FBMR - School Of Rock
Film-Buff Movie Reviews


THE SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003) ***1/2

What a fun movie! First of all, you have to like Jack Black. If you’re not a fan of the guy, then you might not like this movie, even though he is more toned down than he’s been in some other roles. Secondly, it helps to like classic rock music. If both of these appeal to you, you will love School Of Rock.

Jack Black plays a guy who has no day job and gets kicked out of a run-of-the-mill rock band. Faced with being kicked out by his roommate he poses as a substitute teacher in a private school. All he’s interested in at first is the paycheck, until he discovers that these kids have musical talent and decides to dedicate his time forming them into his own rock band.

I’d heard lots of great things about his movie before seeing it. I still didn’t know what to expect and went in with a relatively clean slate. I was blown away. I loved this movie! It also helped that I had just started teaching music in a “private” school in Vancouver and have been using music by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and so on, in class. I could totally relate to Black’s character as a substitute teacher with a passion for music.

That all aside, it’s a wonderful story of overcoming adversity, trying to be understood, working together, and sharing individual and diverse talents. It’s got heart, it’s got attitude, it’s not overly rude, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. I highly recommend it ... it’ll put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.