I've been a fan of J.K. Simmons for as along as I can remember. I find him especially funny in some movies. He's what drew me to this movie. I found this movie to be quite enjoyable. The acting in this movie is quite good, and the music played in it is great! The story shows how much music can make a difference in someone's life. The medical side of the story is relatively muted, and it's really about a father connecting with his son. There are flashbacks early on in the film, and it's a little back and forth, showing the 60's and the present, but then the film stabilizes and stays in the present, which is easier to follow. I feel like the cast were picked wonderfully, and you really believe these people in their roles. I really liked the mother, who went through a range of emotions, and became stronger. This is a wonderful film, showing a building relationship that is wonderful to witness. When it was over, I wanted to watch more. Highly recommended!

In 1986, the conservative 65 year-old mechanical engineer Henry Sawyer (J.K. Simmons) and his wife, the housewife Helen Sawyer (Cara Seymour), are informed that their estranged son Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci) has a brain tumor by Dr. Biscow (Scott Adsit) and they learn that that he is incapable to form new memories. Gabriel left home years ago when his father had an argument with him because he left the college night to unsuccessfully try to watch a Grateful Dead gig with his girlfriend Tamara (Tammy Blanchard) and his best friend Mark Ferris (Josh Segarra) and now he is completely disconnected from the world. Henry is compulsively retired by his chief and Helen decides to work to have money to pay Gabriel's treatment. Henry researches but the problem of his son and finds some good results through music therapy and he seeks out Professor Dianne Daley (Julia Ormond). Soon she discovers that the music from the late 60's and 70's, especially the Grateful Dead, is the key to connect Gabriel to the world. The reluctant Henry, who is also a music lover for from an older period, decides to learn these songs to bond with Gabriel. When a radio broadcasts a contest where the winner will receive a ticket for a sold-out Grateful Dead concert, he insistently tries to contact the radio to get the tickets."The Music Never Stopped" is a film based on a touching and beautiful tale of father-son connection through music. The first point to call the attention are the outstanding performances of J.K. Simmons, maybe in his best work, and the practically unknown Lou Taylor Pucci. The magnificent soundtrack is also amazing as well the discussion about bands from the 60 's and 70's and Grateful Dead. The film is a perfect combination of drama, funny moments and music. Any sensible fan of the music from the foregoing period will certainly adore this great little unknown movie. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "A Música Nunca Parou" ("The Music Never Stopped")

The story reveals an important fact: the relationship between music and the brain. More precisely, the fact that in our brain there exists a domain of memories connected to music, i.e, memories of many subjects (including music) which can be accessed through music and not only through words and/or concepts (relationships). Gabriel lost part of his brain because of a tumor and is not able to interact with people because his brain fails to make the necessary connections to understand what people expect from him. Yet, hearing music, he succeeds to retrieve many of his memories related to the music he hears. The part of the story which hard to believe is how much Gabriel's father was narrow minded (considering that they were living in New York) and the fact that after Gabriel quit his family house, his parents made no attempt to bring him back home, no matter where he would have gone. I would never do this with any one of my children. Any way, the last scenes - when the father succeeds to connect strongly to his son via music - are very moving because it's a kind of resurrection for both. The film is good, the actors competent, and it made me weep at the end. It deserves to be seen for sure.

Like the father and son in this music I too share the love of music that was bequeathed to me by my father. And not unlike Gabriel (the son) and Henry (the father) in "The Music Never Stopped", I and my father were from two very different generations as my father was 45 when I was born. Still there was a very tangible connection we both shared that goes on till this very day whenever I indulge daily in that love. But, how powerful is music? Can it bridge bigger things it has no right to? Absolutely! The power of something that stirs the emotions inside can never be diminished and therein lays the power that so few experiences in life bring.With that as "rock" (pun definitely intended) solid premise "The Music Never Stops" weaves an utterly heartwarming story told expertly to ring true; it doesn't condescend into trite maudlin territory. It's a beautiful piece of work about a "lost" son, who with catastrophic loss of memory due to a brain tumor who is able to reconnect for periods of time with his dad when they share the magic of music embedded in his psyche. The father's love of his son allows him to transcend the generational difference as he becomes a "Deadhead". Much can be read into what occurs in the story and each viewer will have their own moments of the soul stirring emotions bound by a certain soundtrack. There is a great universal truth here and it is presented with economy which serves to elevate this as, perhaps, one of the best independent films of this year (2011), or any other for that matter.See this movie because it deserves your attention. You will see a tour De force by much beloved comedic character actor J.K. Simmons; witness him as you've never imagined him. I have total respect for this man after seeing his light touch bring the father, Henry, to life. Combine that with the amazingly nuanced and deft acting of Lou Taylor Pucci in a difficult role exposing the brittle nature of mental illness and alienation of the son Gabriel. What you get is pure synergism of these two great performances in a sparse but highly moving script. I can't give higher praise except that the music used was some of the best that we will ever witness. Highly recommended!