouldn't kill for the chance to appear to be the smartest kid in class year after year after year?

History: What year did Napolean gain back his country after being exiled to Elba?
*Radio rudely yells out, "1815!!" without raising his hand
English: Name a town in Scotland that happens to be a palindrome.
*Radio shouts out, yet again, "GLENELG!"
Math: Whats the smallest natural number whose name uses the five vowels a, e, i, o, u in any order?
*Radio interrupts the math nerd in the front of class, "One thousand five."
Meanwhile, nearly every kid that wants to learn something in class hates Radio because they cant be totally sure if he has had the wrong answer for the past 20 years. On top of that, they can't be sure if the teacher is worried about correcting the beloved Radio, and, therefore, worried about losing his or her job.

Who wouldn't like to be the assistant coach of a football team, with absolutely no limits or restrictions?
The guy gets to run on field during timeouts and breaks, run his own plays, yell at the players, cheer with the cheerleaders, and just basically run rampant. He gets cheered on by thousands every Friday night. You know he gets in the games for free. And if you think he doesn't get free hot dogs and soft drinks at the concession stand, you're fooling yourself.

Who wouldn't enjoy free school lunches for eternity?
Each year he surely gets to choose his favorite foods, picking and choosing what gets scratched from the list of foods available to the student body. It's getting to experience the age-old question: If you could have only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Who wouldn't want to play DJ on a daily basis over the schools PA system?
He gets to make the announcements every morning, surely throwing in a little flavor from time to time. Inside jokes, blowing into the mic., calling out the names of buddies, making obscene comments (because people assume he doesn't know better), the possibilities are endless.

Who wouldn't want to stay in 11th grade, without ever progressing, ever worrying about obtaining the credits required for graduation?
And imagine if he ever did decide to move on! He's got valedictorian and every other award wrapped up!

And to top it all off, who else gets to carry a radio around school?
Yeah, that's what I thought.

There are times when the major studios tend to release their biggest hits all at once, gambling that this will return major profits to them. The fact is, this is almost always true. But once in a while they also release a small film at the same time with little hype, little intention of it making the big bucks and little chance of it gaining much attention. Such was the case with the release of RADIO when it was released to theaters.

RADIO is based on the true story of Robert "Radio" Kennedy (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a mentally challenged young black man in the south during the mid seventies. Seen tooling around town with his shopping cart, doing no harm, he is tormented one day by the local high school football team. The teams coach, Harold Jones (Ed Harris), won't tolerate such behavior and lets the team know so. He also invites the young man to practice the next day.

Radio, called that in nickname for his fondness of his portable radio not to mention the fact they are the first words he speaks to the coach, begins to grow on the team. Or at least most of them. He helps out in any way he can and soon becomes almost a mascot of the team, standing on the sidelines at the games and assisting the coach.

Trouble is brewing though as one of the town's "big men" (Chris Mulkey) whose son plays on the team, makes the statement to the Coach at the usual after game meeting that Radio is more of a distraction than anything. His insinuation is that the team might have gone on to win more had the coach not been involved in helping this young man.

The movie follows the story of what to do with Radio when you look at it on the surface. In fact, the real story has less to do with how Radio is affected by the deeds of those around him (though he does change) and more upon the way that Radio comes to affect the lives of those around him. And in that story lies the true meaning of this film.

With the pedigree of the stars in this films it's a wonder it didn't do better at the box office. Ed Harris is solid in his performance, playing a man who has held in check a few of his emotions and who must come to grips with the fact that in being the best coach he can, he may have lost time with those most important to him, his wife and daughter. Cuba Gooding, Jr. does an outstanding job as well, making the character of Radio come to life. He could have chosen to go over the top and make this character seem completely idiotic. Instead he makes us see Radio as a human being, something that he may be but many people have yet to recognize in the mentally challenged. Radio is a man and until the efforts of Coach Jones, he was never treated as such. This movie, and the actors involved, bring this story to life.

There are some who would say that movies like this are little more than schamltz and take the easy emotional road when it comes to storytelling. Those who would claim this miss the point and to me seem cynical at best. Movies like this are meant to be uplifting and to present the human stories of the world that touch the heart. And RADIO does that in as many ways as it can.

One of the best things of this DVD is the fact that at the films end we are offered a chance to see the real Radio, still a fixture at the local high school, still standing on the sidelines and helping now in his fifties. The supplemental featurettes included offer a behind the scenes look at how the actors developed their characters and got the chance to meet their real life counterparts as well.

If you are looking for an entertaining film that will touch your heart, then by all means, give this one a watch.

Extremely well acted and written, with a great story line. Cuba Gooding Jr. does an exceptional job. Worth buying and watching several times.