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The School of Rock

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The School of Rock

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Summary

Musical comedy starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, an out-of-work heavy metal guitarist who cons his way into a job teaching at an expensive private school. Introducing the uptight students to the joys of rock music, Finn sets about grooming them for a battle-of-the-bands contest.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Adam Smith

The School of Rock is that rare thing: a kid's film that doesn't patronise or pander to its target audience and has enough wit to also entertain adults. Jack Black is outstanding as Dewey Finn, an unemployed rock musician who passes himself off as a supply teacher and enlightens the sheltered pupils of a posh private school with the joys of rock 'n' roll. Joan Cusack provides excellent comic support as the school's headmistress who is twitchily uptight but by no means unsympathetic. Director Richard Linklater (the indie darling best known for Slacker and Dazed and Confused) deftly avoids the saccharine schmaltz and pre-programmed plotlines that can easily ruin these kind of films. He miraculously manages to extract not one, but more than half a dozen enjoyable, natural performances from his precocious young cast. Rock 'n' roll purists may lament the inevitable absence of the sex 'n' drugs components, but this is expertly crafted escapism and a near perfect family movie.

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7.2/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameDewey FinnJack BlackPrincipal Rosalie MullinsJoan CusackNed SchneeblyMike WhitePatty Di MarcoSarah SilvermanZackJoey Gaydos JrTomikaMaryam HassanSummerMiranda CosgroveFreddyKevin ClarkKatieRebecca BrownLawrenceRobert TsaiMartaCaitlin HaleAliciaAleisha AllenBillyBrian FaldutoRazorNicky KattBattle of the Bands directorFrank WhaleyTheoAdam Pascal

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Crew

rolenameDirectorRichard Linklater

Details

Theatrical distributor

UIP

Released on

2004-02-06

Languages

English | English

Guidance

Some swearing.

Available on

video, DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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