THE SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003)  ***1/2

Reviewed 10/3/03

Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets kicked out of his own rock band and is about to be thrown out of the apartment he shares with Ned Schneebly (Mike White, who wrote the screenplay) because he has no money.  Taking on Ned’s identity for a substitute teacher gig at a prestigious prep school, Dewey gives the 10-year old kids all-day recess.  That is until he realizes they have musical talent and forms a rock band with the class – backup singers, special effects designers, stylist, band manager, and groupies included.  He teaches them rock history, plays them Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix, and pushes the rock ethos of sticking it to The Man.  Needless to say, Dewey is in constant danger of being found out and kicked out by stiff Principal Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack).

Caveats first:  Yeah, the whole thing is pretty formulaic and is used in practically all kids sports movies – deluded adult leads group of kids on an endeavor for which they are apparently ill suited, and as if you had to ask, underdog makes good; it is mostly a one-joke movie – ironic juxtaposition of straight-arrow preppies with the hard rock sensibility; Jack Black’s uber-persona gets excessive whenever he’s asked to carry the movie, which is whenever the kids aren’t around; and the kids are mostly types – sassy gay costume designer, introverted Asian keyboardist – not to mention boundlessly cute.

Yes, the movie’s a piffle (despite lightly touching on themes of rebellion and subversion), yet SCHOOL OF ROCK works because it’s just flat-out funny and affectionate (except toward Sarah Silverman, who plays villain, Patty, Ned’s girlfriend); Black has tremendous chemistry with the kids even if it’s not quite returned; there are plenty of gut-busting one-liners delivered with the feel of ad-libbed throwaways; and it’s got firm-handed direction by one of America’s best filmmakers in Richard Linklater, who engages in several surprisingly long takes (that’s hard when working with children).  SCHOOL is a feel-good movie to be sure, but the way it makes you feel good is earned.