OVERATED, EXPLOITIVE CRAP

Well said! =)

This is a great movie! I'm from Anderson and I guess you have to know Radio to know how well these actors did. My mom is a special ed teacher and in over 27 years she's never seen a case like Radio. These actors and the director did an amazing job.

Hhhhhmmmmmm......
Well, it seems someone always has to be negative about positive things. What threatens you about this movie? Are you not able to handle a movie that is about a mentally retarded person? I don't understand why people must label something like this as exploitation. I'm assuming that you are referring to "exploitation" in the negative sense; so assuming that, the accurate definition (according to Webster) is "to make use of meanly or unjustly for one's own advantage". Where is the unjustness of meanness of this film? The unjustness was the way Radio was treated over 30 years ago. IF anything, it brought light to the fact that there are those who treat people unjustly. When you present something like that, you aren't glorifying the cruelty or making light of the handicapped; but instead, exposing the bad people for what they are...which opens the eyes of those who stand by idly as if nothing is happening around them. That sorta makes everyone responsible. Ignorance is no excuse....why not educate today's generation by pointing out the mistakes made in the past? I'm not saying to blame today's generation for mistakes made decades and generations ago (i.e., racism), but open their eyes to the mistakes so they won't make the same. Do you think that not seeing something like this makes it not be real?

And are you suggesting that movies shouldn't resemble real life? Should they all be fantasy, science fiction, etc.? I think this movie was excellent. Cuba was convincing. I was so excited to see actual footage of the real "Radio" and to know that his town has embraced him. This film seemed more like a tribute to him than an exploitation of him. It hurt me to see the way he was treated, but it thrilled me to see that there are other people living in my country that are willing to risk everything to stand for what is right and just....even in something as simple & unthreatening as befriending and educating someone who is mentally retarded. I have an aunt who is retarded, and I would hate to think someone had ever treated her the way they did in this movie...but I would be glad to see someone treat her the way the coach did and then to see her honored in this way.

I'll have to agree with everyone that I know who has seen this film....it is wonderful and ranks among my favorite now.

I agree wholeheartedly. I swear, this movie seemed longer than The Lord Of The Rings. I was just waiting for this stupid movie to end. They could have summarized this plotless movie in probably 10 mins. Here, I will. Sorry if this sounds bad, people, but that's what this movie is about. **SPOILERS, if you haven't figured out what happens by just THINKING about it**

A mentally challenged African American (I'll be politically correct) person wanders around watching a football team. They are mean to him. The coach punishes the team and allows the kid to hang out with them (I was reminded of Carrie for most of this movie, did anybody see that too??). The kid gains popularity with the school. Two people don't like it and get him in trouble. Lifespans pass by with not one conflict, the kid talks more (although I couldn't understand a single word he said) and becomes unrealistically popular at the school. The coach takes him out to restaurants and grows OBSESSED with this kid, all the while abandoning his family. The kid's mom dies, he gets arrested, and then the world is all better again. At the Homecoming game, using his telekinetic powers, Radio starts a fire in the stadium during a football game, which kills all his enemies, along with everyone else. (Oh wait, that sounds like CARRIE, nevermind my throwing some actual INTEREST in). The end.

Here's an even QUICKER summary! I don't even need to indicate there are spoilers, because EVERYONE should already know the ending from the beginning of the movie. If not, then they should have a movie made about themselves.

A kid gets picked on ONCE for stealing something. A man sees this and helps him. He gains popularity, with the help of the man, and gets FREE stuff all the time so he doesn't have to steal. Everyone's happy and loves the kid. The end.

Now how can anyone honestly tell me this movie had ANY substance whatsoever? It had no conflicts, everything was always happy, and I didn't grow to like ANY of the characters. These people who defend this movie only say so because they don't want to sound like heartless people, but they secretly hate this movie. There are no redeeming qualities to this movie. I could see any conflict coming from a mile away, and sorry to say, I didn't feel sympathy for the mother because her character was so PITIFULLY established I couldn't gain any sympathy for her. 'Yeah, that's my son, don't know what's wrong with him, he has a brother, ya know, and I work long hours at a hospital.' Actually, NO CHARACTERS were established. Not even Radio. Not once did they mention any relevant fact like his age, but they couldn't even MAKE UP FOR THIS MOVIE what may have been wrong with him. I didn't like the coach either. Boring boring boring. The coach reminds me of the people who defend this movie. They want to look good to other people so they do things that they KNOW other people will appreciate them for, even if they don't honestly feel that way. Like, awww, this movie is about minorities; don't make fun... Be honest with yourself, people. It'll make for better conversation.

And I'm sure you're pround of yourself

I'm a hott ass egotistic manic. Do I seem like the type of person who really cares?

Haha I'm surprised you all haven't gotten your heads shoved up your asses yet.

I'm a hott ass egotistic manic. Do I seem like the type of person who really cares?

I personally loved the movie. There is a message in the movie that some seem to have missed. I think if you didn't get the message, then you probably wouldn't like the movie.

While the handicapped person in this movie is entirely lovable, the story is about the Coach, not the handicapped person. I think you missed the message?

It's an interesting analogy, to compare an actor playing a developmentally disabled person to a white actor putting on black face. I'm still pondering this... I work with individuals with developmental disabilities (whom we once called the mentally retarded), so I'm pretty sensitive to the mistreatment and exploitation of these individuals. Watching "Radio," I was enjoying myself but at the same time wondering if my enjoyment was something like, "Aw, look at the cute retarded boy." It's a very fine line they're walking by casting a person without disabilities to portray someone with a disability who is also very likeable. The truty is that people with disabilities have personalities just like the rest of us, they have traits you can like, and they can make you laugh...does it mean we're being exploitative when we laugh at something they do or say?

Back to "Radio"...it is a fine line, but in this case Cuba is portraying one individual, representing a real person, not just playing "a retarded man." So I won't judge the movie as harshly as I might have otherwise--Cuba's an actor in a sort of biopic. If he were just acting as a stereotypical "retarded" person (as if they're all the same anyway!), I would be very disgusted with the movie...but in this case, I think I'll cut him some slack.

Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within.