Genres

Visitors Review

drh-8 2012-05-22 00:03:30

What was the point?

I was loaned a DVD of Rocket Science and had neither read or heardanything about it so there was no prejudice at all and, to be honest,after sitting through all 114 minutes of it, I was left wondering whatwas the point of it all. The opening and early part of the movie is OK (if you like that sort ofthing) and we are introduced to Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson), a lad witha severe speech impediment. Hal's home is very dysfunctional with hisfather leaving his mother and one suspects that this is possiblycontributory to his speech impediment. Additionally, as is, sadly,typical of such situations, there are those heartless immatureindividuals at Hal's school who seem to delight in belittling him and,to his credit, he takes most of it in his stride. Particularlydistasteful is Hal's treatment by his brother Earl who one would haveexpected to be supportive of his kid brother. Sometimes Earl actuallyis supportive but, most of the time, he delights in bullying Hal.The whole movie is centered around the New Jersey State High SchoolDebating Championships which, I guess, tends to feature what manyviewers might call "geeks" or "Nerds" - those students who are in theupper intellectual echelons. This is where Hal sort of fits into theplot because, whilst he has extreme difficulty expressing himselfverbally, he DOES have a brain - so to speak. OK, so far, so good.After far too long, I was beginning to wonder where the movie was goinguntil Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick) and Hal's paths cross. Ginny isdecidedly angry because her highly accomplished debating partner, BenWekselbaum (very well portrayed by Nicholas D'Agosto) "lost it" in thegrand final of the debating contest costing Ginny the only trophy shehad never won.In some sort of weird spin, Ginny asks Hal to be her partner for thenext championship which, on the face of it, seemed totally ridiculousgiven Hal's unsuitability. But then, because it WAS a fictional story,my mind immediately imagined that Ginny was going to perform some sortof miracle (which, I also imagined, would involve some romanticinvolvement between the two of them - you know, love conquerseverything) that resulted in Hal overcoming his disability and, withhis help, Ginny achieving her final debating goal at last. Kinda madesense really (to Me anyway!). Although I couldn't help wondering whyHal even considered the invitation knowing his own limitations - maybe,like me, he expected love to work a miracle! Well, the romantic bit happened (which, as I say, was hardly surprisinggiven the circumstances) but the miracle didn't. In fact, the wholestory came down in a heap when Ginny suddenly changes sides and goes tothe school that had defeated her in the last debating championship andeven teams up with one of the team that beat her! Hal, by now madly inlove with Ginny, is understandably left bewildered and devastated. Butlittle Hal isn't a quitter! There was even a brief moment in the filmwhere Hal is running and, the way it is portrayed, I suddenly thoughtthat he was going to discover that he had the speed to become achampion athlete and show Ginny that loquacity isn't everything inbecoming successful. But that was just a brief hope and nothing came ofit.He seeks out Ben (whose 'aberration' had caused him to quit school andwork at a dry cleaners) and asks him to join him as a home-schooldebating team. remembering Hal from school, Ben is not so keen though.But Hal's persuasive abilities are brought into force and, using sometechniques suggested by Hal's speech therapist, the team sets aboutpreparing at the last minute to enter the champs with Hal singing hiswords - which he does a lot better than speaking them, but still notflawlessly.By now (at least 100 minutes into the story) I'm becoming increasingfrustrated by Hal's lack of loquacity to the point where I was almostready to stop the disc. But then I also wanted to see how the expectedmiracle would manifest itself and so I hung in as the debating finalsbegin. Then in walks the chief judge and tells Ben and Hal that theyare disqualified because neither of them is being home-schooled! Therewere some other events (such as Hal stealing another trophy that was tobe presented to Ginny) but, in the end, Hal is still stuttering andGinny goes her selfish way. And that was that! What really worries methough is that I feel as though I have missed the whole point. PerhapsI just don't like lousy endings where the loser becomes a winner andtrue love wins out. This just wasn't my sort of film. I wonder who'seait was though!

Pellucid 2012-05-21 19:37:11

I wanted to like it...

