Drumline (film)

Last updated

Drumline
Drumlineposter2002.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Stone III
Written by Tina Gordon Chism
Shawn Schepps
Produced by Dallas Austin
Timothy M. Bourne
Wendy Finerman
Jody Gerson
Greg Mooradian
Starring Nick Cannon
Zoe Saldaña
Orlando Jones
Cinematography Shane Hurlbut
Edited byPatricia Bowers
Bill Pankow
Music by John Powell
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • December 13, 2002 (2002-12-13)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [1]
Box office$57.6 million [1]

Drumline is a 2002 American coming-of-age teen comedy-drama film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by the Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline, was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps. The film follows a young drummer from New York, played by Nick Cannon, who enters the fictional Atlanta A&T University and bumps heads with the leader of his new school's drum section. Zoe Saldaña, Leonard Roberts and Orlando Jones also co-star.

Contents

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with most of them praising the musical bands' overall performances. It was a success at the box office, earning over $56 million in the U.S., and almost $1.2 million in foreign markets.

A direct sequel Drumline: A New Beat , premiered on VH1 on October 27, 2014. Cannon reprises his role as Devon, albeit as a supporting character rather than the protagonist.

Plot

Upon graduating high school, Devon heads to Atlanta, Georgia to attend Atlanta A&T University, a historically black college that takes enormous pride in its marching band. Devon was personally invited to attend on a full scholarship by Dr. Lee, head of the band, for his prodigious talents. The A&T band separates itself from its competitors by requiring all members to read music, by focusing on various styles of music rather than what is currently popular on the radio, and by dedication to the teamwork emphasized "one band, one sound" concept. Preseason band camp is physically and mentally challenging, designed to push members past their limits. At the end of preseason, the musicians audition for spots on the field, and Devon is the only freshman to make P1, the highest-level player. Devon finds time to romance an upperclassman dancer, Laila.

Sean, Devon's percussion leader, grows weary of Devon's cockiness and challenges him to take a solo in his first game, believing the freshman will panic and be embarrassed. Sean is shocked and subsequently humiliated when Devon takes the solo, upsetting Dr. Lee. As punishment, Dr. Lee orders Sean to clean the drums. This sets up some tension in the drumline which is exacerbated when Dr. Lee is told by school president Wagner to change his focus from music to entertainment or risk losing funding. Lee does not want to give Devon more playing time because of his lack of respect and selfish attitude. Upon learning he lied on his college application about knowing how to read music, Devon is demoted to P4 by Dr. Lee until he learns, but reluctantly gives him his P1 spot back when Wagner pressures Dr. Lee. Devon inflames a fight with a visiting band at A&T's homecoming game and is expelled from the band by Dr. Lee. The fight also strains his relationship with Laila, as she is embarrassed to introduce him to her parents, who attended the game.

Devon contacts A&T's rival school Morris Brown College, to discuss playing for their band next season. Mr. Wade, Brown's band leader, says that Devon does not need to know how to read music and will likely get a full scholarship and a good position on the drumline. When Wade wants to know what Dr. Lee is planning for the BET Big Southern Classic (a large competition of college bands), Devon realizes Mr. Wade was trying to use him to steal A&T's performance plans, and that his heart and honor are still with the A&T band. He rejects the scholarship offer from Brown and returns to A&T.

Though Devon is still not playing for the band, he refuses to give up his drumming. After receiving cassette tapes from his estranged father, Ray, Devon gets inspiration for new drum arrangements. As Devon goes to present these ideas to the band, he and Sean have a confrontation that clears the air and they begin to work together. The two present their idea for an entrance cadence to Dr. Lee who decides to use them for the Classic. Devon helps the band prepare for the Classic and patches up his relationship with Laila. In appreciation for all his help getting the band ready for the Classic and impressed with Devon's maturing and growth, Dr. Lee tells Devon he can return to the band the following school year.

At the Classic, the bands perform a mixture of popular songs. Morris Brown's band has rapper Petey Pablo perform during their routine. A&T is not fazed by this and performs their mix of retro and current sounds. A tie results in the Morris Brown and A&T drumlines face off. Dr. Lee allows Devon to play for this face-off, showing his faith in Devon's improved character. Morris Brown goes first and A&T responds. Morris Brown's second cadence includes their snares moving forward and playing on the A&T drums (the same move that incited the fight at A&T's homecoming game), then throwing down their sticks. The A&T line holds their composure in the face of the insult. They play their cadence and, in the middle, throw down their sticks, mimicking the Morris Brown actions, but then the entire line pulls out another set of sticks and continues playing. They end their routine in the faces of the Morris Brown drumline, but instead of playing on their drums, the line all drop their sticks onto the other drumline's drums. The judges award the win to A&T.

