Radio is another one of those well-intentioned movies about how a mentally challenged individual can profoundly inspire those around him. And given that this picture hasn't a cynical bone in it's body, I find it very difficult to tear it down for it's numerous shortcomings.

Radio is the true story of James Robert Kennedy (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), a mentally challenged young man who would go on to hold various behind the scenes positions for a South Carolina high school football team after being befriended by the team's gruff but big-hearted coach (Ed Harris).

Yes, Radio uses two movie formulas that quite often work; The mentally challenged person who overcomes all odds (think Rainman and Forrest Gump), and the underdog sports movie (think Rudy and Hoosiers).

The best performance in Radio is given by the always dependable Ed Harris who exudes a warmth and manages to deliver a fair share of sappy dialogue in a way that rises above the film's overtly sentimental style. He's a true pro and I've always been a big fan. Cuba Gooding Jr. is trying to bounce back from a string of really awful films (did anyone see Boat Trip), and while this is a pretty good turn, I always felt as if I was watching Cuba Gooding Jr. and not James Robert Kennedy. Even in the dreadful, overrated I Am Sam, Sean Penn really seemed to lose himself in the part. Gooding Jr. never quite pulls it off. Still, it's a worthy effort from an actor that's far better than his last few films would suggest.

Radio also marks the return of Debra Winger who's been absent from the big screen for quite sometime. She doesn't do anything out of the ordinary here, but it's nice to see her in a movie again, especially after seeing her intimate interview in the intriguing documentary Searching For Debra Winger.

In all honesty, Radio could have been a total disaster. It never hit the manipulative bottom I thought it might, and I attribute that to fine acting. It's also not a film that hinges on the big game climax to win our hearts.

And while it isn't perfect, Radio is simple and good-hearted and never tries to present it's issues in a heavy handed fashion, something that killed I Am Sam. In the end, however, this movie was a tad too melodramatic for my taste, and I could have done without the inevitable moment in which one character proclaims; "We didn't fix Radio, Radio fixed us". This worked in Seabiscuit because that picture was painted on a much bigger canvas. It featured fully textured characters and bigger ideas. Radio by contrast is much smaller, and even though it attempts to show us it's big heart, the gimmicky sentimentality ultimately overshadows everything else.