Has life been getting you down? Then I would wholly recommend this excellent, must-see, feel-good movie. The movie was inspired by the 1996 Academy Award nominated documentary Small Wonders. It is the true story of Roberta Guaspari, brought to the big screen by director Wes Craven (of the Scream and its sequels fame). It is a wonderful and inspirational story, starring Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep actually devoted four to six hours a day for two straight months in order to learn how to play the violin specifically for this film. Apparently, the first choice actress was, you won't believe this, Madonna, but since she was tied up with her upcoming movie "The Next Best Thing" with Rupert Everett, the role went to Meryl instead. But after watching the movie, I couldn't imagine Madonna in the role which Meryl brought to life superbly. You'll have to watch the movie first to see for yourself.

Back to the story; Roberta is a middle-class woman whose life fell apart when her husband ditched her and their two young boys for her best friend. A woman who had forsaken her career for her husband's, she now finds herself alone and with two kids to bring up. She has determination, and she has guts. And thanks to the help of a long time friend Brian, she got a job at a school at Harlem teaching the only thing she knows, the violin. But after a decade of teaching and students tripling in size, the school board cuts the funding and ends her program.

With help from the school principal Janet Williams (Angela Bassett), the students and the parents, Roberta she sets out to raise money to fund the program and keep it running in the schools independent of the school board's budget.

This film showcases Gloria Estefan's acting debut. She plays a teacher at the school in which Roberta works, but there wasn't much of a role for her here. But hey, that's always a first. Real life violin professionals Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Arnold Steinhardt and Mark O'Connor also got to show their violin skills.

The violin playing was wonderful and the Carnegie Hall concert footage stunning. I enjoy watching the kids, some of whom were played by the students of the real life Roberta, and eventhough the movie may have gloss and sugar-coat the real true story (I never watched the documentary nor did I read her book), it is a moving and uplifting movie. Absolutely superb!