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 | Love | High School | Coming Of Age | Stuttering

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
Dan DeLuca	...	Stephen Douglas
Michael Kusnir	...	Flemming
Steve Park	...	Judge Pete (as Stephen Park)
John Patrick Barry	...	Gym Teacher
Josh Kay	...	Lewis Garrles
Jane Beard	...	Fern Garrles
Herb Merrick	...	Lewis’s Dad
Carol Florence	...	Connie Ryerson (as Carol A. Florence)
Jonah Hill	...	Junior Philosopher
Betsy Hogg	...	Crystal Hamish-Steinberg
Brandon Thane Wilson	...	Phillip
Zack Arrington	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Jaime Chicas	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Katrina Hargrave	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Erin Loube	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Natasha Sattler	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Will Shaw	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
Jeffrey Wei	...	Plainsboro Debate Team
David DeBoy	...	Frank Ryerson
Andrew Collie	...	Hazlet Timer
Huong D. Nguyen	...	Lewinsky's Girlfriend (as Huong Huyuh)
Katherine Ross Wolfe	...	Glen Rock Debater
Susan Duvall	...	Hazlet Lunch Lady (as Susan 'Tootsie' Duball)
Elisabeth Noone	...	Hazlet Coach
Noah Mazaika	...	Trophy Presenter #1
Will Parquette	...	Trophy Presenter #2
Tara Richter-Smith	...	Babysitter
Judy Jean Berns	...	Townsend Prep Receptionist
Jeanette Brox	...	Townsend Prep Bad Girl
Roland Gomez	...	Luis (as Roland Branford Gomez)
Lee R. Sellars	...	New Jersey Debate Official (as Lee Sellars)
Joel Garland	...	Pizza Server (as Joel Marsh Garland)
Dan Cashman	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dave Cooperman	...	Contest Judge (uncredited)
Justin Mather	...	Morristown Debater (uncredited)
Chelsea O'Toole	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeffrey Blitz

Writing credits (WGA)
Jeffrey Blitz		(written by)

Produced by
Effie Brown	....	producer (as Effie T. Brown)
Nicole Colombie	....	line producer
Sean Welch	....	producer

Cinematography by
Jo Willems		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Yana Gorskaya

Casting by
Matthew Lessall

Production Design by
Rick Butler

Art Direction by
Halina Gebarowicz

Set Decoration by
Jay Klein

Costume Design by
Ernesto Martinez

Makeup Department
Ardis Cohen	....	assistant hair stylist
Janice Kinigopoulos	....	key hair stylist
Ngozi Olandu	....	assistant makeup artist
Debi Young	....	key makeup artist
Sherri Bramlett	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)
Sandra Linn Koepper	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)
Rosemary Lawrence	....	key makeup artist: Los Angeles (uncredited)
Janice Tunnell	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)
Sherri Zebeck	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Effie Brown	....	unit production manager (as Effie T. Brown)
Jean Chien	....	production supervisor: second unit
Janet Fries Eckholm	....	post-production supervisor
Scott Michael Nabat	....	post-production supervisor (as Scott Nabat)
George Norfleet	....	production supervisor
Dave Willis	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Timothy Blockburger	....	second second assistant director
Stuart B. Hagen	....	second assistant director (as Stuart Hagen)
Van Hayden	....	first assistant director
Alexander James	....	additional second assistant director
Traci M. Lewis	....	second assistant director (as Traci Lewis)
John O'Rourke	....	first assistant director: second unit
Xanthus Valan	....	second second assistant director
Dennis Burrell	....	second assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
David Beach	....	construction coordinator
Jennie Bell	....	charge scenic (as Jennie M. Bell)
Erik Boring	....	lead man
Ryan Braun	....	storyboard artist
Niamh Butler	....	additional artwork
Scott Canfield	....	leadman: second unit
Carl Catanese	....	set decoration buyer
Richard Crandall	....	charge scenic
F. Dale Davis	....	swing
Phaedra Eason	....	swing gang: U.S.
John Fulcher	....	swing
Susanna Glattly	....	charge scenic
Peter Gottlieb	....	swing
Candi Guterres	....	production designer: second unit
Autumn Jones	....	charge scenic: second unit
Wayne 'Spider' Kehs	....	greens person (as Spider Wayne Kehs)
Kristina Kilpe	....	assistant property master
Donna Kurtinecz	....	additional props
Jim McPherson	....	on-set dresser (as James McPherson)
Sayaka Nagata	....	art department production assistant: second unit
Gregory D. Neumunz	....	set dresser: second unit (as Gregory Neumunz)
Dawson Nolley	....	art department coordinator
Bobby Raber	....	scenic
Jennie Hill Robinson	....	greens person
Heather Rounds	....	additional artwork
Craig Lee Schuman	....	scenic
Claire Sharp	....	scenic
Bob Spore	....	set dresser
Lisa Tong	....	set decorator: second unit
Azhriaz Vanashta	....	scenic
Jason Wicksell	....	swing
Michael Sabo	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christian B. Allen	....	sound: electronic press kit
Julie Altus	....	adr recordist
Rick Ash	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donna Barrett	....	utility sound (as Donna M. Barrett)
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Peter Brown	....	supervising sound editor
Mark Brunner	....	boom operator
John Cannon	....	sound assistant
Julio Carmona	....	adr recordist
Kevin E. Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer (as Bob Deschaine)
Lori Dovi	....	sound: second unit
Tim Farrell	....	sound effects editor
Paul Flinchbaugh	....	sound assistant
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley mixer
Chris Hogan	....	dialogue editor (as Christopher Hogan)
Ken Ishii	....	sound mixer
Nancy MacLeod	....	sound effects editor
Dave McMoyler	....	supervising sound editor
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Nancy Nugent	....	dialogue editor (as Nancy Kyong Nugent)
Jeff Pullman	....	boom operator
Gabriel J. Serrano	....	sound mix technician
Christopher Sidor	....	sound mix technician (as Chris Sidor)
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Dean St. John	....	adr mixer
Peter Michael Sullivan	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Peter Sullivan)
Tami Treadwell	....	adr recordist
Karen Vassar	....	sound effects editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Hank Atterbury	....	special effects coordinator (as Henry S. Atterbury)
Thomas F. Lombardi	....	effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Vanessa Cheung	....	matte painter: Momentum VFX
Kenneth Nakada	....	visual effects supervisor: Momentum VFX

