School of Rock

Human Events, Oct 6, 2003

SCHOOL OF ROCK

RATING: PG-13

STARRING: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Alexander Clark, and Miranda Cosgrove

DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater

PRODUCER: Scott Rudin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Steve Nicholaides

WRITER: Mike White

DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pictures

GENRE: Comedy

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults

SUMMARY: In School Of Rock, down and out rock star Dewey Finn decides to make some money by pretending to be a substitute teacher at an exclusive preparatory school, but he soon decides that the fourth "r" will be "rock band." Though marred by some obscenities and the whole theme of loving rock music, School Of Rock is portrayed with a light, fun tone extolling life over legalism.

In School Of Rock, rock star Dewey Finn gets fired from his own band and now faces big debt, so he pretends to be a teacher and gets a 3-week job at an uptight private school. Hoping to do a lot of sleeping, he quickly finds that he has talented students whom he actually likes. Wanting to win the prize money in a local "Battle of the Bands" contest, he forms a secret rock band with the fifth graders. Dewey smuggles in instruments and teaches the kids rock appreciation, sending them home at night with CDs of rock bands. He tells them that rock music is simply a way of expressing oneself.

CONTENT: Light humanist worldview with love of rock n' roll and all its corresponding rebellious, skuzzy groups countered by some moral, biblical themes espousing relationship over rules, life over legalism and elitism, and rebuke of lying at end, but scattered moments of politically correct, environmentalist language; about 14 obscenities and four "Oh, my God's"; violence includes the smashing of guitars and falling off rock stages; and, miscellaneous immorality includes deception, which is rebuked at end.