Rocket Science (2007)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

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:

Color | Black and White

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:

Plainsboro Lunch Lady: [serving sloppy joe sandwiches at school lunchtime] They're not really bad if you've never had really good ones.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Rocket Science (#14.21)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Kiss Off

A fresh surprise

With another entry in the "coming of age" category, I really was pleasantly surprised to find--if not an original--a deeply-felt, honest portrayal of the trials of adolescence. The strongest aspects were the performances from the entire cast with Anna Kendrick and Vincent Piazza being standouts. Of course, the fine work of Reese Thompson will be rewarded by the praise he deserves (and hopefully awarded).

But this deeply personal film has many fine moments, both hysterically funny and painfully revealing. Because it refuses to be predictable--even in the final moments--I believe it will stand above other films of this genre. A well chosen score will keep it from becoming dated. It's never glib towards a range "bent" characters, and chooses to leave the smart remarks for the characters and not the film itself. Despite the subject of repressed anger and expressed rage, there's a sweetness that avoids the sentimental.

Clearly Jeffery Blitz needed to tell this story. And I hope he has many more for us in the future.