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Created Feb 21, 2010 01:08PM PST • Edited Jan 12, 2019 08:54AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   Cute kids turn into real rockers under Jack Black’s masterful tutelage in this classic movie about classic rock. Still funny the third time through, School of Rock charms, tickles and – most importantly – rocks.

   In the classic words of The School of Rock’s nutty professor – It’s a toast to those who rock!

   Working from writer-costar Mike White’s killer script, Richard Linklater directed Jack Black over the top of cultism and into mainstream popularity as Dewey Finn, rock pedagogue. Flouting W.C. Fields’ admonition to “Never work with children or animals,” Linklater and White juxtapose Black’s bountiful energy with a classroom of emotionally restrained kids to great effect.

   The most successful movie of their careers, School of Rock doesn’t strike a false note. This makes Black, White and Linklater into The Man. That they avoided sticking it to themselves in the creation of this perennial treat remains far from a cheap trick.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   Jack Black broke into the mainstream as Dewey Finn, leader of youth. Obnoxious as ever, though here as sweet as he is needy, Dewey kaboots it. It’s something to see.

   Still, “Dewey”? How many stoners go by Dewey? More than most names, I’d gather. Just saying.

   Turns out Black’s got rock chops, as many kids hope they do. He’s entirely convincing as a loser who’s given greatness by rock, which of course is exactly the point of the movie.

   The entire cast rocks.

   • Joan Cusack’s never been better than as Principle Rosalie Mullins, who loses her mind after half a beer and half of Stevie Nicks’ Edge Of Seventeen.
   • Sarah Silverman in the kinda part she says she never plays.¹ Guess she’s a hypocrite. Surprise.
   • Mike White gave a very funny name to himself and his doppelgänger.
     ‘Did I say that correctly? Schneebly
     Actually it’s "Schnayblay"’
   • A great bunch of rocking kids, including:
     - Miranda Cosgrove as Summer Hathaway, promotion & management.
     - Joey Gaydos Jr. as Zack Mooneyham, Rock God Guitarist.
     - Robert Tsai as Lawrence, Wakemanesque Keyboardist.
     - Kevin Alexander Clark as Fred, Mooniesque Drummer.
     - Maryam Hassan as Tomika, Peerless Pipes. That’s her stepping forward to take a vocal solo in the School of Rock video below.
   • Lucas Babin as Spider, Guitar Animal. Rocky from The Y&R makes a perfect rock guitarist caricature. What’s up, dog.
     -——————

   ¹ Answering USA Weekend’s question Is there something you won’t do?, Sardonic Sarah said “I’ll get offers to be ‘the girl’ in a comedy. I have no desire to be the wet blanket — the one who says to the guy, ‘You have to get your life together and get a job.’” But that’s exactly the role she played in School of Rock.

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

   Jack Black

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

   Joan Cusak

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

   Lucas Babin was Perfect, the rest Great.

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    Richard Linklater and Mike White, we salute you. Your film manages to be subversive of both the establishment and of rock pomposity. Way to stick it to The Man.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

    Linklater goes commercial without losing his rocking insouciance. It’s a Led Zeppelin like feat.

12. Play Really Great 4.5

    According to IMDb, Mike White “isn’t a fan of classic rock music. He wrote The School of Rock (2003) specifically so Jack Black could perform his own favorite rock music.”

13. Music Perfect 5.0

    Definitive no excuses rock, from The Who to Cream to Black Sabbath to Deep Purple to AC/DC to The Doors to The Ramones to Metallica to T-Rex to Bowie. Even Stevie Nicks gets her due.

    Plus the songs Mike White and friends created for the movie are kick-ass in themselves: School of Rock and Step Off in particular.

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.4

    School of Rock is to real rock what a Virgin Mary is to a Bloody Mary: a denatured facsimile of the dangerous original. That it pulls off this sex & drug free trick without losing its Rock & Roll soul is a testament to the movie’s greatness, and makes it kid safe. Rock on.

17. Sex Innocent 1.3

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Salty 1.8

21. Reality

    Glib 1.3

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.9

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0