School of Rock
Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Jack Black Joan Cusack
Paramount
Rated PG-13
108 mins
Grade: B+
Jack Black is no doubt an acquired taste. There are those who love Black’s human tornado routine, and they’ll be tickled pink by seeing him take on the role of a wannabe rocker turned substitute teacher in Richard Linklater’s clever “School of Rock.” But the strange and wonderful thing about this funny, witty and heartfelt comedy is that even those who can’t stand Black’s bellowing, astringent style of comedy will find themselves amused by his antics here.
“School of Rock” is the kind of movie that’s positioned to launch Black onto the A-list, and the comedian makes the most of his newfound springboard. Having been stuck in far too many half-assed comedies to count (“Saving Silverman”), Black summons all the head banging wit and bravado he can to deliver the kind of fully fleshed out, unsung performance that is too often ignored by awards-makers because of the fact that it serves a broad comedy rather than a straight drama.
“School of Rock” is also a solid demonstration of what can be accomplished when some sharp indie land talent is allowed to establish their eccentric acumen in a Hollywood studio film. “Dazed and Confused” and “Before Sunrise” established Linklater’s cred, while screenwriter and co-star Mike White wrote and appeared in “Chuck and Buck,” “The Good Girl” and “Orange County.” It’s a hip resume for what is ostensibly a family film, and that’s a good thing, because the creative help “School of Rock” transcend its rather dubious origins.
Dewey Finn (Black) is an aspiring rock guitarist who bows down at the altar of AC/DC, and earnestly believes that he can serve society by rocking out. But his endless guitar solos and stage diving antics have made him an embarrassment to his band, a group of talentless hacks who vote Dewey out of the band. After being nagged into getting a job and paying for his half of the rent by his timid roommate’s (White) irksome girlfriend (Sarah Silverman), Dewey gets a call – or rather his roommate gets a call. Dewey poses as his friend and becomes a substitute teacher at the posh Horace Green Preparatory School.
Dewey would rather give the kids an all day recess than teach, but when he hears the young prodigies in music class, he hits on an idea. He recruits them for a “class project” called Rock Band, with plans to enlist them in a battle of the bands contest against his former band mates.
Yes, “School of Rock” is predictable, and it’s not a realistic movie. But it’s not a movie aiming for realism or mold-breaking. It’s a movie aiming for revitalizing a tired genre by introducing an actual element of entertainment in it, and on that level it succeeds. This is one of the most immensely quotable comedies to come down the turnpike in a long while, and there are some truly witty, laugh-out-loud moments in the movie – a rarity in most mainstream comedies if you think about it.
Surprisingly, Black shares an easy rapport with the kids in the movie, and the genuine sense of kinship between the two parties is one of the best things in the movie; it is, at least, the sweetest thing in the movie. The young actors – none of them professional actors, many of them blessed with actual musical talent – are a joy to watch, because they are never cloyingly, tooth-rotting-ly cute, as many child stars tend to be. They strike the perfect balance of wide-eyed innocence and the youthful knowingness of the young.
Joan Cusack, as the starchy Horace Green principal, adds more layers to her character than expected; there’s a little glint of mischief lurking behind her stick in the mud exterior. But this is Black’s show, and he owns the role. Black can get laugh just by flexing his eyebrows and he’s right on his collaborator’s wavelength. Black already has his rocking out credentials (he’s the more visible half of mock folk-metal duo Tenacious D) and he’s absolutely believable as a man who believes, deep down, that he really was born to serve by rocking. Dewey Finn may be the inspiration for the jokes, but he is not ever a joke himself.
There’s one aspect that does bother me about “School of Rock”: when Dewey lectures the class about the Man, and then admonishes them for not being familiar with rock history, he’s being the Man himself. It’s the one uncomfortable, sour note in an otherwise great comedy that proves that more iconoclastic filmmakers should tackle the weary family genre.