Cast

Release

Home media

The film was released on VHS [2] and in fullscreen and widescreen editions on DVD April 19, 2003. [3] [4] A "special edition" DVD version of the film was later released on December 6, 2011. [5] The film was released in the Blu-ray format on January 27, 2009. [6]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on reviews from 84 critics. The site's consensus states: "Essentially a sports movie with drums, the energetic Drumline somehow manages to make the familiar seem fresh." [7] It is tied for the #98 spot on the site's list of 100 Best Films of 2002. [8] At Metacritic , the film has averaged a 63 out of 100 rating from critics, based on 28 reviews. [9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade. [10]

At Yahoo! Movies , the film has been given a B average based on 14 reviews from critics, and a B− by over 30,000 users. [11] The film was given 3½ stars at Allmovie , where reviewer Josh Ralske gave positive note to the performances of the main cast and Stone's direction but still called the plot "formulaic." [12]

Natasha Grant at BlackFilm.com called the movie "irresistible," "wonderfully crafted," and "fascinating." [13] For the Chicago Sun-Times , Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, giving the film credit as being "entertaining" and "admirable." [14] At the Los Angeles Times , Kenneth Turan believed the film to be entertaining, although he states that the plot is "way-familiar." [15] Writing for The New York Times , A. O. Scott, while feeling the movie had a "skimpy, hectic plot," still believed the film to be "bouncy, boisterous and charming," and the play of the marching bands to be "downright thrilling." [16] Mike Clark at USA Today awarded the film two and a half of four stars, feeling the film to be conventional but competent, and giving particular positive note to J. Anthony Brown, Orlando Jones, and Leonard Roberts performances. [17] One of the films negative reviews came courtesy of David Levine at FilmCritic.com . Giving the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, Levine called the screenplay "standard formula" and "predictable," and went on to say that it was unfunny as well as uninspiring. He said he was impressed by the precision and artistry of the marching bands. [18]

Awards and nominations

YearAward [19] CategoryRecipientsResult
2003 Black Reel Awards Best Breakthrough Performance, Viewer's Choice Nick Cannon Nominated
Best Director (Theatrical) Charles Stone III Nominated
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA Best Sound Editing in a Feature (Music/Musical) Bunny Andrews, Mick Gormaley, Nicholas Meyers, Lee Scott Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Best KissNick Cannon, Zoe Saldana Nominated
Breakthrough Male PerformanceNick CannonNominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Motion PictureNominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Overlooked Film of the YearNominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie, Drama/Action AdventureNominated
Choice Movie Actor, Drama/Action AdventureNick CannonNominated
Choice Movie Breakout Star, MaleNick CannonNominated

Soundtrack

Drumline (soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedDecember 10, 2002
Genre Hip hop, R&B
Length61:31
Label Jive
Producer Dallas Austin (exec.), Big Bob, InfaRed, Jazze Pha, Cliff Jones, Alicia Keys, John Powell
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link

The film's soundtrack was also executive produced by Dallas Austin. Released December 10, 2002, [20] it reached the number 61 spot on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 10 on the Top Soundtracks list, and peaked at 133 on The Billboard 200 in 2003. [21] The tracks "I Want a Girl Like You," "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)," and "Club Banger" were all released as singles, with JC Chasez' "Blowin' Me Up..." obtaining the highest level of success, reaching the number 24 spot on the Canadian Singles Chart, number 17 on the Top 40 Tracks chart, and number 14 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. [22]

