The School of Rock follows the proverbial storyline that we�re all used to: a teacher helps a handful of students believe in themselves while the students in turn help the teacher realize some life-worthy lesson. Only there�s an added medium of craziness that differentiates this film from the rest � Jack Black.
The beginning of the movie is a little sluggish. Dewey Finn (Black) is introduced as an unemployed 30-something loser that plays guitar in a rock band. He fails to see that everyone hates him until he�s bluntly faced with one rejection after another. First he�s kicked out of a band for various reasons. Then, his substitute teacher roommate Ned (White), who is whipped by his girlfriend Patty (Silverman), threatens to kick him out of the apartment unless he comes up with rent money. Desperate for cash, Finn intercepts a phone call for Ned and accepts a substitute teacher position at Horace Green Prep, an aristocratic private school. The slapstick begins when the principal, Miss Mullins (Joan Cusack), asks Finn to write his name on the board and he realizes he doesn�t know how to spell Schneebly (Ned�s last name). He saves himself by telling the principal and children to call him �Mr. S.�
The 10 year olds are a little shocked when Dewey begins with, ''Here's the deal. I'm hung over. Does anyone know what that means?'' One of the students answers, ''It means you're drunk,'' Dewey tolerantly responds, �No, it means I was drunk yesterday.�
Later that afternoon, Dewey peeps in a window of the kids� orchestra class and discovers that they�re all masterminds in playing their various instruments. All of a sudden he becomes enthused to teach them his forte � good ol' rock �n� roll. He does have an underlying motive though. If he can get these kids to come up with a catchy song, he can compete in a local Battle of the Bands against his ex-band mates plus win a $20,000 prize, which would solve his money problems. Obviously the kids have no idea about this competition and are led to believe that it�s a nationwide school project/competition they�re preparing for.
Expect to see many preteen newcomers to the screen. They are a diverse bunch of kids though I felt as if the casting could have been a little better. It�s refreshing to see new faces but I didn�t sympathize with any of their roles.
Finn assigns instruments to the students, including discouraged, lead guitarist Zack (Joey Gaydos), nerdy Asian keyboardist Lawrence (Robert Tsai), wannabe-hardcore punk drummer Kevin (Kevin Clark) and shy, overweight, backup singer Tomiko (Maryam Hassan). For those that lack musical talent, roles such as designer and band manager are respectively assigned to Minelli-obsessed Billy (Brian Falduto), and overachiever Summer (Marinda Cosgrove).
Of course this movie is totally unrealistic in the sense that no one hears the noisy electric guitars or banging of the drums in the whole building throughout the movie.
The climax of this movie is when the kids eventually make it to the concert after a few major roadblocks such as Finn being discovered as a fraud and then fired from Horace Green Prep. The kids� parents end up in the front row of the competition as well. You�ll have to go see it for the not so predictable finale. If anything, you will enjoy the wild antics of Jack Black and catch yourself grinning uncontrollably. The School of Rock definitely 'makes the grade'. |
