The Rocker (2008)

Director:

Peter Cattaneo

Writers (WGA):

Maya Forbes (screenplay) &
Wallace Wolodarsky (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

Opportunity rocks

Plot:

The Rocker tells the story of a failed drummer who is given a second chance at fame. Robert "Fish" Fishman...

Plot Keywords:

Drummer | Rock Star | Rock Band | T Shirt | Living In An Attic

Cast

Rainn Wilson	...	Fish
Christina Applegate	...	Kim
Teddy Geiger	...	Curtis
Josh Gad	...	Matt
Emma Stone	...	Amelia
Jeff Garlin	...	Stan
Jane Lynch	...	Lisa
Jason Sudeikis	...	David Marshall
Will Arnett	...	Lex
Howard Hesseman	...	Gator
Fred Armisen	...	Kerr
Bradley Cooper	...	Trash
Lonny Ross	...	Sticks
Jon Glaser	...	Billy (as Jonathan Glaser)
Jane Krakowski	...	Carol
Samantha Weinstein	...	Violet
Demetri Martin	...	Kip
Aziz Ansari	...	Aziz
Ellie Knaus	...	Erica
Laura de Carteret	...	Amelia's Mom (as Laura De Carteret)
Steve Adams	...	Amelia's Dad
Mark Forward	...	Leon
Vik Sahay	...	Gary
Brittany Allen	...	I Heart Matt Girl
Jonathan Malen	...	Jeremy
Rebecca Northan	...	Jeremy's Mother
Keir Gilchrist	...	Moby Type Kid
Simon Sinn	...	Mr. Lee
SuChin Pak	...	Herself
Ennis Esmer	...	Barney
Nicole Arbour	...	Trashy Groupie
Wesley Morgan	...	Prom King Josh
Tanya Bevan	...	Prom Queen Jennifer
Marvin Karon	...	School Principal
Sandi Ross	...	Ms. Kopelson
Talia Russo	...	Amy
Jon Cor	...	Paul
Brian Gordon	...	Tattooed Drummer
Darrel Gamotin	...	Beat Box Kid
Angela Maiorano	...	Frazzled Stylist (as Angela Maiorano Thurston)
Nick Spencer	...	Harry (as Nicholas Spencer)
Allan Roberto	...	Max
Patrick Hagarty	...	Gund Arena P.A. (voice)
Jessica Porter	...	Desk Sargeant
Dave Kiner	...	Reedy Rocker Guy (as David Kiner)
Guy Sanvido	...	Old Barber
Tiffany Boychuk	...	Boost Mobile Girl
Christian Potenza	...	Dry Engineer
Pete Best	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis L. Baker	...	Guy in Park (uncredited)
Jessica Barrow	...	Woman at Party (uncredited)
Curtis Harrison	...	The Bartender (uncredited)
Mike Knobloch	...	Roadie (uncredited)
Jordan Lawson	...	Crazy Fan (uncredited)
Rachel London	...	Viral Video Girl (uncredited)
Christina Elizabeth Smith	...	Party Date (uncredited)
Richard Wadham	...	ADD Belly Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Cattaneo

Writing credits (WGA)
Maya Forbes		(screenplay) &
Wallace Wolodarsky		(screenplay) (as Wally Wolodarsky)
Ryan Jaffe		(story)

Produced by
Stephen R. Campanella	....	second unit producer: Cleveland
Shawn Levy	....	producer
Lyn Lucibello	....	co-producer (as Lyn Lucibello-Brancatella)
Tom McNulty	....	producer
Billy Rosenberg	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Chad Fischer		(original songs by)
Chad Fischer		(score by)

Cinematography by
Anthony B. Richmond		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Charles Kaplan		(edited by)
Brad E. Wilhite		(edited by)

