But one of the brilliant things in School of Rock -- and it is a movie full of small, brilliant moments --is that it knows this premise is paper-thin, and never tries to stretch it or sell it to us as iron-strong. Dewey knows he's embarking on an idiotically ill-thought-out plan; the kids gather almost instantly that Dewey is not a conventional teacher; Dewey does well by doing good, and along the way gives up what he thinks he wants and discovers what he needs. Linklater may be known as a master of sprawling youth-epics, full of big funny moments you remember, but he also has a hand on the simpler, gentler moments that make the funny stuff actually matter, and School of Rock relies on that balance and understanding.
And White and Black are a perfect combination, as White knew Black before writing the script and gave Black wrote in Black's voice but also gave him plenty of room to riff. Explaining to one of his young classically-trained charges how there's not much difference between the cello and the electric bass, Dewey demonstrates: "Ok. This is a bass guitar. And it's the exact same thing but instead of playing it like this you tip it on the side... ce-lllllo, you got a bass!" When Dewey explains the challenge of assembling a band to the class, he notes how "It's gonna be a really tough project, you're gonna have to use your head, your brain and your mind too." It is hard to imagine another comedic actor delivering those lines with the same verve, and the point is that White -- inspired to write the film in no small part by living next to Black and often finding him howling rock music in his underwear -- did not have to. And yet Dewey's not a buffoon; he's self-absorbed and oblivious, but he's smart enough to realize that while he needs these kids, they also need him, and he grows into that responsibility with no small amount of sincerity.
The DVD of School of Rock is truly impressive, with extras that are both interesting and, yes, fun: There's a full commentary by Black and Linklater, as well as a commentary from many of the child actors in the film. There's also a video diary from the film's premiere at the Toronto Film Festival from the perspective of the kids, plus the filmed plea from Black to the notoriously reluctant Led Zeppelin to let the film use "The Immigrant Song" in the movie, with a thousand extras screeching the song's chorus to convey the imperative nature of the request.
The kid actors are key, and they are all wonderful, and give Black great moments to bounce off. Black may be using these kids, but he also helps them -- explaining to them that coolness is a republic, not a kingdom, and that rock doesn't exist to make them feel uncool; it exists to give them the chance to be cool. There's some great supporting work form Joan Cusack, too, as the headmaster of the school, who's completely unimpressed by Dewey/Ned from the get-go, and yet is not so hard-hearted that she can't be moved by the sight of her students thrilling an entire crowd. School of Rock could have been one-joke, one-note, one-star stuff, but Black, White and Linklater made it into something quite charming, and along the way they made Black a star -- by giving him the chance to earn stardom, and he did so with the power of rock and -- more importantly -- real heart.
So, James, I gotta say, that's a pretty good appreciation of School of Rock. But as I read it, I kept asking myself: why? Why write about this film, six years (!) after its release?
Oh, because it's been added to Redbox's "classic favorites" or whatever you guys are calling the stock movies you're using to fill out the boxes. Well, again, I kind of wonder why this particular film, which has been in heavy rotation on cable, would be chosen for that as well. I guess it's the kind of family-friendly thing the kids might ask for over and over? Is the idea that the 'box will replace actually *buying* this type of movie for some families?
Posted by: JGM | November 13, 2009 at 06:11 PM