Cuba Gooding, Jr. has spent the better portion of a decade proving that his Oscar-winning performance in
Jerry Maguire
was a fluke, with such horrors as
Snow Dogs, The Fighting Temptations and
Boat Trip - among others - there to blemish his career. His latest film,
Radio, marks his return to drama, but is it enough to save him?
Radio has Gooding playing the title character, whose real name is James Robert Kennedy. Radio is a mentally disabled young man who spends his days walking around his South Carolina town with very little to do. He doesn''t talk much and at times is harassed by people. However, the local football coach, Coach Jones (Ed Harris), takes a liking to him and allows him to help out with the team. Soon, Radio becomes an unlikely inspiration for the team and the community. So, in other words, the movie is a PG-rated, feel good drama that is about as formulaic as they get, even though it is based on a true story.
Radio isn''t a bad movie, as long as you don''t mind somewhat forced drama and predictable scenes. It is entertaining and rarely boring, but not completely captivating, either. Most of the characters are easy to like, but it is hard to ever really care for them, either. All in all, it will appeal to families looking for light entertainment, but not those looking for something even remotely powerful.