Casting by
Julie Ashton

Production Design by
Brandt Gordon

Set Decoration by
Clive Thomasson

Costume Design by
Christopher Hargadon

Makeup Department
Amber Chase	....	first assistant makeup artist
Susan Exton-Stranks	....	first assistant hair stylist
Liz Gruszka	....	key makeup artist (as Elizabeth Gruszka)
Vincent Sullivan	....	key hair stylist
Geralyn Wraith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lyn Lucibello	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Boem	....	second assistant director
Michael T. Burgess	....	assistant director
Tim Cushen	....	assistant director
Brian Giddens	....	first assistant director
Yolanda Graci	....	second assistant director: second unit
Patrick Hagarty	....	third assistant director
Tony Lucibello	....	first assistant director: second unit
David C. Malcolm	....	third assistant director: second unit (as David Malcolm)
Jeff Muhsoldt	....	third assistant director
Branko Racki	....	second unit director
Christen Reynolds	....	trainee assistant director
Brian Spitz	....	second unit director

Art Department
Tamara Andrews	....	painter
Jerry Beaudrow	....	assistant head carpenter
David Best	....	assistant art director
Collingwood Brown	....	art department coordinator
Gordon Brown	....	head painter
Jonathan Davis	....	second assistant art director
David DeMarinis	....	key greens
David DiCorpo	....	assistant head carpenter
Jeff Helgason	....	key scenic artist
Ron Hewitt	....	property master
Michael Huschka	....	assistant property master
John Mackenzie	....	construction coordinator
Adrian Marler	....	storyboard artist
Tania McGowan	....	assistant art director
Steve Middlebrook	....	on-set dresser
Jaclyn Shoub	....	set decoration buyer
Jeremy Simser	....	storyboard artist
Brian van de Valk	....	head carpenter
Meredith Woodley	....	trainee assistant art director
Rob Valeriote	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bob Beemer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kerry Ann Carmean	....	foley editor (as Kerry Carmean-Anderson)
Bruce Carwardine	....	sound mixer
Pat Cassin	....	second boom operator
Patrick Cusack	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor (as Andrew De Cristofaro)
Nerses Gezalyan	....	sound mixer
Laura R. Harris	....	dialogue editor (as Laura H. Atkinson)
John 'Wheels' Hurlbut	....	on set Pro Tools operator
Craig Mann	....	sound mix technician
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Morgado	....	adr mixer
Michael Payne	....	supervising sound effects editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
John C. Stuver	....	supervising dialogue and adr editor
Bruce Tanis	....	sound effects editor
Tami Treadwell	....	adr recordist
Brett Voss	....	foley mixer
Markus Wade	....	boom operator
Tim Walston	....	sound effects editor
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist
Corey Eccles	....	sound intern (uncredited)
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tim Barraball	....	special effects key (as Timothy Barraball)
Frank Fletcher	....	special effects
John MacGillivray	....	special effects coordinator
Fiona MacPherson	....	special effects
David Reaume	....	pyrotechnician
Rob Sanderson	....	special effects supervisor
Daniel White	....	special effects foreman (as Danny White)

