The Reading Room

The Reading Room, with James Earl Jones in the lead role, is a fine example of why Mr Jones is one of the finest actors alive.

As a wealthy widower who is bringing to fruition his deceased wife's wishes that their personal library be transformed into a public "reading room", the actor, best known for his voice over talents as the ominous Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga, here displays a very believable portrayal of a man whose compassion for others leads him into some new albeit unexpected ground.

The aspect of his portrayal that I find most appealing here, is his fine ability for underplaying the role. This is "perfect" acting, and very few pull it off as well as James Earl Jones.

Never over the top in his portrayal, one gets the feeling in viewing this movie, that underneath that exterior, deep down he really loves those children and the thugs who make a shambles of his reading room. In fact, one WANTS to believe that, and Jones does not disappoint.

Amazingly, he does it without any outright displays of affection, such as hugging and such, rather he brings out this quality through simple things, such as a gesture, a subtle facial expression, etc.

Superb acting is replete with these almost subliminal subtleties, and James Earl Jones here does it with fine style and finesse.

This movie is a must see if only for his acting abilities. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this film may some day be remembered as the crowning artistic achievement in Mr. Jones long, distinguished career.

However there are many more qualities apparent in this film, bringing it to the level of fine art, beyond the scope of this breviloquent review, which will make it highly worth your viewing time.

A widower respects the wishes of his deceased wife and clears out all of the books from his home library in order to open a reading room in an underprivileged community. The film chronicles the struggles and success stories of William Campbell (James Earl Jones) to support young people to engage their minds in the peaceful learning environment of the reading room.

This thoughtful film demonstrates why James Earl Jones is one of the finest actors on the planet. From start to finish, Jones provided the rock solid foundation for the human dramas of those young people affected by William and his reading room.

A fine supporting cast, including Joanna Cassidy in a sensitive performance as a caring teacher, and the brisk pacing of the film by director Georg Stanford Brown make this made-for-television film a moving and memorable experience.

The film offers an important message about the importance of reading, addressing learning disabilities, and the central role played by teachers in the developmental lives of our children. The motivation of Jones's character in opening the reading room was inspired by the words of his late wife, "More Care, Less Hate." In today's world, those words could not be more timely or more important.

The Reading Room is a lovely underrated film about a man who makes good the promise he made to his dying wife, with good direction, great acting and a nice story, it is simple and sentimental but it was poignant and well meaning as well. Firstly, I loved the premise, it is very simple, but it is very effective and gentle as well, that's what mattered to me. The Reading Room also looks lovely with lovely cinematography and pleasant scenery, and the score adds to the gentle, poignant atmosphere. The Reading Room itself is a wonderful place to be too, you can read in peace there without feeling victimised or pressured in any way. Georg Stanford-Brown does an efficient and brisk job directing, and the cast are great, lead by a superb James Earl Jones who gives a performance of dignity, sensitivity and humanity so much so his character is lovable and easy to relate to. Joanna Cassidy is fine as well, as is Douglas Spain as Javier. They make the most of a well written script, and the film while perhaps a little too short moves quickly. Overall, a really pleasant and beautiful film, highly recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox

These comments are from the perspective of a literacy educator and teacher educator. I found this movie by accident as I was doing the normal flip through the channels until I find something worth watching. I missed the first part of the movie and joined in when a teacher brought a student who 'couldn't' read to the Professor for help. While the movie is a nice, heartwarming story, it really a movie that moved me to begin to look for opportunities to provide a reading room in my little town. My little town may be too small for one similar to his but the premise will be the same - a safe place to come if you can't read, want to learn to read, need help with exams and test-taking, or any literacy issue. The Reading Room shows us how to do something - give something back - for our own communities that is more than give some money. It promotes the democratic ideals of our nation by providing access to and opportunities for engaging with books. In our poorest neighborhoods it is the limited access to and extremely limited funds for books and literacy resources in general that help create and perpetuate disconnections between academic success and under served populations.

I barely watch Hallmark, but "Reading Room" captivated me and Im trying to move every single soul into seeing it.

It's story is simple: a man who opens a place to read in a difficult neighborhood. Along the way, he will find people against his will and problems, but his ultimate desire is revealed as why he opened the reading room and left his wealthy life behind.

James Earl Jones is magical. He doesn't act, he illustrates marvelously every single feeling needed and written. His character is lovable and strongly human. His persistence and motivation to change the course of some lives are uplifting. I cannot think in a movie this simple that moved me so much. I recommend it with much passion.