Drumline

Plot synopsis:
The film centers on Devon Miles (Cannon), a teen who has just graduated from a high school in New York City. Upon graduating, Devon heads to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the fictitious Atlanta A&T University (based on North Carolina A&T), a historically black college that takes enormous pride in its marching band. Devon was personally invited to attend on full scholarship by Dr. James Lee (Jones), head of the band, for his prodigious talents. The A&T band separates itself from its competitors by requiring all members to read music, by focusing on various styles of music rather than what music is currently popular on the radio, and dedication to the teamwork emphasized "one band, one sound" concept. The band has a preseason that is similar to an athletic team's induction in that it is very physically and mentally difficult. It challenges all recruits to push themselves past what they previously thought were their limits. At the end of preseason, the musicians audition for spots on the field, and Devon is the only freshman to make P1, the highest level player. While going through his rigorous process, Devon also finds time to romance an upperclassman dancer, Laila (Saldana).
College life starts well for Devon, as he has the girl and a spot on the field. Things begin to turn sour when Sean (Roberts), Devon's percussion leader, begins to grow weary of Devon's cocky attitude. Sean later challenges Devon to take a solo in his first game, believing the freshman will panic and be embarrassed in front of everyone. He is shocked when Devon takes the solo and is subsequently humiliated. This sets up some tension in the drumline which is exacerbated when Dr. Lee is told by President Wagner (Afemo Omilami), the school's president, to change his focus from music to entertainment or lose his funding. Lee does not want to give Devon more playing time because he feels Devon's attitude and respect are lacking. The situation further deteriorates when it is revealed that Devon cannot read music. Devon is demoted to P4 by Dr. Lee until he learns, then later put back on P1 when Wagner pressures Dr. Lee to do so. The final straw comes at A&T's homecoming, when Devon incites a melee with the visiting band by leading his fellows in using their sticks to play on the visiting line's drums (a serious insult in drumline mythos).The band is angry with Devon for his showboating and shun him. Devon is finally kicked out of the band by Dr. Lee. The fight also harms his relationship with Laila as she is embarrassed to introduce him to her parents, who attended the game and thought of Devon as a hoodlum.
Acting as if he is not bothered by Dr. Lee exiling him, Devon contacts A&T's rival school Morris Brown College, to discuss playing for their marching band next season. Mr. Wade (J. Anthony Brown), Brown's band leader, says that Devon does not need to know how to read music and will likely get a full scholarship and a good position on the drumline. When Wade wants to know what Dr. Lee is planning for the BET Big Southern Classic (a large competition of college bands), Devon realizes that his heart and honor are still with the A&T band. He rejects the scholarship offer from the rival band and returns to A&T. Though Devon is still not playing for the band, he cannot give up his drumming. He is sent cassette tapes from his estranged father and gets some ideas for new drum arrangements. He and Sean have a final confrontation, with Sean telling Devon that he is A&T's best drummer but that the band is bigger than just one person; this clears the air and they begin to work together. The two present their idea for an entrance cadence to Dr. Lee who decides they will be used during the Classic. Devon helps the drumline prepare and patches up his relationship with Laila. Lee also tells Devon that he can guarantee him a full return to the band next year.
At the Classic, the bands are shown performing a mixture of popular songs. Morris Brown's band even gets rapper Petey Pablo to perform during their routine. A&T is not fazed by this and performs their mix of retro and current sounds. A tie results and the Morris Brown and A&T drumlines face off. Dr. Lee tells Devon he can play for this face-off, showing his faith in Devon's improved character and in thanks for all the hard work he has done in getting the band ready for the Classic. Morris Brown goes first and A&T responds. Morris Brown's second cadence includes their snares moving forward and playing on the A&T drums (the same move that incited the fight at A&T's homecoming game, which resulted in Devon's expulsion from the band), then throwing down their sticks. The A&T line manages to hold their composure in the face of the insult. They play their cadence and in the middle throw down their drumsticks, mimicking the Morris Brown actions, but then the entire line pulls out another set of sticks and continues playing. They end their routine in the faces of the Morris Brown drumline, but instead of playing on their drums, the line all drop their sticks onto the other drumline's drums. The judges award the win to A&T.

Tags: comedy

Review:
not what your preconceived notions lead you to believe it might be.This movie is all about exposing people to the world of Black College marching bands.
"Boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl back and learns the value of teamwork in time for the big showdown" is a formula that has worked for years -- and it works here!Another poster remarked that the band camp scenes were unrealistic because they were too "militaristic" ...
Black College marching band is serious business and this film gives you only a small sample of what it takes to "make the band."The actual band performances are AWESOME and will definitely be an eye-opener to anyone who has never seen this type of thing before.
I swear, half of these reviews I'm reading are annoying - people bashing it because it's an all black movie, people bashing it because the band has dancers instead of a color guard, people calling the drumming rudimentary because they played in a drumline that did better blah blah blah.What do you guys want, a documentary on marching band?
For all those who do (and even those who don't), here's an energetic film that manages to entertain while eschewing content that could conceivably offend anyone (unless they find even the tiniest amount of innocuous, lightweight hip-hop too much to take).The thematic ground here - young hotshot learns to sacrifice for the good of the team; underdogs strive for triumph - has been covered countless times before, so DRUMLINE wisely boils the plot down to its barest elements, for the most part sidestepping the obligatory contrived obstacles and setbacks, and plays to its strength: the music.This is a story about college marching bands, focusing in particular on the members of the percussion section, and a good 50% - if not more - of the film concentrates on the lively and elaborate performances of the bands, which are complimented by equally lively cinematography and editing.No, it's not deep and, yes, it's old fashioned.
Not being a football fan, my exposure to such things is limited to the Rose Parade, and I don't have a clue as to what state-of-the-art is for halftime entertainment these days, but, for what it's worth, this is the best college marching band stuff I've ever seen, and I wasn't bored for a minute..
Nick Cannon's Devon Miles character is a self-centered, posturing, swaggering jackass who evokes immediate dislike and though you see him grow up a little in the course of the film, you never really learn to like or respect him.Drumline also suffers from an identity crisis of its own.
It tries to be all of these at once and never seals the deal on any of them.Drumline could have told a good story about a New York kid learning that there's more than one way to be black in this world.
An arrogant young freshman such as Devon would have had many lessons to learn while finding his way in this environment, but the film misses nearly every opportunity to show us the relationships between the characters in any depth, so the performances come off as predictable and mechanical.All the same, I've seen Drumline several times and enjoyed it for what it does very well.
The presentation of the music and and the work that goes into running a big university marching band are very good.
Drumline also had moments of humor, and some visually engaging camera work, especially in the music scenes.I like this movie.
One of the few times where black youths aren't portrayed as hoods, this movie proved it moved to the beat of a different drum (yes I know, bad pun).
This movie isn't just for band kids, it encompasses a broad spectrum of life that is actually interesting to watch.
Sure, some might have considered this movie corny, but the band sequences saved any misgivings this film might have had.
I would like it anyway; it has it's funny parts, it's serious parts, and I am still wondering how they found so many awesome drummers, (and other musicians for that matter!)Because of this movie, I now have some respect for Nick Cannon as an actor.
I'm glad he finally starred in a great movie for all ages, and is no longer confined to piece of crap kids sketch comedy shows on Nickelodeon, [which, by the way, SUCKS as of late (i.e. My life as a teenage robot, slimetime, ginger)]Overall, great movie, great job by Nick Cannon..
Those who have been in precision marching bands (yes, that includes the music) know about the hard work and dedication that it takes to be the best or among the best.
The movie as presented may not be entertaining to anyone who has never worked hard toward a goal with a team, but for those who have, I'm sure they will see a piece of themselves and their experience in Drumline.
If we accept the basic good message of Drumline and allow ourselves to be entertained by the music as presented, it will be a movie that will be watched and enjoyed repeatedly.
Aficianados can appreciate the tight flams, rolls, high sticking...but beware, the constant tug of war between "the line" versus "showboating" is nothing' but Hollywood drama because every experienced snare drummer knows nothing is sweeter than when ten snares sound like one because it only takes one weak link to muddy the sound.Did I pay attention to the rest of this movie?
Meanwhile , he falls in love with a cheerleader (Zoe Saldana).In the film there's a varied procession of characters , the habitual group of misfit roles ,including the only white boy among different color young people , or the sole girl among all men .
The story is narrated with great sense of ductility and intelligence and it has its good moments here and there .It's an enjoyable movie, but uneven comedy , it works better when the drummers go into the action.
