School of Rock

OK, it hasn't been the best year for movies. But it's still worth noting that the two best films of the year thus far have been PG-13 romps aimed at children and their parents. After the box-office phenomenon that is Pirates of the Caribbean, we now have School of Rock, the fabulous new film from Richard Linklater and Jack Black.

Upon reflection, it's not exactly surprising that filmmakers sometimes create their best material when they're working under the constraints of the children's genre. Certainly Robert Rodriguez, whose latest film is a complete disaster, has never come close to the triumph of Spy Kids. Or compare E.T. to The Color Purple: 'nuff said.

I've had a hell of a time trying to persuade my friends to go see Pirates: they have no interest, they say, in seeing a Disney film – one based on a theme-park ride, no less – which is mainly famous for starring a scenery-chewing Johnny Depp. And I can see what they mean, when they put it like that. But it's their loss, since the film is one of the greatest action-adventure movies since the Indiana Jones franchise reached the end of its natural life.

Somehow I have a feeling that pushing people to see School of Rock will be less difficult. For one thing, it has the Linklater name attached, although weirdly he's absent from the branding of the film – maybe Paramount reckons that the Linklater fanbase will simply come out through word of mouth alone. Then, of course, there's Jack Black, someone who's retained a large quantity of street cred despite selling out about as much as it's possible to do.

In any case, the thirtysomethings most definitely turned out for this film. I saw it on a Sunday night without thinking twice about whether I might be able to get a ticket, but the theatre was people-sitting-in-the-aisles sold out. And not a kid in sight.

The opening credits alone are a masterpiece of comic filmmaking: Jack Black on stage, channelling every rock god from Jimmy Page to Mick Jagger, eventually swan-diving, stripped to the waist, into the outstretched arms of his imaginary fanbase. Not the kind of fanbase you ideally want to crowd-surf on, it must be said.

Amazingly, things rarely flag from there on in. The ridiculous plot is just sturdy enough to carry us through: our stout hero blags himself a job at a posh school, where he sets up a crash course in Sticking it to The Man for his coddled 10-year-old charges. The kids, of course, carry the day, and by the end everybody's happily riffing together as the long list of music featured in the film scrolls its way up the left-hand side of the screen.

Just as Depp carries Pirates, Black is this film. He's working with some excellent actors, from Joan Cusack to the extremely talented children in the band, but it's his genuine and infectious energy which keeps the audience rapt – and in stitches. He's the overgrown adolescent we all flatter ourselves to think we are still in touch with inside ourselves, and he manages to paper over crater-sized plot holes through sheer force of personality alone.

Whether he's quoting Whitney Houston in a desperate attempt to construct an educational philosophy, or improvising a "Math is good" song in order to explain away the electric guitar in the corner of the classroom, Black has a natural's comic timing. But this film couldn't work with any old comedian: Black gives it genuine rock credibility as well. True fact: while Linklater couldn't get Led Zeppelin to let him use their eponymous song in Dazed and Confused, Black managed to persusade them to allow "Immigrant Song" to be used in School of Rock.

I urge you to grab some friends, have a couple of drinks, head down to your local multiplex, and whoop it up in this movie. You will have a fantastically good time, and come out with a renewed appreciation for both Black and Linklater. Linklater actually starred in Spy Kids: he knows at first hand that what might look at first glance like selling out can in fact be the catalyst for innovative, first-rate filmmaking. Here's hoping that more people follow his lead. Failing that, we might at least have a revival of air guitar.

Posted by Felix at 1:11 EST

Comments

Shoot, I saw the movie with my 2 kids, 11 and 13 years and found it derivative, predictable and silly. Plus, as good as Jack Black is, there's only so much of his schtick you can stand.........

For the record, my older child agreed with me, but my younger one seemed to like it.... so there you go.

Posted by: Dan at 16:22 EST, October 07, 2003

A completely spontaneous shout of exultation escaped my lips at the scene with Black ripping the gold star/demerits chart from the wall and declaring "No grades in my classroom!" This was in a near-empty theatre, and I was a little embarassed at my outburst, but that's the kind of energy the movie has.

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