MOVIE REVIEW

School of Rock, The  (2003)

Starring: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White
Director: Richard Linklater

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Paramount

Release Date: 10.03.03

Review Posted: 10.03.03

Spoilers: None

By Christopher T. Bryan

Jack Black Proves He Can "Rock"

There is no doubt that School of Rock is Jack Black’s baby. Mr. Black didn’t have to work his acting chops out on this one, his character Dewey Finn is the same Black that I see on talk shows, and in music videos with his band Tenacious D. Black has a ferocious personality that lights up the screen, so watching him as himself is actually quite a lot of fun.

Black is Dewey Finn, a moocher who dreams of rocking out and putting on one great show. Until that show comes he is living rent free with his childhood friend Ned and his temperamental girlfriend who eventually gives Dewey a choice: get a job or get out.  The job Dewey gets isn’t exactly what she had in mind, he is posing both as Ned and as a fifth grade teacher at a prep school headed by Joan Cusack.  Dewey makes a visible transformation from an unkempt pot-head into a pot-head with his father’s bow tie and scarf who managed to force a comb through his mop of hair.

The teaching position not only pays the bills but also helps Dewey to find his next band in the form of the fifth graders he teaches. The idea is sprung on Dewey when he hears the students studying their classical music and realizes that they can actually play. School takes on a whole new form as the students begin studying Pink Floyd, Yes and Blondie rather than English, Science and Arithmetic.

The real Jack Black looks as though he has eaten his share of Mickey D’s and, like most of his characters, has experience with weed. His gift is that he is aware of this and not only relishes in these facts, but plays them to his advantage; surprising audiences with his zeal and in the process garnering quite a following. He has a lot of drive; pumping out comedy after comedy, each injected with Black’s own unique style of humor which most often displays him in his underwear as a drug abusing, lay around the house, no future, no goals, or plans beyond his next TV dinner type of guy. His career thus far has always left me laughing and reminds me somewhat of Jim Carrey’s first foray into motion pictures. Carrey, too, offered his own brand of humor that was largely accepted by the masses. However, Carrey has answered the inevitable question and soon Black will be faced with the same and that is, is there anything else to this guy?

School of Rock is touching at times. Joan Cusack’s shining moment comes when she hears Stevie Nicks over the juke box.  Her role is small though and she is overshadowed by Black’s enormous personality and sizable frame. Re-teaming with Black after writing and appearing in another Jack Black comedy, Orange County, is Mike White who wrote School of Rock and appears as Ned. White looks like such an uncomfortable geek, and as Ned Schneebly plays exactly that.

The kids (Joey Gaydos, Kevin Clark, and Robert Tsai among others) are cute and adorable, but show me a kid that isn’t. These kids also have the job of holding instruments and appearing as though they know what to do with them, and as it turns out they are all very talented musically. No lip synching and dubbing here. Many have won national competitions, played at venues such as Lincoln Center in New York City, and list the Beatles as a favorite band.

This may leave you wondering; who’s more talented, Jack, or the kids? But it is Black’s infectious love of jamming out that carry and drive the film. He show’s a lot of heart and makes the audience want to pick up a guitar, and if none is available at least jam on one of the air variety. The outcome had me convinced that one could take classically trained musicians, feed them a hatred for the man, and have a formidable rock band.

Rating: êê1/2  (out of 4)

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