I really tried hard to enjoy this movie, but when you have to work that hard, the magic is gone. The main character, Hal Hefner, is unfortunately not likable. Much like the movie, he stutters - almost to make the movie an extra 30 minutes long. I happen to be a fan of independent films, so the outcome was a shame. Lastly, putting a couple of cool songs (Violent Femmes) and one star actor appearance (Jonah Hill - very brief) does not save a film, but only makes the viewer feel bad for the amount of money spent buying the rights to both these additions. This movie does achieve one thing - it is awkward like those messed up teen years.

Mike 2012-05-17 19:43:00

Outstanding!!!

Great movie! Hal Hefner reminds us all of a person we know. The guy who you always feel sorry for because his life is so messed up, but whenever he does something stupid, you won't hesitate to laugh at him. The 14-yr. old that play Hal gives us an amazing performance in his first ever movie role. The movie provides plenty of hilarious moments as well as useful life lessons.Highly recommended.

2012-05-17 10:10:45

Life In General Isn't Rocket Science

Well, I think that this movie is an honest attempt of childhood struggles. Part of the frustrations in life is not having our problems completely solved. In the case of Hal Hefner, his stuttering is downright troubling especially when everyone can easily tease and bully your insecurities. Hal becomes very aware of it and becomes the target of Virginia Ryerson, debate team queen. In many ways, Ginny is the best thing that happens to Hal. He tackles his stuttering problem in front of everyone. Miracles don't happen overnight so this film keeps true to life's obstacles. I won't give away what happens, but the film in general charms you in the way that you realize life's journey is a series of small steps forward. The soundtrack to this film is pretty good with alot of independent artists. So, I will be checking out the CD soundtrack to this film. The bonus features on the DVD are the music video to a song in the film as well as making the film documentary. Personally, the music video was more interesting than the making the film documentary. To be fair to the documentary, the director does explain how he got his idea behind the film. So, it's worth to hear about his life lessons which he tries to put into the film. I think that I can personally relate to Hal since I always had a fear of public speaking. In college, I joined the speech and debate team and my partner was this girl who made debating seem like child's play. So, I felt like a dead weight in our competitions. But, you make the best of every situation and try to get over your weakness of stage fright.

2012-05-08 06:12:02

could have been better.

This review is from: Rocket Science (DVD) This film carried an awkward unfinished feel throughout most of the picture. As a viewer I find it unlikely that this tone was intentional and more likely a product of an overplayed, semi inappropriate soundtrack that instead of added to the character of the film irritated the ears of my girlfriend and myself. The soundtrack felt as if it were a poor attempt at a Wes Andersonesque inclusion of pop music, but after the film's failure with its first addition of song it proceeds to repeatedly beat them into the heads of its audience, pulverizing their brains with The Violent Femmes and some other song about the "unknown".If you can get past the terribly placed soundtrack of the film and actually find some interest in the cute but lackluster story, you will undoubtedly loose it when you forget what the protagonist is trying to iterate through his over dramatized borderline illegible stutters, which are constantly present throughout the piece except when he is either singing or whispering (which is only present in short bits and pieces).The only character with any depth or sense of motive is the protagonist. Though all the other character's have their own interesting and unique sense of personality they are also quite extreme personalities with no understanding as to why they are so extreme, and the viewer is forced to just accept their obtuse extremities as normal... which was difficult.

2012-05-07 12:59:54

Not Real, But Good Anyways

I liked this film quite a bit for a number of reasons which compliment most of the departments working to put together a movie. Acting, for example was exceptional. Surely Reece Thompson's Hal Hefner (the main character) is on par with Ellen Page's Juno. The Directing was covered with a unique up-and-coming mind and eye, Jeffrey Blitz. There is that indie-feeling all over this film, which is both comforting and, well, comfortably annoying. As for writing (also in Jeffrey Blitz' hands) his latest film was lovingly made with exceptional attention being paid to teenage angst. As I watched the film, I felt it, I recalled it and I can even say I relived it at times. The fact that Hal was a stutterer is just icing on the cake. Te bottom line was that great care was taken into the writing of this story for an awkward boy who is in love or infatuated or simply didn't care what he was. I also loved Eef Barzelay, musical score. Eef Barzelay was/is apart of the indie-folk/rock/country band Clem SnideYour Favorite MusicThe Ghost of Fashion These are two relaxing, very suburban New Jersey feeling albums.However............I guess this film just caught me at the wrong time. After seeing a number of fairytales and fantasies, I simply needed something real and "Rocket Science", which I am the first to say was very true in its representation of the mind of the teenager, just wasn't real enough for me. In my very suburban high school (which just so happens to be in New Jersey like this film), no one could ever talk and think the way these great debaters in the film could, no one (no matter how high on LSD) could or would ever throw a cello through a living room window, and lunch ladies would wait ever-so-motherly for you to say whether you want pizza or fish. Oh and brothers did not have Brooklyn accents, when I spoke with a more common New Jersey/General American accent.Aside from these few annoyances...for indie- film lovers, satisfaction is almost guaranteed.

