Today, tomorrow, and 10 more years from now, the assignment will always be the same: kick some ass. School of Rock (2003) has a class that does it best. The film follows manic wannabe rockstar Dewey Finn (Jack Black) as he takes over a Horace Green Prep’s classroom full of musically gifted fourth graders, all while pretending to be his substitute-teacher roommate. Its high-energy and fearless delivery gave me that thrilling urge to break the rules and live way hardcore, while the humour of prim, modest 10-year-olds turning into budding rockstars captures my inner child. I don’t need to listen to rock and roll to feel the passion — I can see it through Finn’s fingers strumming his deep red Gibson SG as he teaches a new generation how to rock.
Finn/Schneebly absolutely did “get the Led out” — a wink to Led Zeppelin — and one of his first lessons to the class was that to rock, you must be pissed off. Thanks to Black, that philosophy carried the entire movie. As a down-on-his-luck punk rocker, he embodied the genre completely, channeling his energy through physical movements and line delivery to an almost exaggerated level. He used every limb in his body and every muscle in his face, and it showed the genuine heart, soul, and chaotic emotion that define rock music. He never shied away from a playful theatricality that highlights his instinctive comedic timing. It was easily one of Black’s strongest performances, and I couldn’t imagine the film reaching success without him playing the lead.
The kids were unbelievably skilled in their roles — understandably so, since most of them were real-life musicians rather than practiced actors. Their punchy attitudes felt effortless even though their characters were supposed to be tightly disciplined, which brought a priceless hilarity. From rebel drummer Freddy Jones (Kevin Alexander Clark) aka Spazzy McGee (my favourite), to future-president Summer “Tinkerbell” Hathaway (Miranda Cosgrove), every kid embraced the spirit of punk rock and challenged the rigid expectations of their parents and school. It was badass and deeply satisfying to watch their eyes light up as they realized their potential as artists — and that by leaning into those talents, not just their academic skill, they could still find success in life.
I can’t talk about this film without mentioning how essential the writing was. It showed just how much a shift in style can change a story’s expression. Partially due to the characters’ ages, the dialogue leaned less on research-coded precision and more on playfulness and improvisation. You could tell that the writer was having fun with it and letting the characters lead, which made the conversations 10 times more entertaining. Sometimes articulation doesn’t have to be strategic — spontaneity can do the work. Even as the script grounded us in a fundamental sense of mentorship and leadership, that looseness helped viewers develop a deeper love and connection with the characters. I know I did.
Much of the soundtrack was pulled from real rock and roll legends like Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and AC/DC. The film introduced an entire generation to the genre, making decades-old tracks feel fresh and catchy. I’d give an A and a shiny gold star to the final scene’s stage-shredding “Battle of the Bands” performance. Between Finn/Schneebly’s spot-on replication of Angus Young’s AC/DC move known as “The Dying Bug,” his fearless stage dive, Zach “Zach-Attack” Mooneyham (Joey Gaydos Jr.)’s guitar solo, and the students rocking behind the curtains as security detail, it’s an impressive, perfect climax to this earworm of a film.
School of Rock may be a family film, but it’s the personality pulsing through that pulled me in. On the surface, the premise is cute and playful, yet the movie treats its comic subject matter — learning the art of rock music — with unflinching, deadpan seriousness. Looking at it 23 years after its release, much of the story feels rooted in the idea of staying committed to the pursuit of something you love, despite others telling you to give up. That’s a message that never loses value and continues to inspire one generation of kids after the next. We need more uplifting spirit in the world, and the film sums up the key to success and fulfillment right there. The fundamental idea of rock and roll — in this film at least — is being hardcore enough to choose the unconventional and push back against authority. Doing so opens the door to exploration and progress, the kind that lets one stand out and embrace differences in one another.
So, in the words of AC/DC spoken by Dewey Finn, we shall always “roll tonight, to the guitar bite.”
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.