She urges him to join her and replace her former partner, Ben Wekselbaum, who has dropped out of high school after falling silent mid-speech and losing the New Jersey State High School Policy Debate Championship. Hal kisses her hopefully, and they make out, but she subsequently falls out of contact with him. It was not a financial success, earning only US$756,000 from its $4.5 million budget, though it was well-received by critics. prev. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. On top of his parents' recent divorce and an obsessive- compulsive, kleptomaniac older brother, Hal has a stuttering problem. [10] He says that he is uninterested in teen films, so "the only way I was going to do a teen movie is if I felt like I could try to be more honest about what the actual experience of being a teenager is like. The Violent Femmes' songs were chosen for the film by Blitz before filming had begun as he believed that they expressed "the rage of love gone wrong better than any band out there", and they allowed their songs to be used in the film after reading the script. [61] At the Sundance Film Festival, Blitz won the Dramatic Directing Award and the film was nominated for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Released January 19th, 2007, 'Rocket Science' stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Margo Martindale, Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick The R movie has a runtime of about … A teenager tackles the mysteries of life, love and public speaking in Rocket Science, a wry comedy of adolescent angst. The color palette in both production and costume design was drab and ordinary to give a deadpan undertone. Rocket Science However, I think this is a better movie than Rushmore. "[32] One of his original songs, "I Love the Unknown", was chosen from the 1999 album Your Favorite Music. View production, box office, & company info. Hal and Heston finish the day without much success, while Ginny wins a trophy for First Place as an Individual Speaker, which inexplicably goes missing. "[19], Blitz believed that Hal's stuttering was a metaphor for his lack of mastery of life and love: "He can't control this thing that ought to be so simple ... And so much of his life is like that. From then until the day of the state tournament, Hal has a lot to sort out. The strongest aspects were the performances from the entire cast with Anna Kendrick and Vincent Piazza being standouts. [45] The following week, the film expanded to 40 screens[45] but fell to a per-screen average of $2,930. [31] When choosing instruments, he tried to create sounds that would match Hal's awkwardness. One weekend away together with their significant others proves who really belongs together and who doesn't. In several scenes of the film, Hal is trying to ask for a slice of pizza but cannot say the word "pizza"; this is drawn from Blitz's experience of trying to order a hamburger from hotel room service without being able to say the word "hamburger". On the evening his parents stop arguing and separate, 43 miles away at the state tournament, his school's legendary debater, Ben Wekselbaum, goes blank mid-sentence, Ben's teammate Ginny Ryerson doesn't get a first-place trophy, and the world changes. A struggling actress and her novelist lover each illustrate the struggle and deconstruction of their love affair. Which vampire hunter would you trust to keep you alive? Make This A Science Project: Try different amounts of Alka-Selzer to see if it causes the Film Canister Rocket to launch higher or quicker. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 Margaret Pomeranz At the Movies (Australia) And I hope he has many more for us in the future. [47] Rocket Science ended its theatrical run with a total domestic gross of US$714,943 and a foreign gross of $40,831, a worldwide total of $755,774. The discovery of a bone and a gun send a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend. Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977) was a German-born American aerospace engineer and space architect.He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany and a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the United States.. Starring. [31], Blitz also chose to use the Violent Femmes' songs "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss Off", and a cover version of "Add It Up". [55] Stephen Holden, however, writing for The New York Times, believed that the final scenes were a "[sure] sign of the movie's integrity". It tells the story of Hal Hefner, a fifteen-year-old stutterer who decides to join his school's debate team when he develops a crush on its star member, and addresses the themes of coming of age, sexuality, and finding one's voice. Former Hanway Films managing director Thorsten Schumacher has launched a new production, finance, sales and distribution venture dubbed Rocket Science. