School of Rock
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| School of Rock | |
|---|---|
 School of Rock official movie poster |
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| Directed by | Richard Linklater |
| Produced by | Scott Aversano Steve Nicolaides Scott Rudin |
| Written by | Mike White |
| Starring | Jack Black Joan Cusack Mike White Sarah Silverman |
| Music by | Jack Black |
| Cinematography | Rogier Stoffers |
| Editing by | Sandra Adair |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 3, 2003 |
| Running time | 104 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35,000,000 ($USD, estimated) [1] |
| Gross revenue | $131,282,949 (worldwide) |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
School of Rock is a 2003 American comedy film from Paramount Pictures, starring Jack Black. The film was written specifically for Black by Mike White and directed by Richard Linklater. Its tagline, "We Don't Need No Education" comes from the Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall. The film was very well-received by critics, gaining a 91% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[2] It was number 98 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".[3]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Dewey Finn (Jack Black), a flamboyant and hyperactive heavy metal/ singer and guitarist, is kicked out of his band "No Vacancy" by the rest of the members for his arrogance and frequent stage antics, which had just caused them to be thrown out of the club they were performing at the previous night. His roommate Ned Schneebly (Mike White), a former rock musician who had left his past behind and became a substitute teacher, threatens Dewey with eviction under heavy pressure from Ned's overbearing girlfriend Patty Di Marco (Sarah Silverman) unless Dewey "gets a real job" and pays his rent debt of $2,200. Ned suggests selling one of his guitars instead, but Dewey is disdainful of this idea ("Would you tell Picasso to sell one of his guitars?"). Dewey feels forced to give up his passion until he intercepts a phone call to Ned from the principal, Rosalie Mullins, (Joan Cusack) of Horace Green Elementary, a highly prestigious prep school, asking Ned to fill in for a teacher who had been in an accident and would be out for several weeks. Dewey gets the idea to impersonate his roommate and take the job as a substitute teacher for the fifth-grade class.
Dewey's only goal as a teacher is to expend as little effort as possible. However, one day he overhears the kids playing in music class and realizes that some of the kids in the class have musical talent. He decides to turn his temporary job into what he tells them is a special class project, but is actually a personal one: to turn a classroom full of kids into a rock band and crew, complete with a ten-year-old manager (played by Miranda Cosgrove) which will serve as a vehicle to stardom, ultimately to win the upcoming "Battle of the Bands," where he is out to avenge his eviction from his old band.
After realizing that most of the kids are into pop and contemporary music, Dewey turns the school days into lessons of rock history and music playing, exposing his students to those artists he regards as rock legends. Five rock stars are featured with classic footage in the movie: Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Angus Young, Keith Moon and Kurt Cobain. In addition, during a montage, the drummer, Freddy, is seen watching footage of the famous drum battle between Buddy Rich and Ed Shaughnessy.
Dewey watches as his students begin to discover the power of rock music. When the principal meets with him to check on their progress, Dewey attempts to revive any old love for rock he finds in her, by finding out she likes Stevie Nicks and playing her song "Edge of Seventeen" on a jukebox. Finally, the kids audition for the Battle of the Bands, which Dewey told them was their "school project." They are turned back because they show up too late. Dewey persuades the Battle's managers that the students are all terminally ill, and out of compassion, they allow the students to perform in the Battle of the Bands. However, during a parent-teacher night in which he meets the students' parents, Ned appears and confronts Dewey (due almost entirely to his girlfriend's persuasion). His real identity is revealed, and he is thrown out of the school. Considering himself a failure, he falls into a funk, and pulls himself out only when the students, on their way to the contest, plead with him to join them for the Battle of the Bands.
