ath isn't important in Dewey Finn's class. Music is all that counts. Rock music. When down and out singer/guitarist Dewey (Jack Black), finds himself desperate for money with no gigs in sight, he talks his way into a job as a substitute teacher at an elementary school. The students will never be the same again.

  Borrowing his roommate's teaching identity, Dewey becomes Mr. Schneebly, wildman of the classroom. The actor was thankful director Richard Linklater was always there to keep him in check. "He reins me in," explains Black, "which is important because I'm always going 10 miles too far over the top. So when I go a little too crazy, he brings me back to reality." 

  Within a few weeks, Mr. Schneebly's class has jammed and rehearsed enough to get accepted into a Battle of the Bands 
actors
Jack Black
Joan Cusack
Mike White

director
Richard Linklater

locations
New York

outtake
Playing in a rock band is nothing new for Jack Black. He fronts his own group called Tenacious D.

contest. In real life, several thousand youngsters auditioned in 10 different North American cities to win starring roles in the film. "We cast children who could actually play these instruments and sing," says casting director Ilene Starger.
They were put through a kind of rock-and-roll boot camp and according
to Black, "These kids were amazing musicians from the start and took direction really well."

  The young School of Rock band members were all newcomers to film. They include guitarist Joey Gaydos Jr., (Zack), classical pianist Robert Tsai (Lawrence) and Kevin Clark as rebellious drummer Freddy. Maryam Hassan, a 10-year-old from Long Island, travelled with her mother to Manhattan and belted out a song from the musical Dreamgirls at her audition. She nabbed the role of Tomika, a shy singer.

  Some of the teachers at the prestigious Horace Green Elementary School don't take kindly to Mr. Schneebly's unorthodox methods. In particular, straight-laced principal Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack) gives him a tough time. It doesn't take long though, before she begins to see things his way.

  "I'm Dewey's nemesis," Cusack comments, "and I could blow the whistle on him at any moment. It's a great role, because deep down, Rosalie Mullins really wants to let loose and be wild.  So in a way, I guess she sort of admires Dewey."

  The real Ned Schneebly is portrayed by Mike White, who co-wrote the School of Rock script with ex-Saturday Night Live writer and performer Sarah Silverman. White also penned The Good Girl, Chuck & Buck and the Jack Black comedy Orange County. "Jack is a great performer, a terrific musician and the perfect anti-hero," says White.

  Though he plays a teacher who may be some parents' nightmare, Black's energetic writhing, full-force stage diving and powerful rock delivery adds up to a high-voltage comic performance his fans won't soon forget.

- Elaine Loring