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Rocket Science
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MPAA RATING: R for some sexual content and language
Starring Anna Kendrick, Reece Thompson, Dionne Audain, Utkarsh Ambudkar, John Patrick Barry, Lisbeth Bartlett, Jeanette Brox, and Jen Carden
A teenager tackles the mysteries of life, love and public speaking in Rocket Science, a wry comedy of adolescent angst. Life is not easy for teenager Hal Hefner. His parents have split, his older brother is an obsessive-compulsive and he has an unpredictable stutter. Given that his active mind and quick wit tend to be obscured by his problematic voice, Hal is not an obvious candidate for his school's high-powered debate team. So when the star of debate team, Ginny Ryerson, asks him to be her partner, Hal rises to the occasion, and in doing so he scores a victory that has nothing to do with winning a debate, but everything to do with finding his voice. (Picturehouse Entertainment)
| GENRE(S): | Comedy | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY: | Jeffrey Blitz |
| DIRECTED BY: | Jeffrey Blitz |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: January 29, 2008 Theatrical: August 10, 2007 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 101 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
John S. gave it a3:
Poor, boring.
Sean F. gave it an8:
Very cool high school film! Reminded me of Election or Rushmore or films of that type. A comedy, but very dramatic and dark. Lots of twists and turns, and surprises. One of the most original movies I've seen in some time.
Chad S. gave it a9:
Corey Haim in "Lucas" is not the same animal as Corey Haim in "License to Drive", or Corey Haim in "Snowboard Academy". The former-child star was startingly good as a dorky fourteen-year-old misfit in the 1986 coming-of-age film. "Rocket Science" is more like "Lucas" than "Rushmore", "Welcome to the Dollhouse", and other usual suspects from indie-dom that showcases the trials and tribulations of a socially-challenged minor. Lucas didn't get the girl. Lucas didn't catch the football. "Lucas", a studio film, mind you, didn't swing for the fences; it settled for a modest single up the middle. "Rocket Science" is just like that. Like Lucas, Hal Hefner(Reece Thompson) raises his arms in celebration after a miniature victory. This is, by far, a more satisfying end-result than the more conventional ending that "Rocket Science" teases the audience with, before judiciously pulling back and allowing pragmatic deftness back into the story. You can thank the filmmaker's background in documentaries. The stutterer can't win a statewide debating tournament; the filmmaker knows this, but like any person with a handicap, the stutterer can win some self-respect by being unafraid. "Rocket Science" is...is...is...tr-...tr-...tri-..tri-...-um...-um...trium-...-um...-um...-phant.
Graham G. gave it a0:
There is so little that is not annoying about this movie. I want my time back. Occasionally the stutterer says something witty, but seemingly can't think his way out of uber-typical situations. And at the end there's nothing satisfying at all. Just like life. And if I just wanted life, I wouldn't go to the movies. I walked out when the 'I love the unknown' single-lyric song kicked in. A grownup can only take so much.
Pat W. gave it a0:
Absolutely one of the worst teenage films I've seen in my life...can't believe they're still showing it here, terrible!!
Nora O. gave it a10:
Excellent film. The film made me laugh and cry. Reflecting on my my teen years as a stutterer, I am not sure how I would have responded seeing the film due to my dark denial and rage towards my stutter. However, if the cards had fallen differently and I had ended up in the theatre I would have been able to see myself on screen and not have felt so damn alone. Hal is a very likable teenager. I'd hang out with him! He's a good kid, seeking love, living in a dysfunctional family, very witty, very funny, bright and with wild, passionate, greatness waiting to burst out. This is the first MOVIE (not documentary) that portrays stuttering accurately. Unlike A Fish Called Wanda or Primal Fear and so many other films that ridicule the stutterer or the character is a murderer (Primal Fear). The same that gay characters were portrayed in movies. The movie is not just about stuttering though. Hal is so much more then his stutter. As is the movie. I'm sorry it's moved out of theatres so quickly. Probably because of poor reviews like the one in the NY Times ... clearly the reviewer did not understand the film or care to understand it.

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