Stunts
Gene Harrison	....	stunt coordinator (as Roy Eugene Harrison)
Joanna Shelmidine	....	stunt double: Reese Thompson
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Joanna Shelmidine	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Leonard Applefield	....	electrician (as Len Applefeld)
Ian Axilrod	....	camera loader
John C. Barber	....	dolly grip: second unit (as John Barber)
Jim Bridges	....	still photographer (as James Bridges)
Susannah Bridges	....	camera loader: second unit
Kevin 'Vinnie' Campbell	....	electrician
Frank Caslin	....	best boy electric
Matthew Caulk	....	camera loader
Dean Citroni	....	best boy grip
Timothy H. Coté	....	grip (as Timothy Cote)
Michael Gearhart	....	best boy grip
Julio Gomez	....	electrician: second unit
John R. Hamilton	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
John Hamilton	....	second assistant camera
Preston Hart	....	electrician
Tim Hennessy	....	camera loader
Chris Henry	....	electrician
Rolf Johansson	....	grip: second unit
Mike Keelty	....	gaffer
Geoffrey D. Knoller	....	key grip
Mako Koiwai	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as F. Mako Koiwai)
Baqi Kopelman	....	gaffer: second unit
Tim Kossa	....	electrician
Michael Krebs	....	first assistant camera
Cindy Kurland	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Thomas Miligan	....	camera loader: second unit (as Tom Milligan)
Michael Miller	....	electrician
Jonathan Moore	....	grip
Steve Morris	....	photographer: Trenton Bridge
Michael O'Leary	....	best boy electric
Kurt Parlow	....	first assistant camera
Danny Powell	....	camera operator: electronic press kit
Jess Robinson	....	grip
John Scanlan	....	electrician (as John P. Scanlan)
Byron Shah	....	director of photography: second unit
Russ St. John	....	key grip: second unit
Rick Strodel	....	dolly grip
Benjamin Suarez	....	generator operator: second unit
David J. Thompson	....	camera operator (as Dave Thompson)
Basil Tydings	....	electrician (as Basil 'Chip' Tydings)
Paul Vandewater	....	camera operator: electronic press kit
Chad Wilson	....	Steadicam operator: second unit
Mike Wilson	....	electrician
Franz Wise	....	electrician (as Franz Rheinhardt Wise)
Michael Yoder	....	electrician: second unit
Jason Younger	....	grip (as Jason M. Younger)
Scott Inge	....	additional first assistant camera (uncredited)
Mike Panczenko Jr.	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)
Wade Tyree	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Valerie Battenfeld	....	extras casting
Kim Burns	....	extras casting
Jeffrey Gafner	....	casting assistant
Nina Henninger	....	additional casting: San Francisco
Nadia Lubbe	....	casting associate: New York
Ellyn Long Marshall	....	additional casting: New York, Orpheus Casting Group (as Ellyn Marshall)
Maria E. Nelson	....	additional casting: New York, Orpheus Casting Group (as Maria Nrlson)
Carolyn Pickman	....	additional casting: Boston
Lynn Reinstein	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Betsy Royall	....	additional casting: Baltimore
Terri Douglas	....	adr group voice casting (uncredited)
Megann Ratzow	....	additional casting: Oregon (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lori Ayala-Read	....	costume supervisor
Linda M. Boyland	....	additional costumer
Donna D. Casey	....	set costumer: second unit (as Donna Casey)
Stephanie Fox	....	additional costumer: Hawaii
Amanda Johnson	....	wardrobe assistant
Joan M. Lynch	....	additional costumer
Amanda Sroka	....	set costumer
Samuel Stewart	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Dan Aguilar	....	digital intermediate editor
Steve Aguilar	....	digital intermediate senior conform artist: Encore Hollywood
Jon Howard	....	digital intermediate assistant: Encore Hollywood
Jennifer Martinez	....	assistant editor
Maureen O'Connor	....	digital intermediate producer: Encore Hollywood
Steve Porter	....	colorist: Encore Hollywood
Chris Regan	....	color timer: lab
Justin Sanchez	....	digital intermediate data i/o: Encore Hollywood
Martha Shane	....	editing intern

