Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Touching story about a determined teacher has mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Music of the Heart
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Roberta Guaspari (Meryl Streep) is a newly single mom who needs a job. When she decides to try teaching violin to make ends meet at an inner city school in Harlem, she meets great resistance. But with passion and determination, she proves her value to the school and principal (Angela Bassett), but the question is whether she can prove the value of her music program and violin to the kids she teaches, and the community they live in.
Is It Any Good?
MUSIC OF THE HEART has its heart in the right place. It's an uplifting look, based on a true story, at a teacher whose single-mindedness and often very stubborn determination made a huge impact on hundreds of kids' lives. It touches on the struggles of single mothers, the lives of inner city kids, the complexity of race relations, the effects of poverty, and the way art and music is not just a fun extracurricular activity for many children -- it's a lifeline to a less impoverished life.
The film confronts death, poverty, divorce, and abuse directly in discussions but, because it doesn't depict those things graphically, kids who might otherwise be upset by these ideas have a buffer to ponder them without seeing them. However, at just over two hours, the film will challenge even the best attention spans. Best for parents and kids who've moved into discussions of music, art, community, or social justice.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about passion. What are you passionate about? How did the teacher's passion in the film help her achieve her goals?
Community plays an important role in the success of the teacher's music program. How did she gather their support? What did it take for her to make her community see how important learning violin was?
The film has a big message about not giving up. Why did so many of the kids want to give up learning violin? What do you think made them stick with it? Have you ever wanted to give up on something? Did you? Why or why not? What can you do when you feel like giving up on something difficult?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 29, 1999
- On DVD or streaming : May 3, 2011
- Cast : Meryl Streep , Angela Bassett , Cloris Leachman , Aidan Quinn
- Director : Wes Craven
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 124 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Rated PG for brief mild language and sensuality
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate