You don’t have to like rock or Jack Black to enjoy School of Rock, a charming comedy about a group of high school outcasts and their charismatic teacher. And while this is a teenage comedy I think that people of all ages can enjoy it. And if you like rock, metal or any alternative music, I’m sure you’re going to like that much more. I remember watching it for the first time as a hardcore metalhead and still loving it. This is despite my edgy urges to dislike anything that’s not gory, brutal, and metal. Ahhh, young edgy me had a lot to learn.
With the huge popularity of the television show White Lotus, now is the perfect time to check out School of Rock. And if you’re wondering why it’s because they have the same writer Mike White. He’s also behind another cool Jack Black movie, Orange County. And the director is none other than Richard Linklater, the guy behind one of my all-time favorites Dazed and Confused. Featuring this talented and charismatic trio, School of Rock simply had to be a masterpiece. And by the way, you can see all three of them when Black flashes a picture of their fictionary metal bend Maggot Death.
It belongs to a small subgenre of movies about rock music like Airheads and Detroit Rock City. Wayne’s World is another good example although that’s a pretty strange movie. Moving on, I know that the jokes here might seem a bit cheesy and childish but you’ll have to admit they’re effective. School of Rock requires you to find that inner child in yourself and set it free. Who knows, maybe this movie will bring out your inner child after years or decades of repression. And you’ll have this cool feeling that life might actually get better.
It would seem that nothing is going well with Dewey Finn. His band isn’t doing so well and his roommate is asking for his share of the rent. The rent he has not paid in months. And to make all of this even worse, his band just told him to pack his things. However, one phone call is about to change all of that…
School of Rock is a movie about losers and underdogs finding their way in this cruel world. It’s about people who don’t care about money and want to follow their dreams. It’s about finding “your crowd” like most teenage movies. And who doesn’t love that type of story? If you think back maybe you also had a dream of being a musician, a poet, or anything else that doesn’t come with a guaranteed income. Although I’m sure that a hefty portion of the population would see Dewey as a loser who needs to man up. But I digress, let’s get back to the movie.
School of Rock uses a lot of cliches but because it’s so charming it manages to get away with them scot-free. The characters, structure of the plot, and storytelling have all been seen before numerous times. However, this movie is just bursting with positive energy that will make you want to start playing an instrument. Plus, Dewey is about to drop so truth bombs about love, “The Man”, and life in general.
Finally, I know you probably heard or even more likely already watched School of Rock but I’m here to tell you it’s definitely worth revisiting. Especially if you follow it up with Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny. Both of them feature a kicking soundtrack with some old-school hits like Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. Aaahhhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaaa. Sing it with me: Aaaaaahhhhhhaaaaa we come from the land of ice and snow…
Director: Richard Linklater
Writer: Mike White
Cast: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Miranda Cosgrove, Joey Gaydos Jr.
Fun Facts: Jack Black gave all the kids in the class their nicknames.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332379/
