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 (screenplay) (as Tina Gordon Chism)

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

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

Nick Cannon did his own drumming on screen while his double, Jason Price, did majority of the close-ups with complex techniques.

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Goofs

Size of burger when Ernest is sitting at the table eating.

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Quotes

Sean: Dr. Lee... Dr. Lee, just wanted to catch you before rehearsals. I was thinking, that instead of promoting a P2 to replace Devon, we could just keep the snare line at nine.
Dr. Lee: And how long have you been thinking that?
Sean: Just this morning.
Dr. Lee: Are you sure?
[Sean nods his head yes]
Dr. Lee: I thought maybe it was the day you showed us all he couldn't read, or was it the night that he took your solo, I don't know. But since you heard him play, you decided that the line or perhaps maybe, just you, would be better off...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits include illustrations of the proper way to play the drum.

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Connections

References Boyz n the Hood (1991)

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Soundtracks

When the Saints Go Marching In
Written by Katharine E. Purvis and James Milton Black (as James M. Black)
Performed by Cleophus Robinson
Courtesy of Riverside Records/Fantasy, Inc.

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.