August Rush
2007
Rated PG
Director: Kristen Sheridan
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Robin Williams and Terrence Howard
I had the privilege of seeing a special AFI screening of August Rush at the Angeika Film Center in Dallas back in October. I was already looking forward to this film after seeing the trailer. So I was extremely stoked to see this. Before the viewing, they introduced screenwriter, Jim Hart, and producer, Richard Lewis, who came up front to talk briefly about their roles on the project.
August Rush is sort of a feel good, modern day fairy tale involving a parent/child separation and a boy's unrelenting search to be reunited with his parents. But the primary theme is Music as a healing force in the Universe that draws us all together. The film stars Freddie Highmore, as the orphaned musical prodigy; Keri Russell, as the sheltered cellist from Juliard; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as the Irish singer/songwriter/guitarist; Robin Williams as Wizard, the street performer who takes August under his wing; and Terrence Howard as the social worker who works with the orphan boy and his mother.
The acting was superb. There's not much dialogue in this movie. So the majority of the story is told through the emotional expressions of the actors and via the music. Although, Robin Williams does have a great monologue where he talks about Music being the tie that binds all of us together. Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is the cream of the crop as far as child actors go. He amazed me in this film.
August Rush was directed and co-written by Kristen Sheridan, who also wrote In America with her dad. (If you haven't seen that movie, add it to your rental queue. It's about her life as a young girl.) I have to say that it is so wonderful to see a work like this from a female filmmaker for a change. Beautiful cinematography! The opening scene in the wheat field is just breathtaking. The score is fabulous. Let's face it… in a movie like this, you’ve got to have great music to pull it off.
There are some exceptional musical performances especially from relative newcomers, Jamia Simone Nash who sings up a storm and Leon Thomas who croons and plays guitar. Not to mention the Oscar nominee for best original song “Raise It Up”. But the most impressive thing about this movie is that all of the actors really played these instruments themselves. Meyers did his own singing as well. Highmore plays the guitar in an unusual slap-harmonics style that reminded me of Michael Hedges. (If you don't know of Hedges, look his work up online... he was a musical genius.)
Following the show, we got to stick around for a Q&A with Jim Hart and Richard Lewis, among others. They talked about where they got the inspiration for this film, where they got some ideas for the script, how they chose the cast, some of the trials and tribulations they went through trying to get this made and of course the music. Also on hand for the Q&A were some of the musicians from the film, Charles and Lana Mack and Chris Tripper.
I enjoyed August Rush so much. I haven't been moved to tears like this by a film in a long time. The story was very inspiring and the boy's unyielding faith and will to never give up on his dream to find his family really hit me. Kudos to the writers and director for ending the film the way they did. Instead of a sappy reunion scene that would've ruined the tone of the movie, they ended it beautifully with the crescendo of the music and just the close-up on August as he sees his parents standing there for the first time. Add August Rush to your rental queue. I give it 4.75 out of 5 stars
I cried like crazy during the last ten to twenty minutes of this film. Great review.