The story of celebrated public speaker Richard Pimentel comes to the screen in this biographical drama starring
Ron Livingston,
Melissa George,
Rebecca De Mornay, and
Hector Elizondo. As a young man, Pimentel (
Ron Livingston) realized he had a remarkable gift for public speaking. Pimentel's idol is College Bowl founder Dr. Padrow (Elizondo), but upon trying out for Dr. Padrow, the ambitious young speaker is informed that he won't have anything to talk about until he has lived a full life. Realizing that there is some merit to Dr. Padrow's observation, Pimenel subsequently enlists in the military and prepares for duty in Vietnam. Later, while fighting on the battlefield, Pimentel loses his hearing and returns home disabled. Frustrated when others inform him that he will never achieve his dreams due to the fact that he is disabled, the determined veteran makes it his mission to prove them wrong. But it isn't as much about changing others' perceptions of the disabled as it is about altering their perceptions of themselves, and with a little help from foul-mouthed, cerebral palsy-stricken genius Art Honeyman (
Michael Sheen), free-spirited beauty Christine (George), and mercurial, hard-drinking veteran Mike Stoltz (
Yul Vázquez), Pimentel will play a pivotal role in creating the Americans With Disabilities Act, and finally discover his inner music. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide