Plot
A band director recruits a Harlem street drummer to play at a Southern university.
Release Year: 2002
Rating: 5.3/10 (20,145 voted)
Critic's Score: 63/100
Director:
Charles Stone III
Stars: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones
Storyline A fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.
Writers: Shawn Schepps, Tina Gordon Chism
Cast: Nick Cannon
-
Devon Miles
Zoe Saldana
-
Laila
(as Zoë Saldana)
Orlando Jones
-
Dr. Lee
Leonard Roberts
-
Sean Taylor
GQ
-
Jayson
Jason Weaver
-
Ernest
Earl Poitier
-
Charles
(as Earl C. Poitier)
Candace Carey
-
Diedre
Shay Roundtree
-
Big Rob
Miguel A. Gaetan
-
Trey
J. Anthony Brown
-
Mr. Wade
Afemo Omilami
-
President Wagner
Angela Elayne Gibbs
-
Dorothy Miles
(as Angela E. Gibbs)
Tyreese Burnett
-
Henry
Brandon Hirsch
-
Buck Wild
Opening Weekend: $12,604,705
(USA)
(15 December 2002)
(1836 Screens)
Gross: $56,398,162
(USA)
(27 April 2003)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Leonard Roberts, who plays Sean, was actually very sick when the last scenes of the "BET southern classic" were filmed, which is why he is so sweaty and looks slightly weak at the end of the film.
Goofs:
Continuity:
In the opening graduation scene where the senior band is performing, the tassels are switched from one side to the other between shots.
Quotes: Jason:
Hey, Charles what's up with your socks man? Charles:
Don't worry about my socks man, it's a tuba thang shorty. Jason:
Better be.
User Review
Open up your mind and enjoy the movie for what it is!
Rating:
Drumline is a great movie -- but you have to see it for what it is ...
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. You couldn't have a movie that was 2 hours of nothing but
band performances so you HAD to wrap a formulaic story around it. "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" ... he didn't believe that (among other
things)
that the students would be made to run around holding their drums and so
forth. Well, believe it!
I marched in one of these bands (Southern University in Louisiana) 20
years
ago and back then, band camp was FAR MORE INTENSE than anything you see
on
the screen in this movie. YES, it is that competitive. YES, it is that
grueling. YES, it is that disciplined. 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. More
importantly, there is no sex, violence, drug use, and very little bad
language (just the requisite "d*mns" and "h@lls" - nothing any more
intense
than prime-time television.) Equally important, the movie features strong
male figures who resolve differences without resorting to pathological
violence.
One last point -- the movie grossed 13+ million dollars in its opening
weekend. And this was against Star Trek (18.7 M) and the Jennifer Lopez
(19
M) movie. Although it finished in third place, it was shown in about
1,000
fewer theaters than those two. It had (by far) the highest "revenue per
theater" for the weekend!
Do yourself a favor -- open your mind and see this movie -- you and your
family will enjoy it!
0