August Rush | 
| Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Actors: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $7.60
You Save: $12.38 (62%)
New (52) Used (22) Collectible (1) from $7.60
Avg. Customer Rating:  227 reviews
Sales Rank: 192
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 113
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 76368
UPC: 012569763685
EAN: 0012569763685
Theatrical Release Date: November 21, 2007
Release Date: March 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: IT COMES WITH ITS CASE AND ARTWORK. PLAYS GREAT, U.S. DVD RELEASE, IMMEDIATE, FIRST CLASS SHIPPING. BUY FROM ME, AN EXPERIENCED AND RELIABLE SELLER, WITH THE HIGHEST POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON AMAZON
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Product Description
There?s music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there?s hope. Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music mysteriously draws him penniless and alone to New York City in a quest to find ? somehow someway ? the parents separated from him years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius hidden within him. Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the heart starring Freddie Highmore (as August) Keri Russell Jonathan Rhys Meyers Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. ?I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales? August says. Open your heart and listen. You?ll believe too.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CHILDHOOD DRAMA UPC: 012569763685 Manufacturer No: 76368
Amazon.com
Music has long been considered a universal language with the power to bring people together, but can the simple act of playing music possibly unite a child with a mother and father who live in two different cities and don't even know of the child's existence? Having shared one extraordinary night, classical cellist Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and Irish singer and songwriter Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) were a union meant to be that was torn apart by circumstances and a protective father (William Sadler). After eleven years, both Lyla and Louis have given up performing only to find that they are unhappy and searching for a sense of fulfillment that will ultimately lead both artists back to music and performing. Evan (Freddie Highmore) is an 11-year old orphan who's grown up hearing music in everything around him and is convinced that his real parents want him and will find him with the help of music. Driven by his innate musical genius and a powerful compulsion to perform before the world, Evan runs away from the orphanage and is initially taken in by a street man known as Wizard (Robin Williams) who encourages his musical talent and renames him August Rush and, later, by a local priest who arranges for August to receive a Julliard education. August is a child prodigy who excels beyond even the wildest expectations and earns the opportunity of a lifetime--a chance to perform in front of an enormous audience in New York's Central Park. The question is; can his performance possibly reach the audience August really craves? While elements of this film are completely unbelievable (take August's instant prowess on the guitar or his immediate and sophisticated grasp of musical notation and musical theory), the message of the universality of music and the notion that "the music is all around us, all you have to do is listen" is both compelling and powerful. --Tami Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 222 more reviews...
 Beautiful Movie October 14, 2008
My brother was a child prodigy in music and this movie is less a fairly tale then you might believe. The acting is outstanding, the music is wonderful, and the story makes you feel great.
 Should have been so much more . . . October 14, 2008
Well, August Rush wasn't terrible, but it just didn't do the job for this viewer. The movie tells the story of Evan (Freddie Highmore), a young orphan in a boy's home somewhere in New York state. Evan insists that he can hear music everywhere, that he knows his parents want him and will find him, that he doesn't want to be placed with a new family because he's already GOT a family.
Rewind 11 years to meet Lyla (Kerri Russell), a famed cellist, with a controlling father and an engagement to play with the New York Philharmonic. After her big performance, she meets Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the lead singer in a band, at a party. The two instantly click and share a passionate night together. However, the next day, Lyla's father forbids her from seeing Louis again and ships her off . . . somewhere.
Lyla later discovers she's pregnant due to her encounter with Louis, but cannot find him. A car accident late in her pregnancy lands her in the hospital. While Lyla is still unconscious, her father gives her baby up for adoption. When she comes to, he tells her the baby died as a result of the accident. The baby, of course, is Evan.
Back to the present - Determined to find his parents, Evan runs away from the orphanage. "Following the music" lands him in New York City, where he meets all sorts of unsavory characters, discovers his own musical talents, and searches for the missing pieces of his family.
While I think the initial concept of this movie was a decent one, it suffered in the execution. Too many plotpoints were thin or didn't make sense. Too many things seemed sooooo improbable that it kept me from fully engaging in the world of the movie. And it was so sugary sweet that I almost got a toothache.
All performances were pretty solid (though one does wonder why Louis' Irish brogue hasn't softened at least a little after living in the U.S. for 10+ years). I fully believe that, with a better script, this could have been a great movie.
As my husband said, "I might have liked it better if I had been a 17-year-old girl."
Pure magic... October 12, 2008
Many call this a fairy tale. I prefer to view it as a parable. It merely reflects back to the viewer what he or she already knows. It's a reminder, and a beautiful one at that.
My daughter recommended this one and I was a bit hesitant going in but once I settled into it, my heart, my mind and my ears just opened and I was willing to receive the message.
Ok, so suspension of reality is required at times - though a positive slant is that all that's required is a bit of faith - and it's a bit obvious where the movie is going but y'know what? Who really cares? Just sit back, listen and go with it.
It's tough to find movies nowadays that can remind a person that hope and beauty really are all around us and this one is a nice reminder.
Suprisingly awesome film October 7, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I can't believe this movie didn't do well with the critics. I guess cynicism has no place in this movie, so they felt left out. Terrific family movie, love story, musical, inspirational film. I have recommended it to many of my friends and family. I also purchased the CD and listen to it in the car quite a bit. Robin Williams is a kick, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers is compelling, and he really sang his own part. The musical talent is awesome, and there's real joy conveyed throughout the film, even when times are tough.
Wonderful.
 poor quality DVD October 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought a previously viewed August Rush DVD and tried it in two different players. Neither machine could read the disc. The DVD was a complete waste and should not have been available for purchase.
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