Email to a friend Printer friendly Font: * * * * Fortunately, as the scrappy son of an alcoholic, depressive mother — played in a brief, but solid performance from Rebecca De Mornay — Pimentel decides to pay his own way through college, where he eventually meets Art (Michael Sheen), a genius with cerebral palsy. Art can barely speak, but for some reason, the tone of his voice pierces through Richard’s chronic tinnitus and the two men become unlikely partners in crime–and legal reform.

Though the whole movie unfolds with all the earnestness of an after school special for grown-ups, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some genuine moments of tongue-in-cheek humour and dark comedy. With Ron Livingston (Sex and the City) in the lead as Pimentel, we don’t have to worry about a giant whitewash of one man’s story. Livingstone, with his crooked grin and oily wave of dark hair, ensures Pimentel never feels too squeaky clean or lopsidedly noble.

Certainly, the heroic proportions of Pimentel’s life are given ample coverage and homage, but considering how emotional the content is, Music Within delivers surprisingly few heartfelt moments or emotionally moving scenes. Because the story of disabled rights is so important, and because the legal battle for equality took place just 20 years ago, the movie certainly deserves attention, but this is no Born on the Fourth of July. There is no fire in this movie’s belly.

It doesn’t yell and scream for justice. Music Within simply tells one man’s story about effecting change, and whether it’s emotionally engrossing or not, it serves as a reminder that each one of us has the potential to change the world.