Drumline (2002)
I gots a real problem with "Drumline."
This film is being hyped around like it is some sort
of sleeper hit when it really came out during the
peak of the holiday season and has a huge studio behind
it. The hype just ain't fo reals. But even worse than
that is "Drumline's" message which is basically this:
Even if your an fucked-up, uneducated asshole, if
you have talent you will be proclaimed a genius. Sure,
Eminem pulled this off in "8 Mile," but this is different.
This story is played out like some sort of inspirational
message movie.
If you don't think what I am saying
is true, just look at lead Nick Cannon's face in the
last shot he has in the movie, after he; an expelled,
mean, dickhead; gets to perform at a championship
talent show thingee. His face is that of every crass,
boorish, uneducated, ignorant, teenage, gangster thug
in America. His bugged out eyes and "fuck you" expression
says "I'm bad." The only thing of support is that
you can say he's doing this with drums instead of
a revolver. That's about the only difference. The
uneducated attitude is basically the same.
This story is just stupid. The script
by Shawn Shepps and Tina Gordon Chism isn't a deconstruction,
as the hype would have us believe, but a basic rip-off
of every cliche in the "teenage sports hero" book.
This is like "Rocky" and "Varsity Blues" and a thousand
other films only with a marching band instead of a
sport or whatever. This script is derivative drivel,
plain and simple. There's nothing inspirational or
exciting or new about this story. Except it has a
marching band in it.
I wasn't a band geek in high school
and I ain't one now. Talk about a niche market. If
you ain't a band geek right now (and in that case
your under 21 and don't really know shit about shit
anyway), then you will find nothing of value or interest
in this film. If you were at one time a band geek,
you will still find nothing in this film to enjoy,
unless you are suffering an acute case of arrested
development.
I hate this film. The lesson it
teaches teenagers is this: Go ahead and buck tradition
and authority and intelligence and conventional wisdom
and while your at it, fuck school and work and your
parents and your classmates and your peers. If you
got talent, that's all that matters man. Fuck, isn't
that the dumbass attitude that got us ignorant, crass,
vulgar, thug Gangster Rap stars in the first place?
The fact that these low-class, vile, misogynistic,
thugs became stars in America is one of the most disheartening
and disappointing things that has ever happened in
this country. Gangster Rap isn't a celebration of
culture, it's a celebration of idiocy. It's a celebration
of unintelligence. It's a celebration of homophobia.
It's a celebration of violence and the debasement
of women.
As is "Drumline."
You are now free to call me a racist.
If this film is a celebration of black culture, I
want no part of it.
I'm gonna go put on some Rolling
Stones and shake my head in disgust now. The people
who made this film should be very ashamed. They've
turned a sweet-hearted, liberal old man into a racist.
How sad.
Note:
With Orlando Jones (you know, the
guy from the 7-Up commercials) and GQ.
Nominated for an Image Award, which
just goes to show you...
Viewed in Austin in December 2002
with a crowd about as obnoxious and unruly as you
can imagine.
