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	...	Irene (Cello) (as Elvy Yost)
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:

teen movie | school | battle of the bands | teenager | high school | 

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Taglines:

Get Ready To Rock!

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gaelan Connell was cast 2 weeks into the rehearsal process, with only 2 full days of rehearsal left before filming commenced.

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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: [in voice-over]
[while watching a marching band practice]
Will: Dear David Bowie, first thing we need is a brass section. Though, granted. Van Buren has a limited pool to choose from.
Will: [voice-over] The pianists around here are all classical.
[Kim plays classical music. Will places the sheet music to "Blister in the Sun" in front of Kim, who switches to its opening riff]
Will: [voice-over] If Arcade Fire can have a cello, we can have a cello.
Will: Need a hand?
Irene (Cello): Need a Stanford-Binet test?
Will: What? Sorry. It looked heavy.

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Connections

References Evil Dead II (1987)

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Soundtracks

Jammin' on F
Written by Adam Lasus, Benjamin Kessler (as Ben Kessler), Juan Lopez and Andrew Rector
Performed by I Can't Go On, I'll Go On

User Reviews

excellent family movie

I rate it an 8 only because for a PG movie kids younger than 12 might not get what the movie is about; though they might just think it's about singing. Which is not bad because the movie has excellent music selection, flows with scene transition very well. Teenagers will love this movie for sure; but parents will be pleasantly surprise. The dialogs are well written - witty and not contrive. Each characters and their dynamic are well developed and relatable. You laugh; you cry, but at the end you leave the theater with a smile on your face, forgetting that you have just spent almost 2 hrs in a theater. All actors were on point in playing their characters. Great casting. This is the sleeper movie of the summer.

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

Gross USA:

$5,210,988

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,225,023

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