Music Department
Roy Agee	....	musician: trombone
Eef Barzelay	....	music producer
Ray Espinola Jr.	....	associate music supervisor
Tony Harrell	....	musician: accordion
Evyen Klean	....	music producer (as Evyn J. Klean)
Evyen Klean	....	music supervisor (as Evyen J. Klean)
Bill Knopf	....	banjo coach
Janet Lopez	....	music coordinator
Benjamin Martin	....	musician: drums
Sam Matthews	....	cello coach
Mike Mehesan	....	music editor
Jennifer Reeve	....	music coordinator
Brad Segal	....	music arranger
Brad Segal	....	music editor
Brad Segal	....	orchestrator
Mike Mehesan	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Charles E. Bauer	....	driver
Vincent J. Gargiulo	....	driver (as Vincent J. Guariglia Jr.)
Daniel A. Hirsch	....	driver
James Daniel Hubbard	....	driver (as James Hubbard)
Greg Jacobs	....	driver
Frank R. Matkins	....	driver
David Myers	....	driver
Sandra Ninham	....	transportation coordinator
Robert Phillips	....	driver
Francis Raimondo	....	transportation co-captain (as Francis Anthony Raimond)
Salvatore A. Raimond	....	driver (as Sal Raimond)
Larry Sinclair	....	driver
Ronald Smith	....	transportation captain
David G. Todd	....	production van operator
John C. Watkins Sr.	....	driver
Bruce Zamzow	....	driver
Eli Lozano	....	driver (uncredited)
Michael Luckeroth	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Justin Ambrosino	....	production assistant: second unit
Richard Baker	....	set intern (as Richard W. Baker)
Cori Barrett	....	set intern
Denise A. Beale	....	production office coordinator (as Denise Ann Beale)
Brian Bitner	....	debate coach
Shawn Blake	....	set production assistant
Caren Bortz	....	set intern
Ryan Braun	....	production office intern
Jane Burka	....	script supervisor (as Jane Leslie Burka)
Cortney Burk	....	first assistant accountant
Jennifer M. Byrne	....	post-production accountant
Joan Devilla	....	payroll accountant (as Joan DeVilla)
Melissa Dunn	....	production office intern
Rebecca Durivage-Jacobs	....	set intern
Stephanie Jean Elmer	....	second assistant accountant (as Stephanie Elmer)
Caprice Ericson	....	location scout
Amanda Faison	....	set production assistant
Michael Faulkner	....	location manager (as Michael R. Faulkner)
Ben Feldman	....	production legal services
Chris Flynn	....	office production assistant
Christopher Geair	....	location scout
Vikki Jackson	....	assistant: Effie Brown
Jeff Johnson	....	set medic
Douglas M. Jones	....	set production assistant (as Doug Jones)
Krysten Klipa	....	craft service assistant
Donna Kurtinecz	....	animal wrangler
Candace Leake	....	office production assistant
Andre Lee	....	clearance coordinator (as André Robert Lee)
Wellington Love	....	publicist: Baltimore
Mary Ann Mack	....	craft service assistant
Wendy McAllister	....	assistant production coordinator
Asa McCall	....	set production assistant
Pleze Moore	....	production assistant: Los Angeles (as Pleze E. Moore)
Elena Moscatt	....	craft service
George Nicholis	....	film publicist
Joy Phillips	....	electronic press kit director/producer
Jennifer Quesenbery	....	assistant location manager: second unit
Emily Rice	....	post-production accountant
Dr. Tommy Robinson	....	stuttering coach
Matt Ryb	....	assistant: Jeffrey Blitz (as Matt Rybczynski)
Joan Scheckel	....	workshop development: The Joan Scheckel Lab
Catherine Schuler	....	assistant: Effie Brown
Josh Slates	....	assistant location manager
Brendan Stephan	....	locations production assistant: second unit
Shane Tunney	....	location assistant
Fiona Walsh	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Joe Waschak	....	production office intern
Angel Williams	....	production office intern
Amy Willis	....	location production assistant
Derek Yip	....	production accountant
Rehya Young	....	location manager
Philip Byron	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Dan Carlin-Weber	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Allison Curren	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Jacq Donegan	....	assistant accountant: pre-production (uncredited)
Thomas L. Ferguson	....	intern (uncredited)
Miriam Laurence	....	dialect coach: pre-production (uncredited)
Catherine A. McCabe	....	production coordinator: additional photography (uncredited)
Jason Neudecker	....	set production assistant: additional photography (uncredited)
Kelley Sims	....	assistant post-production accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• B&W Films
• Duly Noted
• HBO Films
• Rocket Science Inc.