If you are a person that actually can go to a movie and simply enjoy it for the fun and a new experience, then you will love Drumline.
It's a great movie that will enlighten many Americans as to the type of "marching bands" that have been the highlight of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football games for decades.
Orlando Jones is the music director of a college band department that has recruited band's "next big thing," a drummer out of Harlem (Cannon) who faces the usual growing pains while feebly attempting to prove that the band members belong on the same level as the jocks...Before you start chastising me for knocking the band and all the times we had in high school, I am only saying that band members are not on the same level as jocks, but they ARE athletes at the college level.
During the half time of any college game, it is the band's responsibility to keep the fans entertained and want to stick around for the second half (no matter how bad the football team may--or may not-- be doing).
(And besides, I was also in band in high school.)Jones meets with some resistance as he attempts to deal with "the next big thing," both from his boss, his peers, and the section leader of the snare drum section.
I'm a former band guy, and watched this movie knowing how cheesy and foumulaic it would be, but I assumed I would enjoy it the way my wife, a former cheerleader, enjoyed "Bring It On."  Nope.
I kind of thought they'd use, or at least model themselves after, real SWAC or MEAC bands and players, but the music sequences, which should have been equivalent to the game sequences in sports movies or the performance sequences in arts movies (e.g. Fame, Center Stage, Bring It On - kinda), were so low quality they were laughable.
Since the story was utterly predictable, let me rate the performances in this movie, using BOA scoring:Music Performance Individual:  12/20 - The closeups were the best part, and Devon was good enough to be in my college percussion section - on cymbals.
One part of the movie that especially comes to mind when  say "a waste of two hours" is a scene where the drumline section leader walks up to the drummers one at a time and plays on their drum with them walking forward.
But once he's is done playing the part with the section leader also playing on the star's drum, the band teacher walks up and says somethin to the effect of "you do what i tell you to do, and you're an asshole." I hate this movie.
It would have been better about a true marching band that really works to put together a good show, not goes out and learns in a day or two how to get in the shape of a car or play as loud as possible with a bad sound.
I have to admit, I bought this movie for my son, who is also a snare drummer in high school marching band.
A talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory.
Maybe people can't handle the fact it's just a really good film.I like the marching band world.
I don't even know if you could watching this film standing up without jumping with the beat because it will make your feet tap.The acting by Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, and Leonard Roberts were all good.
I do have a better appreciation for the college level marching bands, though.But the lead performance just killed this movie for me.
The director of the marching band at my high school absolutely loves this movie.
He strikes me as an actor who, given the right roles, could really start to shine.But add in a horribly mundane plot, music that isn't too terribly engrossing except in spots, and nearly every other character in the movie as being one-dimensional, and you have a bad movie on your hands.Knowing what I do now about 'Drumline,' there's really only one reason to watch it - Orlando Jones' performance.
What little worthwhile music there is, you can find elsewhere.The point is, don't bother with this one unless you're psychotically engaged with marching bands.Rating, sure to drop the more time I have to reflect on it: 5/10.
This movie could be set in any environment, but the fact that it depicts an African-American youth coming from urban life I think heightens this theme, plus the fact that he is surrounded by other African-American students and professors lets him see that success in life is color blind, if one has the guts to go for it.I think this is one of the better character studies I've seen in a while, and the marching band and drumline setting make the movie that much more entertaining.
Overcoming difficulties in relationships and life shows that we can mature beyond our shortcomings, and better our circumstances.Drumline had a plot with everything that a typical "BLACK" movie generally lacks.
While there was little to no back story, or that much of a plot that hadn't been done one hundred times before, I still found this film to be entertaining in a flashy way.Drumline is the story of a recent high school graduate who has received a scholarship to a southern university to play with their school marching band.
The pacing is good, the acting is decent (with a surprisingly understated performance by Orlando Jones) and the obvious star is the music and music talent, which saves the film from being a complete disaster.Unfortunately there was no back story to the characters, there are many plot holes, and conflicts seem to easily resolve themselves.
There's an enormous amount of practice, perfection, and devotion that go into making a band a success, and Drumline makes no attempt at shortchanging that.The film centers on the likable, yet troubled Devon Miles (Nick Cannon), who has just graduated from high school and looks to pursue an invaluable four years at Atlanta A&T University.
