Drumline (2002)

A band director recruits a Harlem street drummer to play at a Southern university.

Director:

Charles Stone III

Writers:

Shawn Schepps (story), Tina Gordon Chism (screenplay),

Stars:

Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones

12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Cannon	...	Devon Miles
Zoe Saldana	...	Laila (as Zoë Saldana)
Orlando Jones	...	Dr. Lee
Leonard Roberts	...	Sean Taylor
GQ	...	Jayson
Jason Weaver	...	Ernest
Earl Poitier	...	Charles (as Earl C. Poitier)
Candace Carey	...	Diedre
Shay Roundtree	...	Big Rob
Miguel A. Gaetan	...	Trey
J. Anthony Brown	...	Mr. Wade
Afemo Omilami	...	President Wagner
Angela Elayne Gibbs	...	Dorothy Miles (as Angela E. Gibbs)
Tyreese Burnett	...	Henry
Brandon Hirsch	...	Buck Wild

Storyline

A fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.

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Plot Keywords:

university | drummer | fish out of water | marching band | dancing | 

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Taglines:

Half time is game time

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for innuendo and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dobszóló

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,604,705 (USA) (13 December 2002)

Gross:

$56,398,162 (USA) (25 April 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Wendy Finerman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Morris Brown is a real college in Atlanta, there is no real Atlanta A&T. The filming was done at Clark University in Atlanta and at Morris Brown. The performers (aside from those from Morris Brown) were recruited from high school and university bands all over the Atlanta and Metro Atlanta area. High school band director Don Roberts was recruited to turn the performers into real, convincing bands.

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Goofs

When Devon and Laila are studying and then kiss, their heads change relative position between shots.

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Quotes

Dr. Lee: Okay, the radio is off now. Time for the real music.

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Crazy Credits

As the MBU band plays one more time over the credits, the names for each principal actor appear on the screen (and exit) in patterns resembling marching formations, such as spinning into frame and then out again like a drumline.

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Connections

References Riverdance: The Show (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Simple"
Written by Deodrick Jackson
Performed by Morris Brown Drumline

User Reviews

A pleasant surprise!

I'm not a musician and know little about marching bands. However, this movie captivated my attention. The athleticism of these musical marchers was something I had never thought about until watching this excellent movie. The music is wonderful and the drumline competition puts the dueling banjos of yesterday to shame. The story line delivers a good message of how raw talent can be molded into disciplined success. The concept of teamwork and individual goals are blended into a believable and inspiring movie. I found the acting to be very good and will look for the cast in future movies. Nick Cannon and Orlando Jones never leave any doubt about the characters they are playing.