The School of Rock Review
by Jerry Saravia (faust668 AT aol DOT com)December 3rd, 2003
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Viewed on November 27th, 2003
RATING: Three stars
Okay, so it happened. Director Richard Linklater, the creator of the phenomenal "Slacker" and "Before Sunrise," has helmed a mainstream comedy geared for kids and some adults. "The School of Rock" looks like it may be a saccharine confection of simplistic morals and values with its parents' seal of approval that it will appeal to all ages and not likely offend anyone. The major surprise is that the movie is a kick in the head, a swift comedy with a brazen, animalistic performance by Jack Black.
Black plays rock n' roll guitarist, Dewey Finn, a lover of the old 70's bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Somehow, though, he doesn't realize that his tastes may be too ancient for most. He is the guitarist of a band that votes him out for doing too much riffing and too many jumps from the stage. Finn is sure that he will make it on his own, despite the fact everyone has little to no confidence of his talents. Even Ned (Mike White), his old buddy and current housemate, tries to evict him, mostly for not paying the $2200 of rent he owes. One day, Dewey gets a call from the local private school that Ned is needed to do some substitute teaching. Dewey pretends to be Ned and subs for a science class. Disaster is in the horizon when he tells the class to take recess while he snoozes. Slowly, he realizes that the students have musical talents waiting to be tapped into, namely for Dewey's own band-in-the- making.
The best scenes involve the classroom, especially when Dewey teaches them the finer points of singers, songs and bands from the 1970's. Of course, the students have no idea what he is talking about - when he asks them about their favorite bands, they respond with names like Christina Aguilera. This is going to be hard work but Dewey is up to the task, including having the students practice with their own musical instruments (it helps they attend a music class). Dewey wants to rock with as much gusto as possible - this guy lives and breathes rock music and expects everyone to do the same.
Naturally, there is nothing in this movie that can't be foreseen. The addition of the strict school principal (Joan Cusack), who is unaware that Dewey is not the teacher he claims to be, results in the usual cliches and obligatory scenes where the students' parents are outraged with a cartoonish fury. The difference is in the execution of such time-honored formulas, and director Linklater opts for a sentiment-free attitude. It helps that Jack Black is not receptive to sentiment either, coming from the "High Fidelity" school of the take-charge-and-rebel attitude. Dewey is a character who is not out to change students and their values - he just wants them to rock and rock loud. It is a real pleasure to see Black at work, exuding his body fat and arched eyebrows to really deliver the heart of rock and roll in all its gut-wrenching glory. He is the life of the party, even if he guzzles a beer or two in the process.
What doesn't transmit as forcefully are the supporting characters - amazing considering the script is written by co-star Mike White ("Chuck and Buck"). Joan Cusack, the most underutilized comic actress in Hollywood, is not given enough scenes where she is more than the one-dimensional, rigid principal she plays. Same with Mike White as Ned, Dewey's former bandmate, who has opted for temping, excuse me, subbing as a career. Even Ned's girlfriend is given the bitchy shenanigans that are normally associated with tedious screenwriting, not real life.
Save for those flaws, "The School of Rock" is a rockin', happy excursion into the world of Jack Black and his own philosophies on rock and roll. You may not learn much, but you'll rock with joy.
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