Distributors

• Picturehouse Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Momentum VFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Alex Gourmet Catering  catering
• Chesapeake Camera  camera equipment
• Cinelease  lighting & grip equipment
• DeLuxe Laboratories  dailies and prints
• Encore Hollywood  digital intermediate
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car  additional vehicles
• Entertainment Post  dailies telecine
• Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz & Weinstein  legal services
• Finetune Music  music recording and mixing: LA
• Graphic Imaging  additional artwork
• J.L. Fisher  camera dolly
• Joan Scheckel Lab  workshop development
• Kodak Motion Picture Film  filmed on (as Kodak Film)
• Mark Nevers Beech House Studio  music recording: Nashville
• Negative People  negative cutting
• Orpheus Casting Group  additional casting: NY
• Scarlet Letters  main and end title design
• Todd-AO Soundelux  post-production sound services (as Soundlux/Todd-AO)
• VIP Security  security

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:

Hal Hefner: That's god doing your dry cleaning.
[smiles]
Hal Hefner: God does dry cleaning. He wears a smock.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

I Love the Unknown

A Neurotic Anti-Love Story

This film is simply astounding, in my opinion. The acting is top notch as well as the soundtrack, writing, editing, and photography.

I'll start with the general story:

Hal Heffner (Reece Thompson) is just an ordinary , no frills high-school kid who happens to have a severe stutter. He has a some-what broken home life, living with his older, bullying, thief of a brother, Earl (Vincent Piazza). Their parents don't get along so well... Hal has a difficult time dealing with his stutter in school as well as general daily life. He is especially shy. Well... Hal is approached by the school Debate Team Star, Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick) and she entices Hal into joining the Plainsboro High Debate Team. Hal develops a fondness for Ginny and desperately attempts to be closer with her. Hilarity Ensues...

The Acting in this film is nothing but astonishing. Reece does an incredible job of balancing his lines and creating a very convincing stuttering problem. Not only this, but the jokes he has to carry out are low-key and very natural. The very impressive fast-paced and garbled speech that Anna and Nicholas D'Agosto (Ben in the film), as well as the other debaters in the film have to employ is incredible. According to Jeff Blitz, real debaters speak faster, but the Actors/Actresses had to slow their speech so that everything was intelligible. Every player in this film speaks so naturally and fluently that the jokes are not obvious. They require thought, despite their beautiful simplicity. If you know Wes Anderson films, you know what I am talking about.

Speaking of the Writing, it is, once again, amazing. The love story that this film illustrates is a very different type of love story. It takes the genre and flips it upside-down at every turn. This trend also emanates in all other facets of the film as well. Just when your mind thinks one thing is going to happen, something unexpected happens. This film is very unpredictable, which is very nice as this film does not follow the fairy tales that are so common in film today.

Rocket Science is also just beautiful looking. The film was made predominately in the Baltimore Area. The crew did a most convincing job of turning South East Baltimore into Trenton, NJ and turning the suburbs of MD into those of NJ. As a Dundalk resident myself, I can testify.

The editing is also innovative in that it employed its fitting soundtrack into the cutting. The music will fire up to match the sequence and then pause to let a key moment carry itself out, and then pick up right where it left off. Speaking of the music, The Violent Femmes are all over the place and their songs of Love Angst match perfectly with the entire flow and story of the film.

All in all, this film was a most enjoyable experience. The laughs I had are unforgettable and the emotions that I felt watching Hal chase his dreams really tapped into me. Its a realistic film with a slight neurotic sitcom twist to it. Jeff Blitz is simply brilliant and it shows in this work. Reese has a most bright future and will be fully discovered once this film hits.

For a truly uplifting, however, realistic experience that will certainly make you laugh and impress as well, go see Rocket Science when it releases on August 10th.

-Daniel J. Carlin-Weber