#TitlePerformer(s)Time
1"D&K Cadence" A&T Drumline "The Senate" 0:28
2"Been Away" Q "The Kid" feat. Jermaine Dupri 3:50
3"I Want a Girl Like You"* Joe feat. Jadakiss 3:59
4"Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)"* JC Chasez 4:50
5"Club Banger"* Petey Pablo 3:49
6"Faithful to You" Syleena Johnson 3:30
7"Butterflyz [Krucialkeys Remix]" Alicia Keys 4:12
8"Uh Oh" Monica 3:39
9"My Own Thing" Raheem DeVaughn 3:58
10"What You Waitin' For" Nivea 3:35
11"Peanuts" Nappy Roots 4:35
12"I'm Scared of You" Nick Cannon 4:00
13"Shout It Out" Too $hort & Bun B 4:47
14 "Let's Go" Trick Daddy feat. Deuce Poppi, Tre + 6, and Unda Presha 4:11
15"Marching Band Medley" James Brown Petey Pablo Bethune Cookman College Marching Band, A&T4:04
16"The Classic Drum Battle" Morris Brown College Drumline, A&T Drumline "The Senate"4:04

(*): Indicates songs were released as singles

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Gattaca</i> 1997 film by Andrew Niccol

Gattaca is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his feature directorial debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin appearing in supporting roles. The film presents a future society driven by eugenics where children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. The film centers on Vincent Freeman, played by Hawke, who was conceived outside the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of going into space.

<i>Creature from the Black Lagoon</i> 1954 film by William Alland

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, and Whit Bissell. The film's plot follows a group of scientists who encounter a piscine amphibious humanoid in the waters of the Amazon; the Creature, also known as the Gill-man, was played by Ben Chapman on land and by Ricou Browning underwater. Produced and distributed by Universal-International, Creature from the Black Lagoon premiered in Detroit on February 12, 1954, and was released on a regional basis, opening on various dates.

<i>Rush Hour</i> (1998 film) 1998 American action comedy film by Brett Ratner

Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna from a story by LaManna. It stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched police officers who are assigned to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. Tom Wilkinson, Chris Penn and Elizabeth Peña play supporting roles. Released on September 18, 1998, the film grossed over $244 million worldwide. Its box office commercial success led to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Linklater</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter (born 1960)

Richard Stuart Linklater is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies Slacker (1990) and Dazed and Confused (1993); the Before trilogy of romance films: Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy School of Rock (2003); the adult animated films Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022); the coming-of-age drama Boyhood (2014); the comedy film Everybody Wants Some!! (2016); and the romantic comedy Hit Man (2023).

<i>Out of the Blue</i> (1980 film) 1980 drama film directed by and starring Dennis Hopper

Out of the Blue is a 1980 drama film directed by Dennis Hopper, and starring Linda Manz, Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, and Raymond Burr. The film was produced by Leonard Yakir and written by him and Brenda Nielson. Its plot follows a troubled and rebellious teenage girl living in the Pacific Northwest with her dysfunctional mother and alcoholic father. The title is taken from the Neil Young song "My My, Hey Hey ", which is also featured in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Holland (filmmaker)</span> American filmmaker (born 1943)

Thomas Lee Holland is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, penning the 1983 sequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, directing and co-writing the first entry in the long-running Child's Play franchise, and writing and directing the cult vampire film Fright Night. He also directed the Stephen King adaptations The Langoliers and Thinner. He is a two-time Saturn Award recipient. Holland made the jump into children’s literature in 2018 when he co-wrote How to Scare a Monster with fellow writer Dustin Warburton.

<i>K-911</i> 1999 American film

K-911 is a 1999 American buddy cop comedy film released direct-to-video, a direct-sequel to K-9, and the third installment in the K-9 film series. It was directed by Charles T. Kanganis and stars James Belushi as Detective Michael Dooley.

<i>The Inkwell</i> 1994 American film

The Inkwell is a 1994 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Matty Rich. The film stars Larenz Tate, Joe Morton, Suzzanne Douglass, Glynn Turman, Jada Pinkett and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

<i>Two Can Play That Game</i> (film) 2001 American film

Two Can Play That Game is a 2001 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Mark Brown and starring Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut.

<i>Maniac</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by Dwain Esper

Maniac is a 1934 American independent black-and-white exploitation horror film directed by Dwain Esper and written by Hildagarde Stadie, Esper's wife, as a loose adaptation of the 1843 Edgar Allan Poe story "The Black Cat", with references to his "Murders in the Rue Morgue". Esper and Stadie also made the 1936 exploitation film Marihuana.

<i>August</i> (2008 film) 2008 American film

August is a 2008 American drama film directed by Austin Chick and presented by 57th & Irving. The screenplay by Howard A. Rodman focuses on two brothers, ambitious dot-com entrepreneurs attempting to keep their company afloat as the stock market begins to collapse in August 2001, one month prior to the 9/11 attacks.

