"Positive Mentoring"
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Watch:
What You Need To Know:
THUNDER SOUL shows the massive positive impact a teacher can have on students without good parents. Thus, many students look back on Johnson as a father figure whose guidance in band class carried over into their personal lives. Throughout THUNDER SOUL, strong family bonds and marriage are stressed, as Johnson is repeatedly admired for his 52-year marriage. At two key moments in THUNDER SOUL, reunited band members stop to pray openly for God’s blessing on Johnson and on their own performances.
HEADLINE: ** Positive Mentoring **
Title: THUNDER SOUL
Quality: * * * * Acceptability: +3
SUBTITLES: N/A
WARNING CODES:
Language: L
Violence: None
Sex: None
Nudity: None
RATING: PG
RELEASE: September 23, 2011 in New York City
TIME: 88 minutes
STARRNG: Conrad O. Johnson Sr., Craig Baldwin, Reginald “Rollo” Rollins
DIRECTOR: Mark Landsman
PRODUCERS: Keith Calder, Mark Lansman, Jessica Wu
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jamie Foxx
WRITER: N/A
BASED ON THE BOOK BY: N/A
DISTRIBUTOR: Roadside Attractions
CONTENT: (BBB, CC, L, D, M) Very strong moral worldview in highly entertaining documentary about African-American band director Conrad O. Johnson, Sr. who took over the band at a predominantly black Houston high school in the 1970s and won national band championships by revolutionizing the music the students played, plus strong Christian elements, including two prayer scenes, offset slightly by voiceover recollections of former students regarding their experiences “chasing girls” and brief archival footage of radical political movements in the 1960s; two “h” words; no violence; no sex scenes but talk about “chasing girls”; no nudity; no alcohol; a couple brief archival shots of people smoking cigarettes; and, nothing else objectionable.
GENRE: Documentary
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults
REVIEWER: Carl Kozlowski
REVIEW: THUNDER SOUL is a rousing musical documentary stuffed from start to finish with catchy music and positive Christian, moral values.
The movie follows the story of retired Houston high school bandleader Conrad O. Johnson, Sr. and his impact on Kashmere High School throughout the 1970s and on his students’ adult lives. As such, it provides wall-to-wall examples of hard work paying off and the bonding power of positive common goals. The movie also expertly shows the historic context of the 1970s funk music scene, bringing viewers up to date on this lively world and showing how African-Americans of the time were breaking down societal barriers through the power and popularity of their music. Eventually, the Kashmere Stage Band went on tour and made eight albums together.
As viewers see the students’ confidence and lives improve through their hard work and Johnson’s astute guidance, the movie provides an example of what our schools of today should aspire to be. The band members reunite some 30 years after high school to pay tribute to the elderly 92-year-old Johnson as he nears death. The combination of the joy they bring him and the sadness wrought by their realization that he will soon pass out of their lives is a powerful mix. Through scenes of Johnson still expertly playing his saxophone well into his 80s, THUNDER SOUL also shows that the elderly can continue to live vibrant lives and that they should always be respected, loved, and learned from, rather than society’s normal tendency to mock or forget them.
Among the movie’s many positive messages are that it shows the massive positive impact a teacher can have on students without good parents. Thus, many of the former students look back on Johnson as a father figure whose guidance in band class carried over into their personal lives. Throughout THUNDER SOUL, strong family bonds and marriage are stressed, as Johnson is repeatedly admired for his 52-year marriage. In addition, band members are shown bonding with their families and paying respect to the now-elderly relatives who raised them. In addition, at two key moments, the reunited band members are shown stopping everything to pray openly and sincerely for God’s blessings on Johnson and on their own performances. As the band is shown succeeding, the members recall that every aspect of their school lives, and the lives of other students, improved, including their grades, athletics, and even ROTC performance. All this shows how hard work and a positive attitude can turn around even the most unassuming, disadvantaged people.
With the power of prayer ably demonstrated in two key scenes, THUNDER SOUL is certainly one of the year’s more faith-filled, positive films. Its subject matter probably will appeal most to teenagers and adults, but it certainly could be seen by people of virtually any age. There are only two “h” words, some archival footage showing people smoking, and talk about “chasing girls” in high school.
