Continuity mistake: Glen Holland owns a Chevy Corvair throughout the film. The car at the beginning of the film is a 1961 model 500 (the base model with bench seats), but at the end of the film it is a 1964 Monza (the top of the line model, with bucket seats).
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Directed by: Stephen Herek
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Olympia Dukakis, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas
Continuity mistake: When Glen Holland hears that John Lennon was killed, he is sitting at his piano and outside the window it is sunny and leaves are on the trees. As he walks home, it is overcast, snow is on the ground, and the leaves are off the trees. Since Lennon was killed in December of 1980, the latter "weather" would be correct.
Revealing mistake: Anytime the camera is on Richard Dreyfuss' hands while he's playing the piano, it is clear that he is not actually playing; his hands are frequently in the wrong part of the keyboard for the sound being produced. At other times, when his hands are moving down the keyboard, the pitch we hear is going up, or vice-versa.
Trivia: All the American Sign Language used in the movie is accurate. When Iris tells Cole to open the window, Cole's response is not translated and she says "don't bust my butt." What he signed was, "Tell him to open the window himself."
Vice Principal Wolters: I care about these kids just as much as you do. And if I'm forced to choose between Mozart and reading and writing and long division, I choose long division.
Glenn Holland: Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about.
Vice Principal Wolters: Corvair?
Mr. Glenn Holland: Yeah.
Vice Principal Wolters: I take it you didn't read Ralph Nader's book.
Mr. Glenn Holland: Well, unless Ralph is willing to buy me a new car, I'm going to have to stick with this one until the wheels fall off.
Vice Principal Wolters: Well, you might not have to wait that long. Heh, heh. Have a nice day.
Vice Principal Wolters: Have you been to any of the football games this season, Mr. Holland?
Glenn Holland: I can't say that I have, no.
Vice Principal Wolters: Well, Mrs. Jacobs and I feel that there's something missing.
Glenn Holland: Touchdowns.
Question: Why can't Glenn understand anything Cole signs, leaving Iris to translate? Glenn knows and uses sign language when talking to Cole so it seems strange that he doesn't know anything that Cole tells him when Cole uses sign language.
Answer: Glenn was passionate about music and wanted to be a great composer, something relatively few people are able to attain. At least initially, taking a part-time music teacher position was not what he wanted to do or be - but it provided the resources to support himself/his family while giving him enough time to pursue his dream (music composition/opus). Glenn had an on-again/off-again (mostly "off") relationship with his son Cole, perhaps sometimes due to his lack of commitment, time constraints, frustration, sense of failure, and emotional pain over his belief that he could not successfully nurture the love of music in his near-deaf son. (Glenn was aware of the difficulties Beethoven had.) In some ways, Glenn (selfishly) was saying, "I don't have time for this" (communicating in sign language or providing the fatherly devotion and sacrifice necessary to understand and develop a good rapport with his "special needs" son).
Question: Sometime during the film the show the passing of several years by showing images of what happened during these years. I think it is at the time of the Vietnam War. A song is played in the background. Does anybody know what the name of that song is and whom by?
Answer: Its "Imagine" by John Lennon.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Iris knows and understands sign language much better than her husband. Glen can communicate on a basic level, but when Cole is ready to tell off his father, he wants to make sure Glen understands exactly what he's saying. Remember how Glen didn't know the sign for 'a***hole'.
Brian Katcher