The Music Never Stopped (2011)

This movie moved a little slow, however, it was really quite touching.This movie is about a family whose son runs away and they find him 20 years later but he suffers from a brain tumor that has left him with no short-term memory. The father reconnects with his son through music.The family history, the story, and the reconnection between the father and son is really quite moving. The acting is believable, which helps pull you into the story, and makes you care. This is not an exciting drama, but it is interesting enough that you want to hear the story.Despite its slow nature, I still enjoyed this movie. It was heart felt and I can appreciate that.

I usually consider myself a tough guy and people who know me know how thick my emotional wall can be, but considering how this movie is centered around a family who are reconnecting after 20 odd years and all the complex dynamics that it entails, the scenes that brought me tears were caused from pity. Its a drama movie, so expect lots of drama.Regardless of the budget of the movie, the story line was enjoyable and so was the acting between the father and son. Flashbacks from the present to the 50s and 60s are introduced at the early stages of the movie to make sense of the present.There are intermittent moments of high drama throughout the movie, but the ending scene is where drama reaches its climax.

I was a child of the 60s, grew up in the 70s, made most of my life's mistakes in the 80s, but also learned an awful lot about life those three decades. That time period made me who I am today. I don't take much for granted. I played a LOT outside as a child, my mind was not desensitized by video games. My growing years were filled with music about the reason for war and the wrongs of war. Popular songs about love were poetic, meanings often hidden, and not in your face expletives.Having said all that, this movie reached me deep inside. Music was always a part of my life... from day one. My father liked Glenn Miller and my mother loved Elvis. To this day I love that music too, as well as my own preferences with which I grew up. Despite my father never liking the Beatles, they are my favorite band of all time to this day. I think he objected to their hair. My father had a 30 year career in the U.S. Army. He served at the end of WWII, the Korean conflict and Vietnam. My love of the anti-war songs were not in rebellion to what he was doing, but instead reassured everyone that we found our American soldiers more valuable than whatever it was we were fighting for in Vietnam. Now my stepson is at the end of his tour of Afghanistan. I love him dearly, and support what he does and support our troops mission, but they need to come home now. What songs today speak of our missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Libyan conflict? It's just not the same.In the 70s, besides never setting the Beatles aside, I loved CSN, CCR, Joni Mitchell and most of the artists who took part in Woodstock back in 1969, as well as all the great bands and singer/songwriters that followed. Songs of peace, love and understanding.I became a DJ at age 16 and after disco unfortunately changed everything and college was over, I worked a couple of years as a roadie and eventually became a musician as well.I put my guitar down around 1990 and didn't pick it up again in seriousness until 2007. That period includes probably the darkest period in my life. I will never set music aside again.Should I, God forbid, suffer the plight of the main character in this movie, my wife knows what music to play.I didn't feel the need to review this film as a critic, because my experience with this film was more emotional than intellectual. If you don't have instant recollection of a moment in your past whenever you hear a certain song, this movie is not for you. However, if you do have a solid connection between music and a memory, don't miss this film.Julia Ormond was good in this film as the doctor that finds the connection. However, the real stars are the lesser known J.K. Simmons and Lou Taylor Pucci who did an incredible job of showing the differences in generations and how the tables can turn when your ears and your heart open up to something new or something you hated because of lack of understanding. I think in all of life's steps on the road through life, denial is the most destructive.Don't view this movie technically, you'll miss the point. Open your heart and your soul, and you'll get it. Enjoy.

"Music elicits measurable responses in the brain's activity" After Henry (Simmons) has a fight with his son Gabriel (Pucci), he decides that home is no longer for him and leaves. 20 years later Gabriel is found with a brain tumor that eliminates long term memory. After thinking he is still in the sixties his parents struggle to find a way to communicate with him. When a therapist discovers that music is the answer his parents have to adjust their lives to get their son back. This is an amazing movie. Much like "Barney's Version" and "Trust", this is a movie that didn't get the advertising that this deserved and will not be seen by the audience it should have. An extremely touching movie that deals with a strained father and son relationship, and the struggle to reconnect. There is not enough good things I can say about this movie. Much like "Trust" this is a movie that has the possibility of helping people and can become much more then just a movie. I cannot recommend this enough, do yourself a favor and watch this movie. You will be moved to tears and be left with an absolutely satisfying feeling. Why can't more movies be this way? Overall, one of the best movies in the last 10 years, and next to "Barney's Version" the best movie of the year. I easily give it an A+.Would I watch again? - Absolutely.*Also try - Barney's Version & Mr. Holland's Opus