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SUMMARY: THUNDER SOUL is a rousing musical documentary about the positive impact of a high school band teacher on a Houston, Texas high school in the 1970s. THUNDER SOUL is an inspiring, entertaining documentary with a strong moral worldview extolling family, marriage and prayer.
IN BRIEF:
THUNDER SOUL is a rousing musical documentary. It follows the story of retired Houston high school bandleader Conrad O. Johnson, Sr. and his impact on Kashmere High School throughout the 1970s and on his students’ adult lives. As such, it provides wall-to-wall examples of hard work paying off and the bonding power of positive common goals. The movie also expertly shows the historic context of the 1970s funk music scene. Under Johnson’s leadership, the Kashmere Stage Band not only won competitions but went on tour and made eight albums together. The movie’s highlight shows band members reuniting to give a 2008 tribute concert to the 92-year-old Johnson, who was ailing.
THUNDER SOUL shows the massive positive impact a teacher can have on students without good parents. Thus, many students look back on Johnson as a father figure whose guidance in band class carried over into their personal lives. Throughout THUNDER SOUL, strong family bonds and marriage are stressed, as Johnson is repeatedly admired for his 52-year marriage. At two key moments in THUNDER SOUL, reunited band members stop to pray openly for God’s blessing on Johnson and on their own performances.
Content:
(BBB, CC, L, D, M) Very strong moral worldview in highly entertaining documentary about African-American band director Conrad O. Johnson, Sr. who took over the band at a predominantly black Houston high school in the 1970s and won national band championships by revolutionizing the music the students played, plus strong Christian elements, including two prayer scenes, offset slightly by voiceover recollections of former students regarding their experiences “chasing girls” and brief archival footage of radical political movements in the 1960s; two “h” words; no violence; no sex scenes but talk about “chasing girls”; no nudity; no alcohol; a couple brief archival shots of people smoking cigarettes; and, nothing else objectionable.
More Detail:
THUNDER SOUL is a rousing musical documentary stuffed from start to finish with catchy music and positive Christian, moral values.
The movie follows the story of retired Houston high school bandleader Conrad O. Johnson, Sr. and his impact on Kashmere High School throughout the 1970s and on his students’ adult lives. As such, it provides wall-to-wall examples of hard work paying off and the bonding power of positive common goals. The movie also expertly shows the historic context of the 1970s funk music scene, bringing viewers up to date on this lively world and showing how African-Americans of the time were breaking down societal barriers through the power and popularity of their music. Eventually, the Kashmere Stage Band went on tour and made eight albums together.
As viewers see the students’ confidence and lives improve through their hard work and Johnson’s astute guidance, the movie provides an example of what our schools of today should aspire to be. The band members reunite some 30 years after high school to pay tribute to the elderly 92-year-old Johnson as he nears death. The combination of the joy they bring him and the sadness wrought by their realization that he will soon pass out of their lives is a powerful mix. Through scenes of Johnson still expertly playing his saxophone well into his 80s, THUNDER SOUL also shows that the elderly can continue to live vibrant lives and that they should always be respected, loved, and learned from, rather than society’s normal tendency to mock or forget them.
Among the movie’s many positive messages are that it shows the massive positive impact a teacher can have on students without good parents. Thus, many of the former students look back on Johnson as a father figure whose guidance in band class carried over into their personal lives. Throughout THUNDER SOUL, strong family bonds and marriage are stressed, as Johnson is repeatedly admired for his 52-year marriage. In addition, band members are shown bonding with their families and paying respect to the now-elderly relatives who raised them. In addition, at two key moments, the reunited band members are shown stopping everything to pray openly and sincerely for God’s blessings on Johnson and on their own performances. As the band is shown succeeding, the members recall that every aspect of their school lives, and the lives of other students, improved, including their grades, athletics, and even ROTC performance. All this shows how hard work and a positive attitude can turn around even the most unassuming, disadvantaged people.
With the power of prayer ably demonstrated in two key scenes, THUNDER SOUL is certainly one of the year’s more faith-filled, positive films. Its subject matter probably will appeal most to teenagers and adults, but it certainly could be seen by people of virtually any age. There are only two “h” words, some archival footage showing people smoking, and talk about “chasing girls” in high school.
