The sound of music

Could “August Rush” be this year’s “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” which, to us, translates as a sappy good time. Music swells. Adorable kid brings the house down. Long-lost/ estranged/ bickering family members are so moved that they see the folly of their ways. Kleenexes all around! As far as awards go, “August Rush” could do worse than draw some cheesy, feel-good “Opus” comparisons. The 1996 inspirational drama pulled down an Oscar nomination for star Richard Dreyfuss, and Golden Globe noms for him and screenwriter Patrick Sheane Duncan. It birthed two soundtracks. Its boxoffice, more than $100 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) surprised even those close to the project. It struck a chord, so to speak, with audiences.

“August Rush,” a Warner Bros. release, already has packed in near-capacity crowds at sneak peeks and could be just the balm for moviegoers looking for an alternative to war documentaries and Coen brothers gore. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that, hey, how about a big screen experience that doesn’t involve severed limbs? Happy Thanksgiving!

For Wednesday's Filmmaker Focus, THR’s Martin Grove spoke to young filmmaker Kirsten Sheridan, who hails from a famous Dublin-based movie family, about her first big-studio effort, band-leader babies, unexpected snowstorms in New York and the joy of not rehearsing.

“August Rush” is one of a number of music-propelled movies this year, with chances to rack up major award nominations in those categories at the very least. (The soundtrack features music by movie co-star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, R&B singer John Legend and Kaki King, who also worked on the instrumental score for "Into the Wild"). Perhaps that emotional current, and likely strong boxoffice, will help spread the gold around.