Rocket Science (2007)

Director:

Jeffrey Blitz

Writer (WGA):

Jeffrey Blitz (written by)

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Life is faster done than said.

Plot:

Looking for answers to life's big questions, a stuttering boy joins his high school debate team.

Plot Keywords:

Debate | Stutter | High School | Team | Tournament

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Nicholas D'Agosto	...	Ben Wekselbaum
Anna Kendrick	...	Ginny Ryerson
Utkarsh Ambudkar	...	Ram
Candace Scholz	...	Townsend Prep Debater (as Candace Burr Scholz)
Margo Martindale	...	Coach Lumbly
Reece Thompson	...	Hal Hefner (as Reece Daniel Thompson)
Vincent Piazza	...	Earl Hefner
Denis O'Hare	...	Doyle Hefner
Lisbeth Bartlett	...	Juliet Hefner
Aaron Yoo	...	Heston
Virginia Frank	...	English Teacher
Marilyn Yoblick	...	Plainsboro Lunch Lady
Maury Ginsberg	...	Mr. Lewinsky
Emily Ginnona	...	Honoria
Dionne Audain	...	Abraham Lincoln

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content and language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | Norway:10 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

B&W Films

Trivia:

The drink that Hal takes from his brothers' room and gets drunk on is Herradura Reposado tequila.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Ginny first speaks with Hal on the school bus, we are show a shot of Hal looking out the window at her, the bus pulls off and we notice that the first window behind him is a emergency exit and the next holds a wheelchair lift. When we cut back to an internal shot of the bus, we can see there is no wheelchair lift on the bus.

Quotes:

Hal Hefner: There's a cello in your house now.

Movie Connections:

References Pecker (1998)

Soundtrack:

Kiss Off

ROCKET SCIENCE is really a wonderful film!

How anyone could be bored with this is beyond me. Perhaps the film hits too close to home. See it, if for no other reason, for the terrific performances of Reece Thompson and Anna Kendrick. They are both amazing in their key roles, and, were this a high-profile Hollywood film, would no doubt be considered come Oscar time, as well they should be! High school can be a painful time, so to expect some Disney version of perfect, perky kids, who all look like teen models, is downright unrealistic. This film, on the other hand, rang true in just about every scene, which is no easy task. And I have to add that I have become a big fan of Margo Martindale, who can do just about anything asked of her. (See her touching segment in the multi-segment film "Paris, je t'aime" and her work in "The Riches" to get an idea of how terrific this actress is.) In any event, if you want to see a film that reflects high school in all its good-bad-and-ugly splendor, this is one film you should not miss.