Radio

Radio is an October 24.  2003 biographical sports drama film set in the 1970s, based on the inspiring real-life relationship between a beloved high school football coach and a young man with an intellectual disability in a small South Carolina town. The film chronicles how Coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris) befriends and mentors James Robert “Radio” Kennedy (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an illiterate local man who spends his days pushing a shopping cart and listening to his transistor radio. After a humiliating prank by some of the football players, Coach Jones takes Radio under his wing, giving him a purpose as an honorary team member and assistant. Though the decision faces initial resistance from parents and a school board concerned about distraction, Radio's unwavering enthusiasm and pure heart slowly begin to teach the entire community lessons in compassion, acceptance, and the value of every individual. Directed by Mike Tollin and produced by Herb Gains, Brian Robbins, and Mike Tollin, the film also features major actors and actresses including Alfre Woodard, Debra Winger, and S. Epatha Merkerson. The film grossed approximately $52.6 million worldwide against a production budget of about $30 million.