Bandslam (2009)

A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.

Director:

Todd Graff

Writers:

Josh A. Cagan (screenplay), Todd Graff (screenplay)

Stars:

Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aly Michalka	...	Charlotte
Vanessa Hudgens	...	Sa5m
Gaelan Connell	...	Will
Scott Porter	...	Ben Wheatly
Ryan Donowho	...	Basher
Charlie Saxton	...	Bug
Lisa Kudrow	...	Karen
Tim Jo	...	Omar
Elvy Yost	...	Irene (Cello)
Lisa Chung	...	Kim Lee (Keyboards)
J.W. Wright	...	Dylan Dyer (Glory Dogs Guitar) (as J.W. Wright II)
Blair Bomar	...	Megan
Casey Williams	...	Ms. Wittenberg
Maggie Maye	...	Kyra 17-1
Jennifer Blair	...	Kyra's Friend

Storyline

Will centers on a high school outcast and a popular girl who form an unlikely bond through their shared love of music. Assembling a like-minded crew of misfits, the friends form a rock group and perform in the battle of the bands competition at their school.

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Plot Keywords:

school | battle of the bands | teenager | high school | rock 'n' roll | 

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Taglines:

Band Together

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some thematic elements and mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Will

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,231,273, 16 August 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$5,205,343, 20 September 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment,Walden Media,Goldsmith-Thomas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original script, the band name "Glory Dogs" was written as "River Dogs" but the name was changed because in real life there is already a rock band called River Dogs- funnily enough, the real band River Dogs are from New Jersey, where most of the movie is set.

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Goofs

In the opening shots when he's making his "It's Monday Morning" entry to David Bowie, there's a closeup of his hands on the keyboard and his watch reads, 1:30.

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Quotes

Will Burton: I think you're trying too hard to be like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Bug: That's crazy; I don't even like Flea.
Will Burton: Yeah, what's your name?
Bug: ...Bug.

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Connections

References Evil Dead II (1987)

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Soundtracks

What Heart
Written by Noah Lit, Josh Lit, Jesse Ingalls, Sam Raver and Jordan Richardson
Performed by Oliver Future
Courtesy of Fireproof Recording

User Reviews

Bandslam Movie Review from The Massie Twins

For the first time this year, a teen film actually appeals to teens. It's painfully routed in fantasy, a trend most adolescent movies tend to follow, but with interesting characters and a hip soundtrack, the target audience is likely to be thoroughly entertained. Formulaic at times but unpredictable at others, Bandslam isn't as unique as it is well-timed. Amidst the really sour teen flicks popping up in theaters, this is less immature, more comedic and generally more fun.

Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) trudges through high school life in Cincinnati at a school he describes as Guantanamo with a lunch period. It's Novocain for the soul, providing him a constant source of boredom and bullying. His mother Karen (Lisa Kudrow) brings him great news that they're going to move to New Jersey, and although he feels that his classmates will provide much of the same old annoyances, at least it will be a chance to start fresh as an unknown.

At Martin Van Buren High, he quickly attaches himself to a quiet, dark and mysterious girl named Sa5m (Vanessa Hudgens) - the 5 is silent. He also discovers that the cafeteria is used for live band performances and to support the local group the Glory Dogs, led by Ben Wheatly (Scott Porter), a singer/guitarist who is too cool (and too old) for school. Glory Dogs enters every year into the Bandslam competition, a battle-of-the-bands contest that awards the winner with a $10,000 record deal. Ex-Glory Dogs singer Charlotte Banks (Alyson Michalka) discovers that Will has an uncommon knowledge of music and uses him to jumpstart another band to compete in Bandslam, courageously going head-to-head against the school favorite. With his new career as a band manager, the confusing advances by Charlotte (a bound-to-be-trouble blonde with her own Wikipedia page who refuses to answer "Why" questions), and his occasionally overbearing mother, will young Burton have time for Sa5m, the girl he really likes? It seems that teen dramedies always get carried away with pure fantasy, most notable when the dorky lead character immediately makes friends with the two hottest girls in school. In similar fashion to School of Rock, he also luckily unites several of the most talented musicians in the state to somehow work together and form an amazingly original band in which everyone has mastered improvisation and spontaneity. Anyone who's actually been through high school will probably wonder where exactly miracles like this take place. Fortunately, although the reality is slim, Bandslam employs enough humor and drama to keep things interesting, along with a good twist at the end and naturally catchy music. It's a film that may not boast the most original premise, but at least teens won't be disappointed in the entertainment value, even if they have to look past the mild PG rating. It's certainly a level more realistic than the High School Musicals.

• Mike Massie