Bandslam

Movie: Bandslam

I saw it on: August 22, 2009

Cast: Gaelan Connel, Vanessa Hudgens, Alyson Michalka, Lisa Kudrow

Genre: Romatic comedy, Music

Synopsis: Will (Gaelan Connel) is the new kid in school.  Will is used to being an outcast.  In explicably, Charlotte (Alyson Michalka) befriends him.  Inexplicably, because Charlotte is the former head cheerleader and the  Prom Queen.  Equally inexplicably, Sa5m (the “5” is silent) – played by Vanessa Hudgens – has no friends until Will.  Will and Charlotte really are “just friends” – unlike Will and Sa5m.  Will turns out to be something of a musical genius.  Although he does not seem to play anything, he has a sixth sense when it comes to getting a band to play right.  Charlotte drafts him to be manager of her three-person band.  The band grows, gets better, and ends up in the annual Bandslam completion going against (naturally) a band from the same school lead by Charlotte’s former boyfriend, Scott.  Scott is the requisite bully/jerk in the movie

My two cents: I almost skipped this one.  Glad I didn’t.  I have a weak spot for this type of romantic comedy.  Will is totally smitten with Sa5m, but has no idea what to do until Charlotte steps in to coach him.  His “first kiss” scene is the nicest one I have seen since Kevin and Winnie’s first kiss in The Wonder Years.

I found the movie to be educational – for the first time I got a glimpse into how important a non-playing member of a band can be in perfecting a band’s performance.  It’s not just a bunch of guys (and girls) getting together and playing a song.

The one casting choice I question is Lisa Kudrow as Will’s mother  Maybe I just cannot shake Phoebe, but every time Lisa Kudrow was in a scene, I thought she had that slightly off-kilter look that Phoebe so often had.

In any case, a great movie and well worth seeing.