tclin1203 2012-05-05 13:18:32

Just pointless...

What is the point to this movie? It just seem like pointless torturethat goes on and on and on. The character has little to no development.Making a movie about a kid who just gets his ass kicked from thebeginning to end is pointless. The kid's struggle is not inspirationalnor thought provoking. Why am I watching movie about a kid who couldn'tdo anything and is unable to rise above it. It doesn't even try to tellthe audience maybe from all this, something came out of it years andyears from now. No, just end with his loser for dad knocking over trashcan again. I have never taken the time to write movie reviews. Thismovie is so bad and so frustrating that I just had to do it. It is soawful that the director should never be allowed to touch another cameraagain.

StupidHumanSuit 2012-05-05 01:55:40

"So there was this bridge of silence spanning New Jersey"

Rocket Science is a bliss of love and awkwardness in the form of afilm. The acting of the incredibly talented undiscovered cast is sowonderful that each character creates there own feel. Their own backstory by saying nothing. Hal Hefner, a stuttering innocent living in ahalf-broken home; Ben Wexelbaum, a pressured prodigy trying to breakfree of the life that has had him lost for so long; and Ginny Ryerson,a using overachiever who lets nothing get in her way of getting whatshe wants. Each actor and actress is cast wonderfully and portraystheir lives in such a way that it feels like an intricatelytrue-to-life story. The wisdom of teenagers.Director Jeffrey Blitz blends and bends his direction to make it hisown. The feel of a wondrous mixture of Wes and PT Anderson blended inwith Jason Reitman, making a perfectly set and paced film thatdescribes the pains of being a teenager. The social awkwardness, theheartfelt love and the loss of innocence. This film is absolutelyastounding and is so amazingly well-done. About love and debates.Romance and plastic trophies. High school was never so bittersweet forthese people. As Hal puts it at the end of the film, it shouldn't haveto be...

Saad Khan 2012-05-02 06:37:31

Anna Kendrick Stole the show

ROCKET SCIENCE – CATCH IT ( B+ ) I have heard about Rocket Science whenit got release in 2007. The movie generated a massive buzz among thecritics though its sad that the movie did do much business at the Boxoffice, now in 2O1O, I was eager to watch it just because of "AnnaKendrick". I adored Anna in Twilight as the spontaneous mean "Jessica"and then movie Up in the Air came Along and she shocked everyone bygiving super performance in front of George Clooney and Vera Farmiga.So, then I heard Jason's Interview that he wanted to Cast Anna eversince he saw Rocket Science. Then Bang, again Rocket Science came intomy head. Though after lot of struggle I was able to find it and finallylast night I saw it. I was blown away with the subject matter they werediscusses; it was like movie ELECTION with much more matureness in it.The movie is really entertaining and got R-rating because teen smoking& drinking and some crude dialogues. Again I was blown away with AnnaKendrick and I'm happy that finally she got her due and is nowconsidered as one of the promising faces in Hollywood. She wasincredible, every single scene she came in to, she stole it. She wasfierce, bold, mean and above all Superbly Sharpe. I've never seensomeone saying the lines so fast as the script required it must of havegot lot of training to nail it. The second best performance was byNicholas D'Agosto, he was incredible, charming and super cute. Hisacting was quite refreshing and proves that this guy is really talentedthough I'm stunned that now he played teenager 10 years ago in ELECTIONand now after 9yrs again he played teenager he played teenager inRocket Science. That's incredible that in age 30 he still looks like a16 yrs old teenager. The lead actor "Reece Thompson" as a shuddered Boyacted really well but to be honest in front of Anna and Nicholas he waslost. In the end it's a treat to watch a smart movie though I wishedthe ending should have been more satisfying because it just didn't workfor me at all. We always want looser to be champions or at least getsthe chance to be champions. Over all a great movie, watch it because ofunique script and incredible performances by young actors.

Jackpollins 2012-05-02 03:53:34

Overlong, tedious, stupid, annoying, irritating film with a terrible lead performance by Reece Thompson

A movie can get no more boring than this. It's a movie about a little,annoying twit with a stutter who gets to help a girl out on the debateteam. The boy is Hal (Reece Thompson, just annoying as hell in this.)The girl is Ginny (Anna Kendrick, also pretty bad in this.) Togetherthey form an annoying, stupid predictable relationship. The only mildlaugh was from Jonah Hill as a student who sits next to Ben at thelibrary. The movie is a mess from start to finish. It's anotherannoying, extremely predictable teen comedy in which a no one gets tobe a someone. There is no real plot, the characters feel too forced,and scripted, and the jokes are just depressing. I can't really say Iwas disappointed by this film- I knew nothing of it, although Iregularly do like D'Agosto. I feel like I should have never seen it.It's 98 minutes of my life I'll never get back. It's such an annoyingfilm. The main problem with the film is that the film presents itselfwith a main character I just wanted to shut up. It's a movie of suchtedium and annoyance that I have to say it's one of the worst film I'veseen in a long, long time.

2012-04-30 00:22:16

public speaking scares me

The Greek set great store by rhetoric and arguments in public speaking.One trick used to get clearer speech was to to add pebbles to the mouth until the speaker could no longer be understood. singing, whispering or talking in an accent are new to me. Some who has never been self-conscious can not understand the terror of standing up before a crowd and letting down your friends by failure. Over coming that with a stuttering problem included is a victory worth having.Being driven to it by love or revenge is just motivation?

Cliff Hanley 2012-04-29 14:05:32

Adolescent self-discovery in the suburban desert

Hal is a high-school student preceded everywhere he goes by astammer/stutter which makes it pretty much impossible to communicatewith anyone else, especially beautiful girls. He's the personificationof nearly all boys' trouble at some agonising point in their lives.Writer/director Blitz is known for his documentary Spellbound, whichwas of interest to those who are fascinated by spelling competitionsbut not quite so much fun for the rest of us. Similarly, this containslots of references and in-jokes in Simpsons style, like the libraryscene where a fellow student asks, 'Hey, wanna join my club? I knowwhat you're thinking. But we don't read Hegel. We read lots of guys,but not Hegel.'That's just one of the scenes at school in sunny suburban Baltimore -the camera follows Hal back home too, where he has to cope with achange of Dads and living in the same house as his brother. Theintimate 'indie' feeling of the production (albeit with a fairly largecast) is made palpable by the soundtrack, predominantly a simplefour-bar melody and plucked on a single guitar. Despite Hal's shortcomings, he is determined to make it big in theschool debating team after falling in love with one of their morenubile super-brains (the phenomenally speed-talking Anna Kendrick), andthe story begins with its ending, in depicting someone for whom thehopeful journey was everything, a strong similarity to 'Loneliness ofthe Long-Distance Runner' before going back to show us the run-up,taking in D.I.V.O.R.C.E., the Kama Sutra, the Mystery of Life. It's an older kid (D'Agosto), who escaped from school and suburbia, whoproves to be the wise guy at the top of the mountain, but finally Haland his estranged father have a meeting of minds, emphasising the pointthat age does not change our desire for love and understanding.

george.schmidt 2012-04-27 13:13:27

Lame mix of "ELECTION" and "RUSHMORE"

ROCKET SCIENCE (2007) * Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, NicholasD'Agostino, Vincent Piazza, Margo Martidale, Aaron Yoo, Josh Kay, StevePark, Lisbeth Bartlett, Denis O'Hare, Jonah Hill. (Dir: Jeffrey Blitz) Lame mix of "ELECTION" and "RUSHMORE" Why is it some of the indies heralded at such prestigious film festslike Sundance often come across as crass, self-involved, hateful piecesof turgid junk? I realize they can't all be gems but the latestoffering had me grinding my teeth in deep hatred.Hal Hefner (newcomer Thompson) is a NJ teen who has a difficult life:namely his father has just left his family to fend for themselves as ifhe was going onto a better job position instead of total abandonmentfor no good reason (well maybe the mother is a bit of a clinger), andmore notably a persistent, heart-breaking stutter that has made him acomplete social misfit at his high school (and life in general).Add to the mix debate team extraordinairre Ginny Ryerson (newbieKendrick), whose hyperkinetic speech is an obnoxious, grating devicethat inspires her to force hapless Hal to join the club in spite of hiswoeful absence of speech in general.Ginny has her reasons: namely she was robbed the previous year of thestate championship when her partner Ben Wekselbaum (D'Agostino)suddenly froze in the midst of his patter ruining their chancesaltogether and sending him into self-exiled seclusion.While documentary filmmaker Blitz is said to have based this allegedcomedy on his own childhood battle with stuttering, you could havefooled me in this highly mean-spirited, ugly and too-proud-of-itselfattitude that I immediately disliked it from the get go and the cutesytouches (Hal's creepy friend's parents use musical therapy with a celloand piano recital of the Violent Femmes' "Blister in The Sun"), thefact NJ (my home state) is once again a one-note joke (and um, shot inBALTIMORE!!!), and namely no likable characters (nope even Hal becomesa real jerk in the long run). I truly loathed this lame film and hopeit doesn't get an audience at all for its attempt to be 'clever' bymixing elements of "Election" and "Rushmore" (in fact rent thoseinstead!)

Flying Polyp 2012-04-27 03:28:46

98 minutes of my life I wish I could have back

I really hated this movie, and I cannot imagine for a minute what theheck everyone sees in it. It was 98 minutes of plain old-fashionedpretentious cinematic torture. I was lured into it by all the criticalacclaim, and I walked away feeling like I'd been utterly had.Nothing was funny in this movie. It was all pain, pain, pain, oneawkward, horrible, painful moment after another.This is the kind of movie that could steer me away from the art-housecinema for good. I've just been burned too many times by movies likethis, movies that are apparently made to cause people to suffer, andI'm beginning to wonder if the nation's movie critics are gettingtogether and having a good laugh at all the people who they've sent tothe cinematic abattoir of awfulness by recommending painful snoozerslike Rocket Science.

stevepat99 2012-04-25 01:47:49

Good message-yes.....Entertaining-NO

This time around high school angst hands us a lad whose additional teenburden is indeed a heavy one, severe stuttering. So, of course a schoolyummy convinces him that he's a PERFECT candidate to join the school'sdebating team. Rip off on another film I viewed about an illiterateteen who entered the national spelling bee. But that's another story.It has been said the film departs, does not thereafter go where oneexpects. My take finds it a sadly predictable film that proceeded totake me on a lack luster, unwelcome and irritating journey. Acting?Yes, fine, so fine I found myself screaming at the screen in vainattempts to help our hero render to verbal completion.Yes, our hero yearns for love and strives gallantly to find it. Whilemany see it quite differently I saw it as: Strive, crash and burn,strive, crash and burn, strive, crash....HI DAD...THE END...(theantidote: I'm off to see Juno again).

vetricelvan 2012-04-24 16:32:51

A letter to Mr Jeffrey Blitz

To : Mr Jeffrey BlitzThe writer and director of this movieFrom : Someone who liked your work I liked your movie expect for the ending. nice cast and NicholasD'Agosto was great and little too much of stuttering but there was alot of little stuff in the script which keeps the audience's mind inthe movie and not wander off and it also shows how much you worked onthe script in the pre production and it resulted in tight storylinewith no loose ends.Now about the ending. Motion picture is just a modern way of storytelling.The most important thing in a story is the ending, your ending is verypractical and plain and sad but if I want a story with plain and sadending I listen to people around me and I don't need to pay for it. Ifonly Hal had defeated Ginny and but still felt sad cause of hisfeelings for her that would make the movie for me. Every story has tofollow the morale guideline. What Ginny did was bad but she was notpunished and moreover the underdog did not win. What's with that? Thething is when people pay to see your stuff you are obligated to givewhat they want or some thing of equal value and if you offer somethingelse then you have to be convincing enough, so that they buy it. Inthis case you did not convince everybody.

2012-04-23 01:25:54

Good Script

Rocket Science is full of surprises, especially the performance of theprincipal actor who is more believable in the similar type of roleoccupied by Dustin Hoffman. I didn't like the way the Asianman-boyfriend of protagonist's mother was depicted. Somehow thefilmmaker saved it from the contempt criticism of Asian-hater by theend by letting that character vent frustration with the boy's flakymom.Great performances by (and characters written for) the protagonist andhis girl partner, Miss Strategic Smarty Pants. This independentAmerican film holds promise for the new generation of writer/directors.Not that I'm for Hollywood endings, but the ending seemed forced tocourt favor with the independent crowd. The story seemed so made up,which in and of itself is fine, but I would argue a Hollywood endingwas more appropriate. Sometimes good things happen to good people.Nevertheless, the writer/director is a good guy for trying to putseveral Asian males in his film as regular guys. (This is whatHollywood calls brave). I really liked that the writer/ director put asmart girl in the middle of the plot. She worked and I bought hercharacter totally.

ekeby 2012-04-22 14:29:03

Smart Dialog, Sharp Performances

I'm surprised that this film elicits so many negative reviews here. Ienjoyed reading the rant by the guy who spells cello "chello." I thinkthat pretty much explains it. Literacy will be required to appreciatethis movie.This has to be the best dialog in any film ever made with a stuttereras a central character. I found the performances letter-perfect; not a false note anywhere.This is a movie where even the bit parts are played by well-castactors, not producers' pretty boyfriends or girlfriends. I loved thegirl in the washroom with the nosebleed, for example. Perfect.Rushmore did not come to mind while I watched this film, nor did any ofthe other "quirky" films named here by other reviewers. But I did thinkof it as a companion piece to "Welcome to the Dollhouse." Both set inNJ, and both with central characters at the bottom of their schoolsocial ranking, and coping with their realities better than one wouldthink.I particularly liked the relationship between adults and kids in thisfilm. The adults (parents and teachers) are wise about the kids, andthe kids are just as wise about the adults. The tone was just right.

Billy_ragbones 2012-04-21 22:57:45

Slice my wrists

Well... What can i say?? I would rather slice my wrists than ever watchthis movie again, to be honest i actually think i would find lookinginto a blank piece of paper for hours on end more enjoyable than thispiece of sh't movie. OK.... Now that i know i have to write at least 10lines to post a comment on this website i can tell you in great detailhow good!!! HAHA JUST JOKING! GOOD?!!?! THAT WAS A GOOD ONE! Butseriously if i ever came across somebody who stutters like that again iwould either strangle him to death or kill myself... and just when youthink the movie is starting to get good..... (ANOTHER JOKE!) itends.... With no possible happy or sad or 'meaning full' ending.

bluesdoctor 2012-04-21 06:47:41

High School Ain't Where Eden Ends

Goes in circles, circles, never escaping its premise, tormenting itsprotagonist, only offering the scrawniest of development and nothing inthe way of denouement.Stuttering high-school underclassman is taken for a ride by connivingcold-hearted upperclasswoman, who suckers him into attempting theimpossible, for nefarious motives of her own. Movie eschews thepredictable triumphs of most similar adolescent little-train-that-couldhomilies ("Bad News Bears" redux), but fails to offer much in itsplace, ending pretty much where it began.Relies all too heavily on the omniscient voice-over (filmmaker as god)to provide Perspective and Wisdom (note capitals), assurance that thesetrials, this pubescent suffering, too, will pass – remember the "TheWonder Years" (cringe – where is Fred Savage now, pressing pants at adry cleaner's in Trenton)? Only center that holds this flimsy cookie-cutter Sundance-clone indietogether is Reece Daniel Thompson, who offers a marvelous performance,all rough-edges and stumbling dignity.Don't buy it: Adolescence just ain't the transition from purity tocorruption, from childhood's Garden-of-Eden natural state to adultsociety's degradation. No, tis just another genre, still anotherprostitution of reality dreamt up by hard-up dream brokers, vis,"Superbad," ad nauseum.Movie could have used heavier doses of absurdity, healthier smatteringsof irony, and a hell of a lot more umpff.