<i>Pathology</i> (film) 2008 American film

Pathology is a 2008 crime-horror film directed by Marc Schölermann, written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, and starring Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano, and Lauren Lee Smith. The film premiered April 11, 2008 in the United Kingdom and opened in limited release in the United States on April 18, 2008.

<i>Scary Movie</i> (film series) American horror parody film series

Scary Movie is a series of American parody films, mainly focusing on spoofing horror films. The films have a combined gross of almost $900 million at the worldwide box office. The two recurring actresses are Anna Faris and Regina Hall as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks, appearing in all installments except the fifth film.

<i>Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten</i> 2007 film

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a 2007 documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the British punk rock band The Clash, that went on to win the British Independent Film Awards as Best British Documentary 2007. The film premiered 20 January 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was also shown at the Dublin Film Festival on 24 February 2007.

<i>The Naked Man</i> (1998 film) 1998 American film

The Naked Man is a 1998 comedy film, produced by Naked Man Productions, directed by J. Todd Anderson and co-written by Anderson and Ethan Coen.

Shane Hurlbut, ASC is an American cinematographer. Originally from Ithaca, New York, he grew up near Cayuga Lake, and graduated from Southern Cayuga High School in 1982. Hurlbut studied film at Emerson College, graduating with a degree in film and television in 1986. His early career included work on music videos for Gloria Estefan and Smashing Pumpkins. He met director Rob Cohen while working on a music video for the 1996 disaster film Daylight, and again worked with Cohen as cinematographer for the television pilot of The Guardian.

<i>Love Comes Lately</i> 2007 film by Jan Schütte

Love Comes Lately is a 2007 film written for the screen and directed by Jan Schütte. The film is based on the short stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Drumline: A New Beat is a 2014 American television film directed by Bille Woodruff. It is the sequel to 2002's Drumline. The screenplay, a fictional story about a historically black college marching band, was written by Karen Gist and Regina Hicks. The story is about a young drummer from New York, played by Alexandra Shipp, who enters the fictional Atlanta A&T University and bumps heads with the leader of her new school's drum section. Jordan Calloway, Mario Van Peebles, and LeToya Luckett co-star. Leonard Roberts reprises his role as Sean Taylor, while Nick Cannon reprise his role as Devon Miles. Cannon also serves as the film's executive producer.

<i>Pass Over</i> 2018 American film

Pass Over is a 2018 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Jon Michael Hill, Julian Parker, Ryan Hallahan and Blake DeLong. It is a performance of the play of the same name by Antoinette Nwandu, directed for the stage by Danya Taymor and filmed by Spike Lee.

References

  1. 1 2 "Drumline". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  2. "Drumline (2002)". Amazon.com . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  3. "Drumline (Full Screen Edition) (2002)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  4. "Drumline (Widescreen) (2002)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  5. "Drumline (Special Edition) (2002)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  6. "Drumline [Blu-ray] (2002)". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  7. "Drumline". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  8. "ROTTEN TOMATOES: Top Movies: Golden Globes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  9. "Drumline (2002): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 21, 2008.
  10. "Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office". The Hollywood Reporter. August 19, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  11. "Drumline (2002) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies". Yahoo! Movies . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  12. Ralske, Josh. "allmovie ((( Drumline > Review )))". Allmovie . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  13. Grant, Natasha (December 2002). "December 2002; Drumline : The Pulse of the Band". BlackFilm.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  14. Ebert, Roger (December 13, 2002). "Drumline :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved May 22, 2008.
  15. Turan, Kenneth (December 13, 2002). "'Drumline' - MOVIE REVIEW - Los Angeles Times - calendarlive.com". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  16. Scott, A. O. (December 13, 2002). "FILM REVIEW; A Rousing Halftime Show Bigger Than the Game - New York Times". The New York Times . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  17. Clark, Mike (December 13, 2002). "USATODAY.com - 'Drumline' rolls in cliches but it keeps toes tapping". USA Today . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  18. Levine, David (2002). "Drumline Movie Review, DVD Release - Filmcritic.com". Filmcritic.com . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  19. "Drumline (2002) - Awards". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  20. "Amazon.com: Drumline: Various Artists: Music". Amazon.com . Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  21. "allmusic ((( Drumline > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic . Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  22. "allmusic ((( Drumline > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic. Retrieved November 24, 2008.