Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 American drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Richard Dreyfuss in the title role. Glenn Holland is a frustrated musician who lands a job as a music teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Portland, Oregon in the mid-1960s. Initially, he is considered an outsider by both his colleagues and students, and he struggles to find his place in the school.
Over time, Holland becomes more involved in the school community, connecting with his students and beginning to appreciate the importance of his role as a teacher. He also starts a family with his wife Iris (played by Glenne Headly), who supports him in his endeavors both at home and at work.
One of Holland's biggest challenges is a student named Gertrude Lang (played by Alicia Witt), who initially refuses to participate in class and seems to have no interest in music. Through patience and a unique approach, Holland is able to connect with Gertrude and help her discover her own musical talent.
As the years go by, Holland continues to teach and inspire his students, but he also faces personal struggles such as financial difficulties and a strained relationship with his son, who is deaf. Throughout it all, he remains committed to his dream of composing his own opus, but as time passes, he begins to question whether it's worth sacrificing everything else in his life to achieve it.
The film culminates in a retirement ceremony for Holland, where former students surprise him by performing his composition from years ago, which he had never completed. In that moment, Holland realizes that his true legacy is not in the music he created but in the lives he touched as a teacher.