Title: Radio

Setting: T.L. Hanna High School, Anderson, South Carolina

1976

Characters:
CUBA GOODING JR. as James Robert RADIO Kennedy
Radio is a teenage boy with special education needs. He
appears to be shy, and most often keeps to himself. He can
communicate using basic language but cannot read or write.
ED HARRIS as Coach Harold Jones
He is a leader, seasoned educator and sports coach at Hanna
High. He has a family consisting of a wife and teenage
daughter, he is well respected in the community for his
professional opinion and expertise in sports.
ALFRE WOODARD as Principal Daniels
Principal of Hanna High School, she is a middle aged black
woman in the Southern States. She has established
relationship with Coach Jones.
S. EPATHA MERKENSON as Maggie
She play the role as the mother of Radio. She is a black
middle aged widow working many hours as a nurse to support
Radio and herself.
BRENT SEXTON as Honeycutt
Honeycutt is Coach Jones coaching partner. Together, they
run the athletics department of Hanna High. He is the
assistant coach of the football team, and the head coach of
the basketball team.
CHRIS MULKY as Frank Clay
He is the bank manager of Anderson. He is also the father of
Johnny Clay, star athlete of Hanna High.
SARAH DREW as Mary Helen
She is the daughter of Coach Jones and Mrs. Linda. She is a
typical teenage girl who also is a cheerleader for Hanna High.
She does not have a great relationship with his father.
RILEY SMITH as Johnny Clay
The high school jock or sports all-star. He is the leader of
the football and basketball teams. He mistreats Radio
throughout the movie.
PATRICK BREEN as Tucker
He is the one who interrogated Coach Jones about Radio.
DEBRA WINGER as Mrs. Linda Jones
She is the wife of Coach Jones. She is always available to
cater to the needs of Coach Jones when he arrives home from
practice or other outings

Director: Mike Tollin

Producer: Revolutions Studios Tollin / Robbins Production

Summary:
 James Robert Kennedy better known as Radio, has been wondering
the streets of his small hometown for as long as anyone can
remember. Most people leave him alone, knowing that he is harmless,
and hardly anyone really sees him anymore as he pushes his shopping
cart around. But one day, Coach Jones finds few of his star
football players picking on Radio and he is intrigued and wants to
find out more about him. It is obvious that Radio is a little
different and more than a little slow, but there is something about
him that touches Coach Joness heart. To try and make it up to
Radio, Coach Jones invites him to help out at the football
practices and Radio is slowly adopted by the team. Unfortunately,
not all of the football players and townspeople are ready to accept
Radio and invite him to be a part of their lives. As the Christmas
approaches Jones family takes Radio to the town Christmas tree,
and is given dozens of presents, filling the back Coachs pickup
truck. A brief exchange between Coach and Mary Helen reveals that
they are still distant, and she feels that he does not make time
for her. Mrs. Kennedy has gotten home and they took all the
presents. Radio is very excited. Coach Jones convinces him to
unwrap one, which is radio from the Jones family. The next morning
Radio filled his shopping cart with gift and is leaving them on
neighbors doorsteps.
One night when Coach Jones come home an upset Mary Helen is on
the phone saying she has not been able to find either of her
parents. She sees him and end the call and told his father that
Mrs. Kennedy had a heart attack and Radio tore up his house and
wont come out of his room. Coach Jones asks if Mrs. Kennedy will
be okay, but she has died. They go over to see Radio, and Coach
calm him down. There is also an incident when Radio was asked to
go to the girls locker. And this become an issue and people said
that Radio is already a danger to the community since his mother
is already dead. As Coach ones become more involved in the life of
Radio, he is forced to make some difficult decisions in his own
life and to see himself and his family in a whole new light. At
the end coach Jones decided to step down as the coach of football
team to focus more on his family.
Reaction:

This movie entitled Radio is very inspiring. Cuba Gooding who

portrayed the role of James Robert Kennedy did a very good job,
his like a real person having the same condition as Radio have.
Throughout the movie theres lots of scenes that shows sports. It
may be showed how Radio really wanted to do the same, even his
condition do not permits him to do so. The scene when Coach Jones
portrayed by Ed Harris first saw Radio watching over them as they
practice football shows that Radio is very shy guy, because he
continue pushing the shopping cart as he saw Coach Jones looking
at him. I have noticed also that Radio always carry where ever he
go a radio. For me it maybe because throughout his life theres
nobody talking to him aside from his mother, maybe by listening to
the radio it made him feel that there are people talking to him
through the radio. The community in which Radio is residing is not
yet ready to accept him, they move apart from Radio every time
they saw him coming to their way. It just show how ignorant us in
treating people with special needs. Actually its not the fault of
the person having mental disorder, because they didnt asked for
it. We should just be thankful that were leaving in a normal life
The scene when Radio is crying because football season
ends for that year and thinking that he can no longer play
football, and his mother told him that shes always there for him
no matter what happen shows the unconditional love that every
mother have for their children. On the last part near the ending
of the movie during the graduation ceremony, proved that even Radio
is a mentally challenged person he can still do things that a
normal individual can do. He became an inspiration to their
community. Because he have able to achieve those things that he
has right now even though theres lots of hindrances that come
along his way before he achieve those things.

Conflict:
Man versus Man
Radio at first is very shy guy he has no friends. Some people
think that he is a distraction to the football team of T.L. Hanna
High School. One of those people that obviously against Radio is
Johnny Clay the star player who always mistreat Radio. He is also
the one who asked Radio to go to girls locker. The community where
Radio belong is also ignorant about persons that are mentally
challenged, they move apart every time they saw Radio coming to
their way.

Denouement:
Coach James decides to quit being head football coach in order
to concentrate on being with his family more. Radio is given a
special award at graduation that year. Before the credits, we learn
that the real radio is presently in 11th grade in his 50s at Hanna
High and is the assistant coach for the football team and the real
Coach Jones was inducted into the coaching hall of fame. During
the credits, it showed also the real Radio working with the team
and cheering exactly as he did in the movie.

Climax:
The climax of this movie is when Radio is already accepted by
the football team. During every game of the team he is with coach
cheering for the team. He already attend school at this time and
Coach Jones is the one who personally teach him how to write. At
this time also Radio can already communicate with the students of
the school.

Theme:
Overcoming challenges and restrictions that youre faced with.
 REACTION PAPER
IN PSYCHOLOGY

Submitted by: submitted to:

JRxd Dasig Mr. Dela Paz
N-44