Radio (2003 film)

Radio is a 2003 American semibiographical sports drama film directed by Mike Tollin, and inspired by the 1996 Sports Illustrated article Someone to Lean On by Gary Smith. The article and the movie are based on the true story of T. L. Hanna High School football coach Harold Jones Ed Harris and a mentally challenged young man, James Robert Radio Kennedy Cuba Gooding, Jr.. The film costars Debra Winger and Alfre Woodard. It was filmed primarily in Walterboro, South Carolina because its buildings and downtown core still fit the look of the era the film was trying to depict.

Coach Jones begins spending more and more time with Radio, which concerns the fathers of many of the team members. One of the fathers in particular, Frank Clay, suggests that the coach should stop associating with Radio as he could be a distraction to his own sons success on the team. Coach Jones resists, and he later reveals to his daughter that this resistance was partially due to a childhood incident in which Jones did not do anything to help a mentally disabled boy who was locked under a house.Radio eventually takes classes in the high school, and it is apparent that he never completed a formal education. After struggling, Radio eventually learns to read. Though wellliked by most of the students at school, Radio is still ridiculed by Franks son Johnny and his friends. On one occasion, Johnny tricks Radio into entering the girls locker room. This triggers an incident with the School Board that puts Radios ability to attend the high school at risk. However, Radio refuses to tell Coach Jones who told him to do it, leading Jones to say, Youre a better man than me, Radio. Coach Jones eventually figures out that it was Johnny who told Radio to go into the girls locker room, and punishes Johnny for his actions by ordering him to sit out from the basketball team for an indefinite time. After Coach Jones tells Johnny that Radio never uttered a word about who caused the incident, Johnny begins to respect Radio and doubt his fathers impressions. ........

Source: Wikipedia