The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

never be able to appreciate music the same way he does. In
one scene, the two get in a fight when the father tells his son
that he is sad because John Lennon was just shot and that
Cole wouldn’t understand. Most of Mr. Holland’s life is full
of moments like this—scenes of frustration where he feels
misunderstood or simply overlooked, as if he’s the only one
with dreams bigger than his life can contain.
By the end of the movie, Mr. Holland is a cynical old
man, tired of school board bureaucracy and resigned to the
fact that in spite of his dreams, he will never be a master
composer. After his last day of school, his family is
escorting him to the exit when he hears music coming from
the gymnasium. Curious, he opens the doors to an
auditorium full of hundreds of students, teachers, and
alumni, all gathered to wish him well and celebrate the
impact he had on their lives. In the crowd, he sees many
familiar faces, including one apathetic student who used to
challenge his authority.
Another former student, Gertrude Lang, who is now the
state governor, acts as emcee and welcomes everyone,
explaining how Mr. Holland had an impact on her life, as he
has done for everyone in the auditorium. Then she remarks
on how Holland feels like he has misspent a great part of his
life. “Rumor had it,” she says, “he was always working on
this symphony of his, and this was going to make him
famous, rich. Probably both. But Mr. Holland isn’t rich, and
he isn’t famous. At least not outside of our little town.” Then
she looks at the man who was her favorite teacher and says,