When we’re young our dreams lie out in front of us, there for the taking, and our plans seem so clear. But like many of us, Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) never could have predicted the course his own life would take, when he reluctantly accepts a job as a teacher.

A musician and composer consumed with a love for music, Holland’s true goal is to write one memorable piece of music to leave his mark on the world. But instead, he finds his calling in the most unlikely place, sharing his love of music with his students — to let it fill their lives, the way it fills his. His students respond to his contagious passion, and as the years unfold, Holland finds himself on an unplanned path. Redefining success and his own dreams, Holland realizes that his legacy will be greater than he ever dreamed. And with the help of his students and his family, Glenn Holland learns that though our lives don’t always turn out the way we plan them, life is what happens when you embrace the unexpected.