Nick Cannon(or Mariah Carey's husband) is Devon Miles, a talented drummer who graduates from high school in New York City, and is accepted into a mostly black college to play in a marching band.
After the usual confrontations, Devon rejoins the marching band, and leads them against the other college in a drum off, which is really well done and makes Drumline an exceptionally entertaining movie a 7.5/10..
It did drive home a good message: preparation and hard work are more valuable than talent.Nick Cannon played a showboating, hot-headed freshman drummer now in college where things are a little different.
If you like College Marching Bands, the formations on the football field, all the band instruments from the Piccolo right up to the Bass Tuba, this is the film to enjoy.
This film gives you what the background is like with a drum team competing with other college bands.
Okay, yes, the movie is called Drumline, but still, it's not like that's the whole part of a marching band.
Now all the people who join marching band only want to do drum line.
Finally a movie that shows marching band in its true colors.It shows all the hard work and discipline that goes into making a fantastic field show.
I'm a member of an HBCU marching band in the South and this movie was not a good example of how a real Black college marching band program is run.
I was told that certain Southern Black bands weren't put in the movie because they would actually out-perform Atlatna A&T (a fake college band made of high school band members from numerous bands)..
Most people seem to think that marching bands are seen as dumb and for geeks but this movie proves how much people in the south love there music.
I thought that it was pretty good but let me tell you that he made drumming look very easy.Some of the stuff he was playing is really hard to do but then again it is a movie so why am i complaining.
I loved Drumline, not because of normal movie criteria, but because I was in a field marching band in high school.
The film's depiction of marching band drumlines is "okay" though not up to par.
Being actually in a drumline, I thought this would have been a great movie and allowed people to see Marching Band and Drumline from what it really is, all the talent and hard work that goes into creating a performance.
I hoped this movie would have created some respect for the band members, but all I noticed was people wanting to join say they can just sit back and have fun, thinking it takes no work all, all thanks to this let-down of a film..
It takes a lot of energy to make a marching band truly great, and we marchers know that sometimes we don't get the appreciation we deserve.Anyway, I have been using this coloumn for my own personal views on bands when I should be talking about "Drumline." I guess in the end, this film is not just for us band dorks, it's for everyone.
Somewhat within the category of Bring It On. Nick Cannon is great and can play the drums like a pro, and Orlando Jones is awkwardly good, regarding the role.
I also loved this movie because it reminded me of my college days of watching and listening to the bands perform.
For years, in the movies, people in band were seen as immensely geeky (a little "Lucas" or "American Pie" anyone)  Then comes a movie like "Drumline" to set people straight.
Even though it's set at a black college, EVERY person who has enjoyed the band experience can relate to this movie.
And another thing:  Every time the Color Guard (of sorts) came on, I swore someone had spliced clips from Bring It On into my copy.I love my memories of the good old days in the band, but I did NOT love this movie.
As a drummer and drum major at the high school, college, and professional level, this film was a disgrace to drumlines.
Well i was supprised a film about American marching bands you must admit sounds like a yawn fest....
The actors really worked hard and made it look like they had always been in a marching band.
I never marched in college, but I marched all 4 years of high school, and down to the militaristic band director who wants to stay true to real music, this movie hit the nail on the head.
The biggest crime is that there are several montages where we see musicians playing but instead of hearing the drumline we hear songs from the cheezeball soundtrack--unforgivable!Of course the story was lame, but I was expecting that.For those seeking a realistic portrayal of college marching band experience, well I don't know about the school in this movie, but based on my experience, for one thing with ten or a dozen snares anyone with the attitude of this main character would have spent all of band camp doing cymbal laps--not to mention learning how to stand at attention.
If these young women want to be part of the band, they should learn to play an instrument.The movie was pretty enjoyable because of the music, but I do agree that the behavior of the lead character was poorly handled by the writers.
If you have a background in marching bands or drum corps, you will appreciate this movie.
It's, at heart, a marching band movie, something my friends and I have been looking forward to for years.
Orlando Jones turned in an incredible performance.I went to see this movie with a friend who was also a graduating member of the band last year.
I was a former high school band member and I have always enjoyed watching black collegiate bands perform and watching "Drumline" was a truly wonderful and entertaining experience!