Rocket Science

On the brink of exhaustion after a week at Sundance, I sat down in a comfy plush seat in a theater that was not really a theater, but rather a library converted into a theater. Between the habitual midnight showing and average three movie viewing a day, I had fallen asleep in the last two, (Trust me, I did everything in the book to try and keep myself conscious) and thought this would be the third as I began to slouch down in this sumptuousness of a chair, but suddenly, the catchy music, witty dialog, and stimulating visuals had enlivened me. I was literally on the edge of my seat, hanging on to every word Hal Hefner uttered. It was remarkably fresh, continuously entertaining, and even profoundly deep. But in a good way. Which is quite rare not only in movies, but in life really. It made teenage angst and the mid-life crisis a little lighter, even hilarious. And who would think either would be funny. Anyways, this is quite a memorable tale, leaving you with a feeling of infinity, and the wisdom of approaching the serious things with a bit of humor.

Rocket Science is essentially a movie about a boy who discovers his worth and abilities throughout his furious campaign for his dreams. The film's mood pushes the limit of tongue- in-cheek, and it is certainly felt as a comedy because after all, the premise is a stuttering boy joining a debate team, but despite all the hilarious non sequiturs and plot-driven laughs, I take that essential theme to heart. Hal Heffner is an innocently gawky young high school kid, portrayed in a should-be career-making performance by Reece Thompson, who has a severe stuttering problem and experiences a change of events that he finds to have had a tempestuous emotional effect on him that I'm just dying to give away but won't. From this point on, we share those emotions, because it's nearly impossible not to throw in all your chips for this kid. The reason is because growing up, frankly, is hard. Once one has done it, one doesn't feel like it was as hard as it was, but at the time, it most definitely was. Watching this film, we watch this naive stuttering boy crippled by inhibitions and shyness mature, reaching the extremes of anger, confusion, love, intellectual growth, and introspection.

There are plenty of movies about high school, and they're full of comeuppance, humor targeted for that age, discovery of sex, et cetera, but there is very very rarely a movie like Rocket Science, a movie about that particular time in your life when you were just growing into yourself and you didn't even know it, and you hardly look back at that time because of the unawareness of self at that point and, hopefully, the growth since then. This is an important little film that, though it isn't receiving the attention I feel it would and should get with a wider and longer release, time will be kind to, with great hope.

Seriously. I have to agree with the writer of the review at the top of the string of reviews. There's insight and brilliance in the script and in the direction. Movies about high school kids will draw comparisons to all the high school films that preceded it, from Hughes to Apatow. Americans, we take our high school years very seriously...especially after we graduate. And we all have our favorite movies that deal with those four years of our lives (mine: "Donnie Darko," "Rushmore," and "Election"). Given time, I think "Rocket Science" will settle somewhere between "Election" and "Napolean Dynamite," for me.

"Rocket Science" is unique if you're willing to look beyond the surface similarities. Yes, this movie has a young protagonist who wants to overcome the odds to get the girl, with the help of friends, with interference from an antagonistic sibling, and parents who just don't seem to understand. That's practically a classical form by now. Euripides could fill in that outline.

Already, there are 4 pages of reviews and I can only add this: the roles of the Asian Americans that writer and director Jeffrey Blitz carved out deserve comment. And that comment is: sweet! Astonishing, really. Someone mentioned "Juno" in these reviews and how "Rocket Science" achieved where "Juno" may have fell short. I skipped "Juno" but listened to at least three separate discussions on public radio and on the local AM stations about the Chinese-baby line used in the promotions. I understand that, in the context of the movie, it wasn't so bad. Nothing nearly that clumsy in "Rocket Science."

Two Asian American actors get speaking roles and their lines are often hilarious: Stephen Park as Judge Pete who is jovial for no good reason and Aaron Yoo as his son, Heston, who crosses that line from admiring muscly dudes to really admiring them. The roles are clearly written as Asian American roles. In fact, father and son are identified, specifically, as Korean American, highlighted by Judge Pete's wailing of "ummah" in a scene where the judge is not so jovial. Blitz does wonderful work in identifying the characters as Asian American while not announcing their scenes as "The Asian Scenes." The jokes come, but not at their expense. There's a funny line about the casserole they bring to dinner which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen the movie yet. The exchange says more about the mother, aptly played by Lisbeth Bartlett, and her appetite for the exotic than the Asian-ness of her guests.

Later in the film, the protagonist and Heston pair up in a speech competition, and employing a technique suggested by his school counselor to quell the stammer, Hal decides to affect an accent. The scene is brilliantly written, directed and edited. The last time I was surprised by how loud I laughed in a movie was when Bart had a full-frontal scene in "The Simpsons." There's also a scene with that same counselor speaking from home to Hal on the phone. There is a shot that includes his significant other who is Asian. It's uncanny (or is it uncannily canny). The casting: she's a good looking woman and, by most measures, he did better than his station or his looks. The composition: she is positioned in a way that suggests detachment and self-absorption, showing no interest in the conversation. She's in a bathrobe, trimming her toenails (or something similar) on the couch, displaying a level of comfort, in particular with her body, many Asians would find immodest and not-so-classy. A director with less skill would have had any Asian actress fiddling around in the background. Jeffrey Blitz creates something as precise as something Wes Anderson put on film, without the elements becoming ornamental.

Yes, there are jokes in "Rocket Science," but it's not the joke-gag-joke rabbit punches of Apatow and his bunch and none of that numbing repetitive dissonance of their adult language spoken by what we're supposed to believe are goofy high school kids. They write as if they are haunted by moments from their high school years in which they could have uttered something clever and snappy but the words came only after dinner. Another memorable scene in "Rocket Science:" Hal visits the principal's office at a private school, and while he waits there, he discusses 2nd base with a girl that could be a delinquent. The girl's final remark is hilarious. And you believe it is something that could be said by a girl who was sent to the principal's office.

The entire time I was watching rocket science, I was gob smacked by the performances of the entire cast, but in particular Anna Kendrick and Nicholas D'Agosto. Their performances were unlike anything I've seen in years!!! I think it's difficult to portray a character that you hate and love quite like Anna has done in this movie, and even now.. I'm still wondering..? but mostly it's love ;)

Seriously, for the last 2 decades or so, Hollywood has been lacking the ability to produce anything that even resembles 'originality' and usually just chews up and spits out a recombination of 3 or 4 stories that have been told time and time again..... and for that reason alone, there'll probably be one or two people that won't even appreciate this movie because its not that run of the mill crap they're used too.

But honestly, whoever put together the cast of this movie deserves a massive pat on the back. I cannot think of another name that could have fit the profile of these characters so perfectly!

I question how the hell it got the 'R' rating however?? Come on, its language and sexuality content was on par with 'Lost in Translation'.. What the? Whether you're 25 or 12, watch this movie by yourself with no distractions and no one to influence your reactions and you will LOVE this movie, it's very clever. I recommend it highly!

I saw this movie earlier this year at a preview screening. The cool thing was that I had no Idea what it was about, I didn't even look it up for a plot outline. I was extremely pleasantly surprised. It was a very good movie, definitely worth seeing. The soundtrack was extremely fitting to the theme of the film as well. It turns out from some of the comments I have read here, some people just do not like this film. I cannot find a reason for that. I have noticed that with the younger crowd, this movie seems to not be as popular as others. This movie is very linear when it comes to how things really are. You can relate to several main characters and their struggles in life. If you are expecting a slapstick, non realistic comedy with tons of shock value, go and watch Wedding Crashers (which I love by the way). If you want to see a movie with intelligent dialogue with a good message and great acting, go and see Rocket Science. My rating 10.