Mr. Holland's Opus tells the story of a high school music teacher who fails to realize all the ways he's touched his students' lives through his decades-long career, of how the job he had once reluctantly accepted as a fallback option becomes his main priority while his dream of writing a truly immortal composition becomes more and more distant.

The movie beautifully brings out the greatest irony of Mr. Holland’s life in the form of the deafness of his son and the consequent effect on his life. The disappointment, frustration gives way to angry outbursts and tension between the two. But all is resolved when Glenn Holland learns to sign John Lennon's song, “Beautiful Boy,” and dedicates it to his son, emphasizing the line about how “Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.”

But what cuts through all of this and makes the film not just watchable but quite enjoyable is the excellent performance delivered by Richard Dreyfuss. He seems perfect - and his aging makeup is quite remarkable.

The passage of time is beautifully denoted by using archival-footage (with references to everything from the Kennedy assassination to the Vietnam War to Watergate and Nixon's resignation) and musical montages.

The film’s got a brilliant score composed by Michael Kamen. The most remarkable feature of the score is way it blends so perfectly with the film. It effortlessly integrates with the film, highlighting the different emotions and transitions Mr. Holland goes through.

Dead Poets' Society told a similar story in a similar setting with similar themes, but Mr. Holland's Opus steers ahead of it in many aspects.

A symphony of great screenplay, strong performances and good vibes, Mr. Holland’s Opus affirms my believe that a life spent in a worthy pursuit, is a life well spent.