Radio

Radio (2003) is a drama drawn from a true story that you can watch online on iFILM. Michael Tollin directed it, and the heart of the film is the pairing of Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris.

The setting is Anderson, South Carolina, a town still split along color lines in the mid-1970s. A withdrawn young man with a developmental disability keeps turning up near the high-school football field, clutching the transistor set that earned him the name Radio. Coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris) decides not to walk past him: he strikes up a conversation, makes Radio his sideline helper, and eventually gets him enrolled as a student. Gooding Jr. plays the role without tipping into easy pity. The coach's loyalty rankles parents and boosters who care more about another championship banner, forcing Jones to weigh what actually matters to him.

The screenplay traces the real bond between James Robert Kennedy and the coach who looked out for him for decades. Tollin keeps the sentiment in check and leans on Harris' quiet restraint. It's one for viewers who like sports dramas where the win isn't on the scoreboard. Alfre Woodard and Debra Winger also appear. Stream Radio (2003) online on iFILM.