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James Earl Jones, Georg Stanford Brown, Douglas Spain, Tim Reid, Joanna Cassidy ... see more see more... , Monique Coleman , George Stanford Brown , Keith Robinson , Kathryne Dora Brown , Lynne Moody , Gabby Soleil , Austin Noah Marques , Christian Monzon , Idris Muhammad , George Standford Brown , David Rasner

After the death of his beloved wife, Helen (Lynne Moody), wealthy African-American suburbanite William Campbell (James Earl Jones) finds that Helen has left behind a "living will" in the form of a vid... read more read more...eotape. As William watches the video, his late wife urges him to take his huge personal library down to the tough inner-city neighborhood and to establish a reading room. Though confused by this request, William does exactly that, only to find that none of his new neighbors seem inclined to read -- not until he posts a sign reading FREE SODA. Ever so slowly, a few "regulars" trickle into the reading room, among them an idealistic young special-ed teacher (Joanna Cassidy), a high-schooler (Keith Robinson) studying for his SATS, and a little girl (Gabby Soleil) who hopes to get her mother to learn to read. For the most part, however, William's little sanctuary is the target of break-ins and the hangout for local gang members, and with this in mind it isn't surprising that several people encourage him to pack up and get out -- none more adamantly than the Reverend Rashid Rahim (played by George Stanford Brown, the film's director), a self-appointed urban activist who perceives in William a threat to his supremacy. Eventually, whether or not William stays or goes boils down to his attempt at "redeeming" a youthful thief named Javier (Douglas Spain) -- and it is at this point in the narrative that William finally understands why Helen wanted him to open up the reading room in the first place. Filmed with the endorsement of the National Center for Family Literacy, The Reading Room was produced for cable's Hallmark Channel, where it first aired on November 26, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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76% liked it

389 ratings

PG, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Georg Stanford Brown

Release Date: November 1, 2005

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DVD Release Date: October 24, 2006

Stats: 51 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (51)

  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    A made for tv movie that's very well done. This is a very touching, and heart warming drama that I very much enjoyed. James Earl Jones is a very fine actor, and this movie really excells because of him.
  • TonyPolito
    August 28, 2010
    TonyPolito
    Sure, as a teacher, I am always going to be touched by quality films regarding instructors who truly change the lives of their students (eg, "Stand and Deliver," "Emperor's Club"). But this Hallmark-for-TV production is little more than cliches and wishful make-me-feel-good think... read moreing.

    James Earl Jones is a widower (with endless financial resources) who decides to open a small study room filled with books down in the ghetto. Amazingly kids just start drifting in begging for his books and help, as if the school libraries and public libraries just didn't exist.

    Jones plays the stoic trooper when all the predictable dark clouds begin to gather - in the form of resentful street thugs, hostile community activists and bureaucratic principals.

    Somehow the viewer is supposed to be impressed when Jones removes the security gates from his windows and the place is robbed that same night. And be impressed when he tools downtown in his $90,000 Mercedes every morning until he gets jacked at gunpoint, then trots right down to the used car lot to buy himself a $500 beater for the commute.

    Rather than impress, however, Jones just comes off the naive idiot. Without Jones' talent it would have played out on screen even uglier.

    Eventually Jones starts arguing that some students should have all the time they want to complete the SAT - which would neutralize it as any fair/equitable measure of student accomplishment. Someone should tell Jones the kids he's helping won't be able to move up in life through a good college placement - if there is no fair way to distinguish what they've achieved.

    That's when I lunged for the eject button.

    RECOMMENDATION: There's plenty of good films about teaching that will inspire and inform; this DVD is better used as a coffee table coaster.
  • clooneyfan
    January 24, 2009
    clooneyfan
    Definitely a made-for TV movie. I think the writers glossed over how difficult it is to recover after a fire but it was still an uplifting movie.

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The Reading Room Trivia

  • In 'Finding Nemo', a boy was reading a book while in the dentist's waiting room. This book made reference to another of Pixar's cartoons. What cartoon was this?  Answer »
  • In Finding Nemo a litte boy was reading a comic in the dentist's waiting room. What film was pictured on the front cover?  Answer »
  • T/F: Dark Knight Heath Ledger locked himself away in his hotel room for a month, reading comic books, to prepare for his role as the Joker?  Answer »
  • Finding Nemo (2003) When they show the kid waiting in the waiting room he is reading a comic. Who is on the Cover?  Answer »
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