Visual Effects by
Mathieu Archambault	....	digital compositor
Ryan Beadle	....	digital I/O
Barb Benoit	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Dennis Berardi	....	visual effects producer
Kristy Blackwell	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Jean-Christophe Boue	....	digital compositor: Mr. X
Kris Carson	....	digital compositor: Mr. X
Andy Chan	....	visual effects compositor: Mr. X Inc.
Ovidiu Cinazan	....	digital compositor
Aurelian Ciobota	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Patrick Clancey	....	digital opticals
Samuel M. Dabbs	....	lead title designer
Rob Del Ciancio	....	digital compositor
Jeremy Dineen	....	visual effects animator: Mr. X Inc
Laura Dittmann	....	visual effects production assistant
Anand Dorairaj	....	digital compositor
D.R. Farquharson	....	project manager: Efilm
David Fix	....	senior systems administrator: Mr. X Inc
Adam Gass	....	digital editorial
Andrei Gheorghiu	....	digital compositor
Matt Glover	....	visual effects production assistant
Sarah Grieshammer	....	digital compositor
Omar Gudjonsson	....	digital compositor
Annu Gulati	....	digital compositor: Mr. X. Inc.
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Victoria Holt	....	visual effects coordinator: Mr. X Inc.
Timo Huber	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Karen Kriss	....	visual effects producer
Paulina Kuszta	....	visual effects coordinator
Mike Kwan	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Isabelle Langlois	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Evelyn Lee	....	digital artist
Elliot Mallon	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Jaideep Mohan	....	digital compositor
Kevin Quatman	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Vishal Rustgi	....	visual effects: Mr. X
Matt Schofield	....	matte painter
Carolyn Shelby	....	digital compositor
Safia Siad	....	visual effects production assistant
Jim Su	....	visual effects: Mr. X
David Thompson	....	digital compositor
Armando Velazquez	....	digital compositor
Aaron Weintraub	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Dan Belley	....	stunt rigger
Ho Chow	....	stunt performer
Sky Elobar	....	stunt double: lead
Liise Keeling	....	stunt waitress
Joanne Leach	....	stunt performer
Danny Lima	....	stunt double
Duncan McLeod	....	stunt double: Rainn Wilson
Branko Racki	....	stunt coordinator
Joseph Racki	....	stunt double
Robert Racki	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Max Armstrong	....	second assistant camera
Dennis L. Baker	....	grip
Dane Bjerno	....	aerial camera technician
Brendan Bresnahan	....	key video assist operator
Skinny Ricky Brun	....	grip
Kiely Cronin	....	first assistant camera: re-shoots
Gyorgy Darvas	....	additional video assist operator
Federico De Marco	....	second assistant camera
Russ Faust	....	grip
Roger Finlay	....	camera operator
Courtney Graham	....	assistant D.I.T.
Michael L. Hall	....	best boy: electrician
Jamie Hodgson	....	second generator operator
Bill Hong	....	camera car operator
Chris Howard	....	gaffer
John Irwin	....	generator operator
Joachim Martin	....	camera operator: second unit
Joachim Martin	....	director of photography: second unit
Keith Nickoson	....	dolly grip
Ted Overton	....	"b" camera: first assistant
Wayne Paull	....	camera operator: second unit
Demetri Portelli	....	first assistant camera: second unit
James R. Scott	....	lighting technician (as James Scott)
Tracy Shaw	....	assistant key rigging grip
Stephen Spurrell	....	rigging gaffer
Tom Starnes	....	rigging gaffer
Dean Stinchcombe	....	first assistant camera
John Trapman	....	aerial director of photography
Kiely Cronin	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
John Buchan	....	casting: Canada
Jason Knight	....	casting: Canada
Amanda McCann	....	casting associate
Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sara Schilt	....	costume buyer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Natasha Leonnet	....	digital film colorist
Marc Lulkin	....	digital color assist
David Marks	....	post-production assistant
Christian Prejza	....	digital intermediate producer (as Chris Prejza)
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	lab color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Stephen H. Sloan	....	first assistant editor
Lisa Tutunjian	....	digital intermediate editor
Tina Sosa	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Gustavo Borner	....	score mixer
Timothy Bright	....	musician: additional guitars (as Tim Bright)
Robert Burke	....	composer: additional music
Kevin Crehan	....	additional music editor
Damir Demirovic	....	keyboard coach: Toronto
Keith England	....	featured vocalist
Christopher Faizi	....	composer: additional music
Chad Fischer	....	vocalist
Patrick Houlihan	....	music supervisor
Rich Jacques	....	bass coach: Los Angeles
Stuart Johnson	....	drum coach
Stuart Johnson	....	performance consultant
Jonathan Klein	....	vocalist
Brian Lapin	....	keyboard coach: Los Angeles
Alex Lilly	....	vocalist
Kevan MacKenzie	....	musician: prom drumming double
Mike Milligan	....	bass coach: Toronto
Charissa Nielsen	....	vocalist
Cecilia Noel	....	vocalist
Terry Wilson	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jason McCormack	....	driver: honeywagon
Evan Siegel	....	picture car coordinator
Rohan Singh	....	driver

