“IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE is a way,” is a saying a truly believe. I have always felt this from as far back as I can remember. As a little boy, I used to play with jigsaw puzzles. No matter how hard or long it took me, I was determined to complete them. The same held true in my desire to learn and play the piano. It took approximately two years of dogged perseverance before my family agreed to start out first with renting me a piano. In that two years, whenever we were at a relative’s house that had a piano, I would sit down and figure out how to create something that sounded like a melody. If a cousin was taking piano lessons and had any study books, I would pour over them, trying to memorize different details and facts. I even went as far as drawing a full size keyboard using sheets of construction paper taped at the edges. Teaching myself the notes on my paper piano, I learned how to read sheet music and began pretending I was playing a song, while in my brain I was replaying the music I had heard either on a record or from someone playing the piece on the piano. I actually thought I was real good at it; but of course, I never heard a wrong note in my head.      THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH MY determination to make physical fitness a part of my life. Though I had flunked gym classes in school, I was determined to become a fitness instructor. It took a little time for me to build up the confidence and to get comfortable wearing T-shirts and shorts in public, but I succeeded. Being in a setting where the majority of people were all there to exercise in some form, I really got to see firsthand that there were many people like me who had a strong belief/desire to accomplish something with their body. In my decades of teaching I have been amazed to see so many examples of people’s determination. There was the member who had MS and was confined to a wheelchair, taking yoga classes. They came to every class, worked on as many poses as they could from a seated position, and after one year felt strong enough to get out of their wheelchair and stand up. It was only for a few seconds but they did it. At the fitness center where I presently work out, I have seen several individuals confined to a wheelchair; yet, they wheel right up to a weight machine, lock the wheels of their chair, and pull themselves up and out onto a machine to work the parts of their body that still respond. It is unbelievably inspiring and re-enforces my belief about having the will to do something. While watching this music drama, I found myself rooting for the main characters and their determination.      THEIR LOVE OF MUSIC BROUGHT THEM together, but would it be strong enough as they began a journey filled with new highs and devastating lows. With Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine, Bad Education) as Mike, Kate Hudson (Glass Onion, A Little White Lie) as Claire, Ella Anderson (The Glass Castle, Suncoast) as Rachel, Hudson Hensley (The Wildman of Shaggy Creek) as Dana, and Michael Imperioli (The Lovely Bones, The Sopranos-TV) as Mark Shurilla; this biographical Oscar nominated film, was based on the Milwaukee couple who did covers of Neil Diamond songs. Not being a solid listener of Neil’s songs, I was surprised how well they fit into the story. Hugh and Kate really sold the story with the strong chemistry between them, and I thought their acting was terrific; Kate was nominated for an Oscar. Though the script was predictable, I still enjoyed watching this picture, even tapping my foot to some of the songs.

3 stars