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. . "Rocket Science" is not a formula high school movie, is not about formula kids and is funny in a way that you laugh but it still kinda hurts. [8], Jeffrey Blitz wanted the film's music to be "sweet and a touch melancholy and just a step out of rhythm", demonstrating Hal's sense of himself in the world, and to express his teenage angst while "maintain[ing] an underlying sweetness". [21] He found it humorous that the characters referred to Trenton as the "Big City" and that Plainsboro seemed to orbit around a dead city, Trenton, in comparison to New York. Coming of age in Plainsboro, New Jersey. [15], Film critic Justin Chang, writing for Variety, summarized the film as "eloquent about love, self-realization and adolescent angst". Looking for answers to life's big questions, a stuttering boy joins his high school debate team. [2], Rocket Science had a limited theatrical release in the United States, initially playing only in selected theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. Blitz conceived a rough storyline for the film while making Spellbound, a documentary about 1999's Scripps National Spelling Bee, but an HBO Films executive persuaded him to write the film based on his own adolescence when he told her about his experiences as a stutterer. Is love rocket science? [11], When reviewed by the Motion Picture Association of America, Rocket Science was rated R for strong sexual language, brief sex, brief nudity, some violence and a scene depicting teen drinking. Looking for answers to life's big questions, … Hal and Ginny begin to study for the upcoming tournament and form arguments on either side of whether the federal government should support the teaching of sexual abstinence in public schools. Watch Rocket Science available now on HBO. High school student Hal Hefner stutters. [10] Blitz thought that the Violent Femmes suggested "both [Hal's] anger and the humor all around it". Use the HTML below. … Thompson, as Hal, was unable to tell the waitress what he wanted to order; Piazza, as Earl, obsessive-compulsively asked the waitress for a fresh straw each time she passed; and Yoo, as Heston, could not decide what to order and had the waitress explain the menu repeatedly. From then until the day of the state tournament, Hal has a lot to sort out. [16] The San Francisco Chronicle's Peter Hartlaub thought that the script "never fails to present an unexpected scenario – usually accompanied by a moment or two of hilarity", but felt that Hal's ultimate failure was anticlimactic and "frustrating for moviegoers who prefer tidy endings". Ginny's parents assure him that she is confident with the work they have already completed and that she will meet him on the day of the debate. [24] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised Blitz for straying from common stereotypes and "opt[ing] for deeper, darker and wittier developments". A well chosen score will keep it from becoming dated. [2] It placed 258th for the highest-grossing films of 2007 and 104th for the year's R-rated films. With another entry in the "coming of age" category, I really was pleasantly surprised to find--if not an original--a deeply-felt, honest portrayal of the trials of adolescence. Written by That fall, to Hal's amazement, Ginny recruits him for the debate team, mentors him, and will be his partner. In order to overcome his stutter, Ben helps Hal to write his entire speech to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Definitely check this out. Warner Bros. Astronaut movies do not tell us about the future; they tell us about the future as seen through the concerns of the present. Rocket Science Productions is your one … He spends the evening at a nearby beach, and when his father picks him up, Hal tries to tell him that life and love "shouldn't be rocket science", although he is unable to say the phrase "rocket science" due to his stutter. [50], Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 84% from 111 critic reviews, with an average score of 6.93/10. A look back at the movie Rocket Science Details Category: Personal Commentary Published: Sunday, 15 April 2018 19:00 Written by Lisa Wilder Movies that feature stuttering are few and far between, and they usually depict it unrealistically or for the laugh factor. Rocket Science is the work of writer-director Jeffrey Blitz, who made the hit documentary Spellbound (2002), about the US's national school spelling bee. Hal is riding the school bus home one day when he is approached by Ginny Ryerson, the articulate, competitive star of the debate team. Is love rocket science? On the day of the tournament, Coach Lumbly tells the debate team that Ginny has transferred to Townsend Prep for the remainder of her senior year and that Hal will be paired with Heston for the day. [14] While filming, Blitz sometimes used hand gestures from the director's chair instead of yelling "cut" because of his stutter. Read Later. A girl falls for the "perfect" guy, who happens to have a very fatal flaw: he's a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him. What if we met a kid that was lured into the spelling bee because he was in love with a girl? "I had this little ukulele that I never played ... And Jeffrey [Blitz] had gotten a little bee in his bonnet about the accordion ... and then at one point I started using a kazoo. The film takes its title from Hal's closing quote that understanding life and love "shouldn't be rocket science". Through the film, he used lighting and art direction that felt real, while framing the shots to come across as deadpan. [20] Blitz said that "Even when [the children] can speak incredibly fast and are packing their sentences with tons of SAT words, they still don't know exactly what they're talking about. vector retro vintage astronaut couple and space ship stock illustration - rocket science film stock illustrations. When Hal finds himself unable to talk during a practice debate, he runs out