Other crew
Scott Alexander	....	assistant location manager
Samantha Armstrong	....	script supervisor
James F. Breithaupt	....	production accountant
Matt Cahill	....	location scout
David M. Chisholm	....	production coordinator
Christopher Comrie	....	payroll accountant
Marty Dejczak	....	location manager
Ramona Diaconescu	....	daily script supervisor
Darryl Dickenson	....	production assistant
Kevin Drysdale	....	assistant: Mr. Cattaneo
Becky Etchberger	....	post production assistant
Missy Foster	....	assistant: Mr. McNulty
Mazen Hassan	....	assistant: Mr. Levy
Steve Holt	....	on-set medic
Alyssa Kling	....	on-set tutor
Tori Larsen	....	production assistant
Rui Martins	....	rushes telecine operator
Brad McIlroy	....	on-set caterer
Adam Meaden	....	location support
Traci D. Nickerson	....	production assistant
Pete Nilson	....	on-set caterer
Robin M. Reelis	....	production supervisor
Viviana Serratos	....	assistant: Peter Cattaneo
Michelle K. Smith	....	assistant production coordinator
Stephanie Stonley	....	second assistant accountant
Michael Stoyanov	....	production secretary
Dave Tommasini	....	pilot: Wescam helicopter (as David Tommasini)
Karen Tyrell	....	unit publicist
Cedric Warburton	....	on-set medic
Farrah Yip	....	assistant: Ms. Lucibello-Brancatella
Timothy Johnson	....	production coordinator: second unit, Cleveland (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fox Atomic (presents) (A Peter Catanneo Film)
• 21 Laps Entertainment (as 21 Laps)
• Rocan Productions (copyright owner)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Venezuela (2008) (Venezuela) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox C.I.S. (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Culture Publishers (CP) (2010) (Japan) (DVD) (rental)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Mr. X (visual effects)
• Custom Film Effects (digital graphics)

Other Companies

• Belltower Productions  production services: Cleveland
• Belltower Productions  production services: Cleveland, second unit
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• Custom Film Effects  main and end titles
• EFilm  digital intermediate facility
• Hand Prop  props supplied by
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Kona Cutting  digital asset management
• Panavision  high-definition Genesis cameras supplied by
• Pictorvision  aerial camera system
• Right Lobe Design Group  titles
• Soundelux  post-production sound services
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recording services (as Todd-A-O West)
• Toronto Film Studios  movie studio
• William F. White International  Chapman camera dollies (as William F. White International Inc. - Canada)
• William F. White International  grip equipment (as William F. White International Inc. - Canada)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:12A | UK:12A (cut) | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44092) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Peru:14 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:6 | Iceland:7 | Iceland:L (DVD rating) | Mexico:B | Brazil:12 (DVD rating) | Italy:T | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Cinespace Film Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Fox Atomic

Trivia:

Some of the scenes were filmed in Toronto, Canada (not actually Ohio). The Chinatown scene was filmed on Spadina street in Toronto's Asian district. One of the earliest club scenes when they exit the gig and into a back alley to a limo, was filmed in and outside an all ages club downtown called the Reverb.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Fish is dumped by his girlfriend at the beginning, he walks to his sister's house to crash, and he is shown walking North past the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to get there. Not only is there no residential area in that direction, but if he walked just a little bit further, he would walk right into Lake Erie, as the Rock Hall is on the Erie shore.

Quotes:

Robert 'Fish' Fishman:1991 called, they want their teenage angst back.
Amelia:Omigod, they just called again they want that joke back.

Movie Connections:

References "Bonanza" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Lucifer 9

Comedy - for laughs - not irony or sarcasm - and all the better for it.

This was the biggest surprise of the year - bar none.

A great comedy - as in laughs, feel good, and just plain enjoyable.

The plot of the loser who makes good at rock'n'roll second time around is very Jack Black and Rainn Wilson does a GREAT job - there is no recourse to gross or sarcastic humor here - rather it plays on its rock roots, chucks in some stupidity, and some kick-ass tunes, and lots of excellent one liners and like I say totally surprised us as to how genuinely funny and warm-hearted this is.

Great cast and a great script - sure it's not perfect, but after all the pseudo-comedy and angst of 2008 it was refreshing just to sit back and enjoy an entertaining movie.

we loved it and are normally really cynical about comedies - but this rocks and would recommend to anyone as a real effort by all involved to stop being smarter than the audience and just enjoy life - in two and a half words? - it rocks!