Covering 30 yrs of a person's life was always going to be hard, but this film manages it without interrupting the flow. Mr Holland, faced with everything to hold him back from completing his opus, more than impacts on his music appreciation class - from those who said they couldn't, to those who had to break free and try their hand at the city lights. I liked the subtle time changes with the cars and the aging characters. The Cole sub-plot was a little bit misplaced (although I can't see how else they could have done it) and overall the story was predictable, but it was an inspiring movie all the same.