The movie culminates in the musical playoff, where, instead of playing Dewey's "Legend of the Rent" they play "School of Rock", a song written by young band member Zack Mooneyham, the lead guitarist. The class loses the contest to Dewey's old band. But the students can accept their defeat because Dewey's "School of Rock" has increased their self-esteem, and given them an understanding that rock transcends traditional notions of success and failure (Freddy the drummer: "Rock isn't about getting an A. The Sex Pistols never won anything."). The crowd becomes angered by No Vacancy's victory and call for School of Rock to come back onstage. The band comes back onstage again and plays "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" by AC/DC, with some of the lyrics altered. This scene fades to the credits, which play over the next scene.
The last scene features Dewey and Ned's apartment being turned into a temporary 'School of Rock' after school activity, where Ned revives his rock passion in the form of a guitar tutoring program. The footage featuring Dewey and the kids playing "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" in the apartment was almost entirely improvised, and breaks the fourth wall as Marta (one of the vocalists) sings that "the movie is over, but we're still on screen" during her solo, and Dewey tells the audience that "it's time to go now... the people gotta come in for the next show!"
[edit] Characters
[edit] The School of Rock
- Dewey Finn (Jack Black) - Nicknamed "Mr. S" after persuading the class that he is the real Ned Schneebly (he was unable to spell the surname), Dewey is a down-on-his-luck, dead beat, wannabe rock superstar. When his roommate Ned's girlfriend demands he pay up his share of the rent or get out, he pretends to be Ned as a substitute at the high-brow Horace Green Elementary.
- Summer Hathaway (Miranda Cosgrove) - (Nicknamed "Tinkerbell") The class factotum (whom Dewey ignorantly calls 'factotor'), Summer is determined to please and succeed, even if it means using somewhat unethical means. She is designated by Dewey as the band manager, and during the latter half of the movie, Dewey says, "Summer is going to be the first woman president of the United States."
- Zack Mooneyham (Joey Gaydos Jr.) - (Nicknamed "Zack Attack") The talented but shy lead guitarist of the School of Rock. Dewey is quoted saying "He's the next Hendrix" about Zack during the later half of the movie.
- Freddy Jones (Kevin Clark) - (Nicknamed "Spazzy McGee") The "rebel without a cause" and somewhat of a troublemaker drummer of the School of Rock.
- Katie (Rebecca Brown) - (Nicknamed "Posh Spice") Originally a cellist, Katie takes up the bass guitar. Despite being a core member, her character does not really have many lines because she's portrayed as a quiet girl, but eagerly takes interest in rock music, citing Sheila E and Meg White as "good chick drummers".
- Lawrence (Robert Tsai) - (Nicknamed "Mr. Cool") A quiet "nerd" who becomes the keyboardist for the band.
- Tomika (Maryam Hassan) - (Nicknamed "Turkey Sub") Shy about her physique, later becomes "Songbird" after Dewey discovers her amazing singing talent.
- Marta (Caitlin Hale) - (Nicknamed "Blondie") Marta is another back-up singer, showing off her voice with "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie.
- Alicia (Aleisha Allen) - (Nicknamed "Braceface") Alicia volunteers her singing voice to become a back-up singer, "auditioning" with Amazing Grace.
- Billy (Brian Falduto) - (Nicknamed "Fancy Pants") Originally assigned security, the effeminate Billy requests he be band stylist instead and does.
- Gordon (Zachary Infante) - (Nicknamed "Road Runner") Gordon is a roadie and is noted for his exceptional computer skills. He made the light show in "Battle of the Bands"
- Marco (James Hosey) - (Nicknamed "Carrot Top") Also a roadie with Gordon. He works the smoke machine during the Battle Of The Bands performance.
- Frankie (Angelo Massagli) - (Nicknamed "Tough Guy") At the beginning of the film, it appears he is good friends with Freddy, and the one who interacts/ jokes with him the most. He works on security.
- Leonard (Cole Hawkins) - (Nicknamed "Short Stop") He works on security along with Frankie.
- Eleni and Michelle (Veronica Afflerbach and Jordan-Claire Green) - Designated the groupies by Dewey, they are given the task of naming the band.
