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

13 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:

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

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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 USA:

$12,604,705, 15 December 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$56,398,162, 27 April 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures,Wendy Finerman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lee Thompson Young was considered for the role of Devin.

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Goofs

In the graduation scene at the beginning, the drummers that are playing snare are playing concert snare drums. The sound heard however is from a marching snare drum which uses a Kevlar drum head as opposed to a plastic drum head that would be used on a concert snare drum.

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Quotes

Dr. Lee: Good morning.
The Band: Good morning.
Dr. Lee: Good morning to music. Good morning and welcome to Atlanta A&T University marching band training. The next two weeks will be your introduction and possibly induction into a great marching band legacy. If you are here, it's because you believe in musicianship. If you are here it's because you believe in Coltrane, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, and the elements known as Earth, Wind, and Fire. If you are here, it's because you have a fervent, unequivocal belief in teamwork...
[...]

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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

Spoofs The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

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Soundtracks

Peanuts
Written by Brian Scott, Kenneth Anthony, Melvin Adams, Ronald Wilson,
Vito Tisdale, William Hughes and James Chambers
Performed by Nappy Roots
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A fairly decent movie

One of the few times where black youths aren't portrayed as hoods, this movie proved it moved to the beat of a different drum (yes I know, bad pun). Anyway, I was pretty surprised by how well made the film was, considering there were no well known actors in the film besides Orlando Jones. This movie isn't just for band kids, it encompasses a broad spectrum of life that is actually interesting to watch. Sure, some might have considered this movie corny, but the band sequences saved any misgivings this film might have had. Watch this movie for the heck of it, because you might actually be surprised.