I shouldn't have been surprised by the movie's indie feel, though, considering the creative talents behind it. The director is Richard Linklater, who directed "Waking Life" and "Dazed and Confused," and the screenwriter is Mike White, who wrote "The Good Girl," "Orange County," and "Chuck & Buck."
"School of Rock" is a fable that centers around Jack Black's character, an out-of-work rock musician who owes money. In desperation, he fakes his way into a job as a substitute teacher at a private school where a student’s parents pay $15,000 a year. Here’s a sample of one of his early lectures to his fifth-grade class: "The Man ruined the ozone, and he's burning down the Amazon, and he kidnapped Shamu and put her in a chlorine tank! There used to a way to stick it to The Man—it was called rock 'n' roll. But guess what. Oh, no! The Man ruined that, too, with a little thing called MTV!"
At the school, Black's character goes by the pseudonym Mr. Schneebly, and I think what makes him unforgettable is that rock 'n' roll is not just music to him—it's a way of life. He gets the fifth-graders to form a rock band, but they're a feisty bunch, and he feels the need to have them repeat after him in unison: “I pledge allegiance … to the band … of Mr. Schneebly… And will not fight him … for creative control … And will defer to him on all issues related to the musical direction of the band."
Of course, kids nowadays know a lot more about Christina Aguilera than they do about Led Zeppelin, The Who, AC/DC, and the like, so "Mr. Schneebly" teaches them rock history and appreciation. I still chuckle when I think about the scene where he fills the blackboard with a complicated diagram showing the interrelationships of various kinds of music, including Hard Rock, Punk, Grunge, and Heavy Metal.
I expected non-musical child actors would be cast as the young musicians, but I liked it that the filmmakers instead came up with grade-schoolers who could play guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums well enough to actually perform the music. They also found three grade-school girls who are good as the band’s backup singers. These are the musicians "Mr. Schneebly" takes with him to the Battle of the Bands.
Before performing in the contest, "Mr. Schneebly" offers up a prayer: "God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. We are your humble servants. Please give us the power to blow people's minds with our high-voltage rock. In your name we pray. Amen." I won't tell you whether or not the kids win, but I will say that unlike most comedies, this one has a great last act.
The story in "School of Rock" is slight and not credible. I also thought there were a couple of slow moments toward the middle of the movie and would have preferred for it to have been several minutes shorter. Still, I found the beginning and ending very satisfying, and overall the film is extremely entertaining. There's a bit of a message as well: try to find something you care about, work hard at it, and don’t focus on competing with other people.
Parents should be advised that the MPAA rated “School of Rock” PG-13 for "some rude humor and drug references."
The DVD provides good extras, including two feature-length commentary tracks—one by actor Jack Black and director Richard Linklater and the other by the child performers who appear in the movie. There are also other interesting special features, and I've listed them below.
Selected Special Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
- English 5.1 Surround
- English Dolby Surround
- French 5.1 Surround
- English Subtitles
- Audio Commentary by Actor Jack Black and Richard Linklater
- Audio Commentary by Child Actors
- Lessons Learned in "School of Rock"
- Jack Black's Pitch to Led Zeppelin
- "School of Rock" Music Video
- Kids' Video Diary: Toronto Film Festival
- MTV's Diary of Jack Black
- Theatrical Trailer
- DVD-ROM Features
