Movie Review: August Rush

Ever feel as if you were living in a fairy tale? You might if you were in the movie August Rush. This charming movie stars Freddie Highmore, the boy from The Spiderwick Chronicles alongside Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Also starring in this movie is veteran comedian Robin Williams and the man with the beautiful eyes Terrance Howard. Before watching this movie I would ask you to ask yourself, "Do you believe in the magic of music?" One little boy certainly does.

August Rush is about a little boy, Evan Taylor, who refuses to be adopted in hopes that his parents will one day find him. He believes that he can "hear" his parents through music and hopes that they can hear him as well and find him someday. Evan decides one day to travel to New York City in order to try and find them.

Instead of finding his parents Evan meets another little boy playing the guitar in hopes of earning money for his empty guitar case. Evan befriends the little boy who eventually takes him back to where he "lives" in order to meet "Wizard" (played by Robin Williams). Wizard has many children in which he "manages" by sending them out to various places through the city to earn money to live on. At first the Wizard seems like a whacko but then he makes Evan feel special because of his musical talents and eventually gives him the name, August Rush. It's not before long however that the Wizard show his true character to the boy.

Evan, or August Rush, turns out to be a musical prodigy whose musical talents capture the attention of many people on his journey to finding his parents. His parents whose history and lives are glanced at through flashback moments and scene changes are Keri Russell (who did not know her son was alive until her Dad told her from his hospital bed) and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who doesn't have any idea that he even exists). Will they reunite with their son? Can they hear him through his music? You'll have to watch to find out.

I happen to believe in fairy tales, and while that may seem a bit naïve, I believe that it can make life seem a bit more magical. August Rush was one of those magical movies which left me feeling as if everything was right in the world for hours afterwards and made me remember that there is magic to be found everywhere, if you just believe. This movie is rated PG for thematic elements, mild violence, and language. I watched this movie with my interested six year old and found that it was a tame enough movie to let her watch along with me. This movie receives a four and a half out of five stars and a definite recommend to all of you believers of magic out there.