INTRO TO SPED

MOVIE REVIEW

AUGUST RUSH
 FEBRUARY 13, 2013

SUMMARY
Evan Taylor is an orphan longing for his parents whom for eleven years and sixteen days
been living in an orphanage where his grandfather gave him away. His parents were both
musicians, Lyla Novacek a famous violinist and Louis Connelly a vocalist of a band. One night
after their performance from two different concerts, they met in a party and from that moment
they knew that music brought them together. After that night they both had gone in separate
ways but before that they promised to meet again. Lyla didn’t want to break her promise but
she has a father who rules out in her life. Louis held onto their promise and waited for Lyla on
their meeting place. Lyla got pregnant and went back to the place where she and Louis is about
to meet but they never encountered each other again until Lyla got into an accident while she
was still pregnant. Her father told him that her baby died from the accident but the truth is he
gave his grandson away. Evan wanted to find his parents and he hears them calling out to him.
He went away from the orphanage and followed only music along his journey. When he got
into the city, he met Arthur a talented kid playing a guitar. Evan got swept away with the music
coming from the guitar and followed Arthur who was also an orphan but living in the hand of
Maxwell “wizard” who is a music lover also. Maxwell leads a group of children who loves music
and uses them to earn money. Evan stayed at their place and the morning after; he found the
guitar of Arthur and started playing it in different style. In born with the talent, Evan quickly
learned to play the guitar and Maxwell got amazed with him. Evan replaced Arthur’s place and
he enjoyed playing at the park. Maxwell recognized Evan’s talent and changed his name into
August Rush. One night their place was raided by policemen but August had escaped. He then
ended up in a church where he heard singing voices and went inside. August stayed there for
the night. In the morning he heard a melody coming from a piano where he found a girl he saw
singing with the choir the night before. She taught August a little on how to play it. When the
girl left for school August did exploration with the instrument and he learned to play it in just a
small period of time. He also learned about notes and made his own composition. When the
girl got back from school she was surprised finding out August’s composition posted in every
wall of her room. She told it to Reverend James and they both found August playing the
church’s organ. Then Reverend James sent August to Julliard School where he became the most
outstanding student. The dean recognized his exceptional talent and asked August if they could
play his own composition, the August Rush Rhapsody, to the Philharmonic orchestra concert. By
that time Lyla already found out that her son was alive and start searching for him. Lyla went to
a child department and discovered that her son was Evan Taylor who was now known as August
Rush. During the preparation for the concert on a rehearsal Maxwell interrupted and told
everybody that he was August’s father. August didn’t have the choice that he’d come with
Maxwell in the fear that something bad might happen. August went back working for Maxwell
and on the park he met Louis. They played instrument together and August told Louis that he
was going to play for the Philharmonic orchestra but walked away because he thought that
something bad might happen. At first Louis didn’t believe him but later on he found that the
boy was telling the truth. Soon August decided to leave Maxwell but he was not permitted,
then his friend Arthur helped him escape from the hand of Maxwell. Lyla at that time was also
asked to perform at Philharmonic orchestra concert but she still didn’t know that August was
her child. August manage to arrive at the concert in time and hearing his composition, his
parents found their way to each other and they were reunited at once looking up to their lost
son, a miracle that played music in his heart in finding his long lost parents.

Movie’s Important Characters:

August Rush (Evan Taylor)

A child who is musically talented and gifted.

Lyla Novacek

August’s mother who is a famous violinist.

Loius Conelly

August’s father who is a vocalist of a band with a great talent in playing a guitar.

Exceptionality presented:

Musically talented and Gifted

August Rush or Evan Taylor is a child who was born with an amazing talent for music.
August grew up in an orphanage where he was bullied for being a freak and different from the
others. He was indeed different for he was a musically inclined child though at the orphanage
he didn’t have the chance to apply his love for music because he was bullied by other children.
When the time came he went to the real world, outside the orphanage, to find his parents,
August quickly acquired knowledge for music for he has this deep talent in him. At his journey
his talent rapidly grown out from him and as he gained experience he became outstanding as
much as when he entered the Julliard School and composed his own composition which was
recognized by the school. With his natural talent, the people around him thought that he is a
musical genius for at his young age and in a small period of time he was known for his
exceptional talent in composition that no one ever had done in the history.

Reaction
The movie has a great story and beautiful outline of events. It has something that can

touch a heart and soul. For me the movie teaches something about the talent that should be

brought out and trained to be refined for it is an exceptional ability that no one can ever steal.

August a brilliant child and a gifted one had taught the people around him that everyone

has a talent which is needed to be accepted and nurtured. An account given for Reverend

James who sent August to Julliard School for the formal training which helped a lot in bringing

out the best from August.

It is important that every special child is given extra attention for their special need. It is

also important that a formal training is given to all children with exceptionality, not just only the

gifted ones but most importantly the ones with disabilities. It is also necessary that we do not

block any opportunities for them to improve.

In this movie we only saw one of the exceptionalities needed to be given close

supervision. Most important is that we accept every child even we may say they have disability

or gift because the best thing that could be given to every child with exceptionality is

acceptance and love.