Best Actor 1995: Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus

Richard Dreyfuss received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Glenn Holland in Mr. Holland's Opus.

Mr. Holland Opus is a rather cliched film,  about an inspirational music teacher and the various people he inspires through his life, as well his relationship with his deaf son.

Richard Dreyfuss portrays Glenn Holland which is not exactly a most original character. He is a somewhat reluctant teacher at first, due to his inability to complete what he sees as his life work, a symphony. Dreyfuss is perfectly fine to tell the truth in his whole character's set up, he is believable in his reluctance, as well as his sense of ambition being held back by other circumstances.

Holland soon enough though begins to start liking his job, and begins to start to work hard with his students, no matter what the case. Dreyfuss is again completely believable in the role, he is properly inspirational in his careful dealings with each students, and has the right ease in the part to make the students' admiration for him certainly understandable enough.

There are multiple cases of students that need his help, and Dreyfuss is fine with each of them, since he handles each of the relationships naturally. This includes a semi romantic one with a talented singer in his musical, which could have seemed just wrong but it works well enough because Dreyfuss actually underplays the relationship always staying as a mentor, although still suggesting that Holland was tempted just a little bit.

Holland though still has troubles at home despite his incredible success at his work. He constantly has problems with his son, who is deaf, and Holland believes can never really understand what he does. Dreyfuss is again fine in this relationship. Holland slow growth of understanding with his son, is again honest enough, although I personally felt the overall product was a bit much, Dreyfuss' part of it was appropriately handled.

Dreyfuss' whole performance really is fine, I really can't say anything against. In each scene Dreyfuss is natural, and properly authentic. When he needs to be inspiring he is, when he needs to be passionate he is, when he needs to be anything he is. It is entirely fine performance, but still I never really became all that caught in it, and never really found there to be an amazing moment in the performance. Nonetheless the performance is an adequate effort from Dreyfuss.