Rocket Science (2007)

Looking for answers to life's big questions, a stuttering boy joins his high school debate team.

Director:

Jeffrey Blitz

Writer:

Jeffrey Blitz

Stars:

Nicholas D'Agosto, Anna Kendrick, Utkarsh Ambudkar

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicholas D'Agosto	...	Ben Wekselbaum
Anna Kendrick	...	Ginny Ryerson
Utkarsh Ambudkar	...	Ram
Candace Scholz	...	Townsend Prep Debater (as Candace Burr Scholz)
Margo Martindale	...	Coach Lumbly
Reece Thompson	...	Hal Hefner (as Reece Daniel Thompson)
Vincent Piazza	...	Earl Hefner
Denis O'Hare	...	Doyle Hefner
Lisbeth Bartlett	...	Juliet Hefner
Aaron Yoo	...	Heston
Virginia House	...	English Teacher (as Virginia Frank)
Marilyn Yoblick	...	Plainsboro Lunch Lady
Maury Ginsberg	...	Mr. Lewinsky
Emily Ginnona	...	Honoria
Dionne Audain	...	Abraham Lincoln

Storyline

Coming of age in Plainsboro, New Jersey. High school student Hal Hefner stutters. On the evening his parents stop arguing and separate, 43 miles away at the state tournament, his school's legendary debater, Ben Wekselbaum, goes blank mid-sentence, Ben's teammate Ginny Ryerson doesn't get a first-place trophy, and the world changes. That fall, to Hal's amazement, Ginny recruits him for the debate team, mentors him, and will be his partner. He still has his stutter, but he works hard and he falls in love with Ginny. On the day of the first debate of the season, the world changes again. From then until the day of the state tournament, Hal has a lot to sort out. Is love rocket science?

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Plot Keywords:

debate | high school | love | plainsboro new jersey | debate team | 

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Taglines:

Life is easier done than said.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Ciência Espacial

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$58,536 (USA) (10 August 2007)

Gross:

$712,391 (USA) (19 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

B&W Films, Duly Noted, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

After Ginny first speaks with Hal on the school bus, we are show a shot of Hal looking out the window at her, the bus pulls off and we notice that the first window behind him is a emergency exit and the next holds a wheelchair lift. When we cut back to an internal shot of the bus, we can see there is no wheelchair lift on the bus.

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Quotes

Ben Wekselbaum: It's all so pointless. That's the realization I came to at States last year. Life is nothing but repetition, the same thing over and over. Somebody might give you a trophy and that's supposed to mean you're making progress but there's no such thing. The fights you fight today are the fights you fight untill you die.
Hal Hefner: Yeah, be that as it may.
Ben Wekselbaum: Sure, be that as it may...
Hal Hefner: Wait! It is not some college application bullshit that is, that is like the driving force here or any bullshit.
Ben Wekselbaum: I'm sure.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Episode #7.19 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Blister In The Sun"
Written by Gordon Gano
Performed by Violent Femmes

User Reviews

Rocket Science Makes Perfect Sense

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.