[edit] Other
- Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack) - The very uptight principal of Horace Green Elementary. It is revealed that she was "not always wound this tight", but the pressure of the parents wanting everything to be perfect has made her into someone she never wanted to be; "a bitch".
- Ned Schneebly (Mike White) - Ned is Dewey's roommate and best friend.
- Patty Di Marco (Sarah Silverman) - Patty works for the mayor and is Ned's girlfriend. She hates Dewey, constantly berating him for his lack of a proper job and inability to pay rent.
- Theo (Adam Pascal) - Theo is the leader of Dewey's old band "No Vacancy", and is the first one who suggested kicking Dewey out. During the end of the movie, Theo and his band-members are very impressed with the performance which the children (of Dewey's band School of Rock) had put up and they personally congratulate/admire them.
[edit] Parents
- Tomika's Mother (Suzzanne Douglass)
- Zack's Father (Tim Hopper)
- Alicia's Mother (Sharon Washington)
- Leonard's Mother (Kim Brockington)
- Freddy's Mother (Kathleen McNenny)
- Summer's Mother (Joanna Adler)
- Lawrence's Father (Robert Lin)
- Billy's Mother (Jane DeNoble) (uncredited)
[edit] Title
Although a few references, including Internet Movie Database, give this film's name as The School of Rock, its posters, video cover, official website and most other references refer to it as School of Rock. A making-of documentary included in the film's DVD mentions that in the script, everything was always referred to as The School of Rock, but as the movie got into production, there was a memo to change it officially to School of Rock. There was a short-lived debate about having the red title display in the movie's opening credits modified, because despite already permanently submitted to calling it School of Rock, it already had the The in the film's trailers. Linklater decided in the end to just leave it, marking the whole thing "silly."[4]
[edit] Production
The film was sponsored by instrument manufacturers Marshall and Gibson USA. Most of the guitars the actors use are manufactured by Gibson (including Dewey's own natural finish SG), and almost all the amplifiers in the movie are made by Marshall. The exceptions are Katie's bass guitar, a Framus Star, a red Fender Telecaster, used by Spider, a Fender '62 Precision Bass used by Neil, visible in the opening band practice scene, and what appear to be several Fender Super Reverbs, Ampeg amplifiers used by both Neil and Katie, and a Randall amp. In conjunction with the movie's release, Guitar Center held a contest to give away a cherry Gibson SG; the same used by Black in the movie.
All the music played by the child actors in the film was performed by the children. Jack Black admitted that he was still learning how to play the electric guitar and claims that the kids in the film were much better than he was. However, he said he loves doing solo parts and plays the acoustic guitar more than he does electric.
The movie was filmed in Staten Island, New Jersey and Toronto.
[edit] Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor - Comedy or Musical, and won Black an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.
[edit] Possible Sequel
On May 23, 2008, Jack Black revealed a sequel might be in the works: "I'd really like to do it, the last one was great. We are seriously thinking about it, there's already a script. In a few weeks we have to decide if we go through with the project or not."
Black didn't confirm whether or not director Richard Linklater and screenwriter Mike White would return for the second movie. [5]
[edit] Soundtrack
School of Rock is one of few films to feature a Led Zeppelin song. Led Zeppelin is known for not licensing their music, and knowing this, Richard Linklater filmed a plea by actor Jack Black in front of 1,000 screaming fans, imploring the band to let the film production use the "Immigrant Song" in the movie. The plea worked and the filmed request is included on the DVD.
[edit] References
- ^ Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
- ^ www.rottentomatoes.com/m/school_of_rock/. Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
- ^ boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=231&webtag=bc-movies. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ www.dvdmg.com/schoolofrock.shtml. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Jack Black revisiting 'School Of Rock'?
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official site
- The School of Rock at the Internet Movie Database
- School of Rock at Rotten Tomatoes
- School of Rock: Electric Guitar Courses
| Preceded by The Rundown |
Box office number-one films of 2003 (USA) October 5, 2003 |
Succeeded by Kill Bill Volume 1 |
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