of the room and hides in the janitorial closet, where Ginny joins him. The benefit being that a matching aesthetic can exist between the stills and video footage, to maintain a cohesive and identifiable look to the project. [3] The purpose of the evening, according to Blitz, was for the actors to "be comfortable around each other inhabiting their roles without self-consciousness", as each of their roles required them to act in potentially embarrassing ways. Directed by Vidya Sharma & Rajesh Thomas for Lucifer Circus. This FAQ is empty. Though Hal initially declines, he finds himself besotted with Ginny and agrees to be her partner. Life is not easy for teenager Hal Hefner. A film to cherish for Amazon Karigar, handcrafted with love. Reece Daniel Thompson. [57], Other reviews were less positive. Luke and Kate are coworkers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. Eloise, having been relieved of maid of honor duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text, decides to attend the wedding anyway, only to find herself seated with five fellow unwanted guests at the dreaded Table 19. Rocket Science: 10 Great Astronaut Movies. Headquartered in London, and expanding to Los Angeles in 2018, the company was founded in 2016 by leading industry executive Thorsten Schumacher. [25] While Blitz grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, he chose to set the narrative in Plainsboro, New Jersey—a place he has never visited[26]—because it was closer to Trenton, rather than New York City. Showing all 3 items Jump to: Summaries (2) Synopsis (1) Summaries. Rocket Science does fall prey to a couple of coming-of-age and indie movie cliches, but for the most part it's a very unique and likable comedy that is well worth seeing. She rejects his apology, and he travels to Trenton—the "Big City"—to find Ben, Ginny's former debate partner. Struggling with his speech and his stutter, Hal calls his therapist, who suggests that he sing his speech or talk with a foreign accent. Of course, the fine work of Reese Thompson will be rewarded by the praise he deserves (and hopefully awarded).But this deeply personal film has many fine moments, both hysterically funny and painfully revealing. That fall, to Hal's amazement, Ginny recruits him for the debate team, mentors him, and will be his partner. Rocket Science is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, and starring Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Nicholas D'Agosto, Vincent Piazza, and Aaron Yoo. He still has his stutter, but he works hard and he falls in love with Ginny. He still has his stutter, but he works hard and he falls in love with Ginny. Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever. [20] Blitz wrote the script "off and on" over a year in between stints of commercial directing. [3] Production designer Rick Butler chose bland, simple furniture and commonplace houses and cars to give the film a sense of timelessness and familiarity. Though it failed to win any of the Grand Jury Prizes at Sundance, Blitz won its Dramatic Directing Award. [7], The world premiere of Rocket Science was held on January 19, 2007 at the Sundance Film Festival. [63], San Francisco International Film Festival, "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Actor Denis O'Hare (, "Director Jeffrey Blitz, Movie Rocket Scientist", European League of Stuttering Associations, Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children, Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rocket_Science_(film)&oldid=1000236110, American coming-of-age comedy-drama films, Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. This was important because Reece Thompson, who was sixteen years old at the time, appears in almost every scene. [22] Hal's first debate scene is based on Blitz's first debate, where, for a full eight minutes, he could only make the sound "agh",[8] and the scene in which Hal throws a cello through a window was inspired by Blitz's own destruction of a flute. Rocket Science is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz and starring Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Nicholas D'Agosto, Vincent Piazza, and Aaron Yoo. Ben is satisfied with their efforts, but Hal finds Ginny before leaving. "[17] Journalist Mark Baumer highlighted the juxtaposition of Hal with the fast-talking debaters, who are at opposite ends of the spectrum with their speech but are both struggling with communication and expression. [8], Blitz described Hal as "lost in the mystery of love" and he "loved the idea that a kid who is lost when he's confronted by love and sex would be saddled with the name Hal Hefner", an homage to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Later in the year, Hal's mother breaks up with Heston's father, and Hal decides to seek out Ginny and return her trophy, which he stole. "[53] Bruce Feld of Film Journal International agreed, calling the film a "dead-on revelation of what high school is really like". It’s all on Hulu. A teen girl disappears after trying to meet men online in order to escape her small town. Inspired by the kids, he finds an opportunity to regain success by staging an altogether new production. It has interesting characters, a great score and a nice story. Q uirky, quirky, quirky goes Rocket Science.Round, round, round roll my eyes. 38 of 55 people found this review helpful. 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