Energetic School of Rock

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2004)

Watching this film I was reminded of John Belushi and the natural screen persona that he possessed and I do believe that the star of this effort has every one of his qualities and maybe more. Story is about Dewey Finn (Jack Black) who lives with his best friend Ned Schneebly (Mike White) but he has no real job and lives for rock 'n' roll although he has just been kicked out of his band for being embarrassing. Dewey answers the telephone one day and it's for Ned with the opportunity to be a substitute teacher at a private school so he decides to tell them that he's Ned and assumes his friends identity to teach 5th grade and make some money.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Dewey at first tells his class to constantly go on recess while he catnaps at his desk until one day he hears them play in music class and he gets the idea of forming a new band with them so they can enter a radio station sponsored event called "The Battle of the Bands". Dewey gives them all jobs and they practice everyday but they have to be careful of the Principle Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack) who checks on them from time to time.
Richard Linklater is a very well known and respected independent film maker and here he gets his first chance to direct a film without worrying about the budget. The story could have been something like "Kindergarten Cop" but it avoids the all to easy path of sentiment which can be tempting when you have children in the main cast and it instead is more of a showcase for the considerable talent of Black. This film is really all Black and he shows more natural screen presence than I care to remember but it's not that he's not a trained actor because he is but it's his high octane energy that he's born with that's incredible to watch. There are maybe two scenes in this film that are basically shot with little or no edits and the one that stands out is the scene where he starts his class playing a rock song for the first time and he moves from one kid to another so that they all end up knowing how to start playing. I didn't notice any editing during this and the camera just follows Black in a slow and deliberate swoop that is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Black is in a band in real life and does love rock music which adds to his performance and he's so terrific in this film that I can't think of another actor that could have played this role. It's the type of performance in a film that doesn't get Oscar nominations but you have to think that maybe that's a tribute to Black who makes it all look so natural and easy. The young actors that play his pupils are all very good but my personal choice of the funniest is the kid nicknamed "Fancypants". The film works for just about everyone at any age level and along with Linklater's precise direction and Black's brilliant blend of comedy and insight this is something that we will all look back at as it stands the test of time.