Jack Black, Supply Teacher

School of Rock (US/Germany 2003 PG)

C

asting an eye over the TV listings, I noticed that Channel 4 was showing the Jack Black film School Of Rock (US/Germany 2003 PG) at 5:25pm on Sunday 16^th January 2011. On the surface it seems like a rock music based comedy, but there is more to this film than meets the eye. For example, the central character is a layabout (Black) who believes that he can make a fast buck by working as a supply teacher!

Radio Times describes The School of Rock as a ‘feel-good musical comedy’ starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a heavy rock guitarist in upstate New York, who finds himself dropped by his band. Needing money, he talks his way into a job as a fifth-grade substitute (supply) teacher at an expensive private school. Finn first introduces the repressed students to the pleasures of rock music and then sets about training them for a battle-of-the bands contest. Director Richard Linklater is known as a principled independent film maker, but he also makes excursions into the mainstream, as with this popular big-studio picture. Linklater and writer Mike White channel their spirit of independence through Dewey Finn, who, as the initially lazy musician, bluffs his way into employment, plans to bide his time and unintentionally inspires his pupils. Of course lessons are learned, the music is pretty good and Jack Black is probably on career-best form. Needless to say there is some swearing.              

School of Rock is written by Mike White/ directed by Richard Linklater

Cast: Jack Black as Dewey Finn, Joan Cusack as Principal Rosalie Mullins, Mike White as Ned Scheebly, Sarah Silverman as Patty Di Marco, Lee Wilkof, Adam Pascal, Joey Gaydos Jr as Zack, Miranda Cosgrove as Summer, Kevin Clark as Freddy, Rebecca Brown as Katie, Robert Tsai as Lawrence, Maryam Hussan as Tomika, Caitlin Hale as Marta, Aleisha Allen as Alicia, Brian Falduto as Billy, Zachary Infante, James Hosey, Angela Massagli, Cole Hawkins, Veronica Afflerbach, Jordan-Claire Green. 3^rd December 2006

Originally posted on Tuesday 18^th January 2011