Bandslam Movie Review

His comfort food? Rock music and its rich history. Punk. Ska. Progressive. Alt rock. Will knows the sonic lineage of U2 and The Killers better than he knows his own family tree. And the only thing stronger than his ear for a shrill chord or perfectly chunky guitar riff is his adoration of rocker David Bowie, to whom he journals his angst in letters that get no reply.

Then a sudden job change moves Will and his loving mom from Ohio to New Jersey. And the prospect of a fresh start invigorates him like a classic Ziggy Stardust solo.

Once in the land of Springsteen, Will still feels like an outsider, but manages to connect with a brooding girl named Sa5m ("The 5 is silent," she tells him), who becomes his partner for a class project. He's also befriended by Charlotte, an ex-cheerleader whose ailing dad inspired her to dump the whole "queen bee" bit--an elitist lifestyle that included singing with popular local band Glory Dogs and dating its narcissistic frontman, Ben.

Now Charlotte has her own garage band, and believes that Will's keen ear can help them improve enough to compete against Glory Dogs in a regional battle of the bands. How big is Bandslam? According to Sa5m, "Texas high school football big." After all, the winner gets a record deal.

If the boisterous bunch of teens who sat around me in the theater is any indication, Bandslam could be the sleeper hit of the summer. Playful music, accompanied by unexpected and satisfying plot turns are a few of the film's plusses.

Here's another: Coming-of-age stories about rock-loving adolescents--from Footloose to Almost Famous--usually highlight rock 'n' roll's rebellious roots. Not this one. Aside from their already mentioned lack of discernment, these protagonists are decent, mature kids packing moral compasses.

And restraint is just part of the picture. Bandslam scores big points for making big points about forgiveness, cooperation, healthy diversity and refusing to be defined by our scars.