Music Within

Richard Pimentel (Ron Livingston) begins his life as a fighter, and his life’s work becomes a process of fighting for the rights of others.

Rising up from a childhood in a dysfunctional family, armed with a talent for public speaking and a winning personality, the young man makes his way to a Northwestern college, confident that he will ace his try-out for his idol Dr. Ben Padrow (Hector Elizondo), the coach of the winningest team in the history of the College Bowl.

But Dr. Padrow shatters his dream when he rejects him. Richard’s immediate reaction is to enlist in the army for a tour of duty in Vietnam. During combat, the young recruit loses his hearing to a bomb blast, and has to deal with this newfound disability on his return to civilian life in Oregon.

Richard discovers that his disability and the struggle to transcend it is a defining moment in his fight for what he believes in. When he tries to help his friends, vets like himself and others with disabilities, to get work in an environment that treats them with pity at best and disdain as a matter of course, he realizes that he can make a difference. The friends who make up his close-knit clique are: Art Honneyman (Michael Sheen), a student wheel chair user with cerebral palsy who uses his rapier wit to deflect the prejudice that greets his disturbing appearance; Mike Stoltz (Yul Vázquez), a fellow veteran with a lot of rage and nowhere to put it; and then there is Christine (Melissa George), the passionate libertine who strokes Richard’s ego and initiates him into the world of free love.

Together, the friends experience the currents of those turbulent times, and the wild, joyful energy of winning through confrontation and humor. Without his hearing Richard is all the more prepared to listen to the message deep within himself, and to carry that message to the thousands of people whose lives are improved by the movement he helps to organize.

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Release Dates:
@Theaters: October 26, 2007
@DVD/Video:
Genre: Drama, Biopic and War
Running Time: 93 min.
Director: Steven Sawalich
Distributor: MGM Distribution Company
Tagline: Experience a movie that will make you believe anyone can change the world.
MPAA Rating: R for language including sexual references, and some drug content.

Writer(s):
Kelly Kennemer - Writer
Mark Andrew Olsen - Writer
Bret McKinney - Writer

Producer(s):
Brett Donowho - Producer
Steven Sawalich - Producer
F. X. Vitolo - Associate Producer

Movie Casts:
Ron Livingston - Richard Pimentel
Melissa George - Christine
Michael Sheen - Art Honeyman
Yul Vazquez - Mike Stolz
Rebecca De Mornay - Richard's Mom
Hector Elizondo - Ben Padrow
Leslie Nielsen - Bill Austin
Ridge Canipe - Young Richard
Paul Michael - Joe
Clint Jung - Richard's Dad
John Livingston - Mr. Parks
Arlene Ancheta - Chinese Restaurant Owner
Glen Baggerly - D.J.
Alexander Baird - Mr. Parks student
Doug Baldwin - Supervisor
Jenni Blong - Shelly
Joel Bryant - Sergeant Taylor
Linda Burden-Williams - Bambi
T.J. Civis - Army Recruiter
Peter Crone - Nikos
Beth Donowho - Female Student
Brett Donowho - McMahon
Dale Dye - Captain Ruzicka
Gray Eubank - Recruiter
Natiya Guin - Sorority Girl #2
Chris Harder - Male Student
Benedict Herrman - EMCEE
Clint Howard - Clerk
TyZhaun Lewis - Aaron
Shelly Lipkin - VA Doctor
Thaddeus Massey - Customer #1
Shelly Matthews - Caregiver
Betty Moyer - Mrs. Jelt
Daniel Nelson - Birthday Party Boy
David Nelson - Boy at Party
Michael O'Connell - Franklin
Marion Ross - Grandma
Kevin Sage - PFC Sage
Brandon Sawalich - Student
Steven Sawalich - Soldier
Trevi Sawalich - Sorority Girl #1
Phil Somerville - Vaughn
Cindy Sorenson - Little Person
Gracie Starr - Young Christine
Lauren Stocks - Heather
Janssen Van De Yacht - Toddler Richard
F.X. Vitolo - Manager
Nita Whitaker - Hostess