Strong communication, teamwork in funny, charming comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Language
some
Occasional profanity includes "ass," "pissed," "hell," "slut," "damn," "crap," "sucks," "butt," "sissy," and "God!" as an exclamation. One character mouths silently the word "bitch."
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Characters hold beers and cigarettes during rock concerts. Adults have beers at a bar—one of them, who's the principal of a school, starts to act a little drunk. A grown-up tells kids that he's hung over—another mentions "getting wasted." Adults share a story of another woman getting drunk and singing wildly.
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A character tries to stage dive but no one catches him, so he lands on his face. A man tells parents that he "touched kids" and they "touched him," but he doesn't mean it in the way the parents take it—the scene is played for humor. An overbearing parent yells at their child.
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Many rock 'n' roll bands are referenced and mentioned, like Led Zeppelin, Blondie, AC/DC, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Yes, Rush, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac. A few references to MTV.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
One girl in class complains that she doesn't want to be a "groupie" because when she looked it up, the internet said they are "sluts." When a teacher asks kids what rock 'n' roll is for, one kid responds that it's for "scoring chicks." A man tells a woman that she's "hot."
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Strong positive messages of doing what you love, communication, and teamwork. Hard work, practice, and dedication are important aspects of committing to a passion. Let kids follow their dreams. Find your passion and give it your all. Good communication and teamwork are necessary for a band to be happy and successful.
Positive Role Models
some
Dewey starts out as a slacker and misleads others for his own gain. He's selfish and wants to be in a successful band. But he soon finds real joy teaching kids music. He's supportive and inspiring, funny, creative, and charismatic. Characters learn and demonstrate good communication, teamwork, and perseverance as they work toward a common goal.
Diverse Representations
a little
Dewey and other adult characters are White. The kids in his class include Black and Asian students and are gender balanced. One child is implied to be queer (he becomes the band's "stylist" and has strong opinions on the band members' costumes, for example). He isn't made fun of for who he is, but he is one-dimensional and generally only says one-liners. One girl is worried about her weight, but Dewey explains to her that it's what's on the inside that counts and points to Aretha Franklin as an example.
Parents need to know that School of Rock is as much a vehicle for Jack Black to make rock 'n' roll faces while playing guitar as it is hilarious fun for musicians and music fans. This comedy is an enjoyable way for kids to learn about music, get to know some classic rock music, and experience what it takes to form a band. The film has strong messages of communication, teamwork, and perseverance and culminates in a great performance that the kids have been working toward. There's occasional profanity ("ass," "hell," "damn," "sucks"), some of it spoken by 10-year-olds, and Black's character Dewey sometimes mentions his hangovers to the kids he's teaching. Dewey also angers parents when he tells them that he "touched" their kids—he doesn't mean it inappropriately, but that's the way they take it. A kid complains that she doesn't want to be a "groupie" for the band because the term also means "slut." There are brief shots of adults drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
This movie is an attempt to try and connect children with the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll but ultimately exposes viewers, and especially children, to toxic stereotypes and a number of illegal situations involving children. I understand that this was done in an attempt at humor, but themes of impersonating others, adults lying, adults encouraging children to go against and lie to their parents, and adults using children as a means to ultimately achieve their personal goals is not a message children should be exposed to. For example, there is a scene where a group of children go with the teacher in his van and leave campus all in the dark of the principle and the children’s parents. This movie makes light of inappropriate conduct from adults in a child’s world and should be shown with an understanding of what all this movie includes.
This movie is more for adults than it is for kids, and it's not even entertaining. Maybe if you like butt rock. But there IS sexually explicit language despite the rating, including one of the school girls saying she does not want the position of "groupie" in the band because they're sluts and "all groupies do is sleep with the band members." Many references to women being hot, and the women characters are also poorly portrayed as stereotypes, ie uptight, meddling girlfriend who kills her boyfriend's dreams and unfeeling, tightly wound school marm principle. I was forced to give it an age rating but really I don't think sexist, sexually demeaning language is appropriate for any kids and of course doesn't actually add anything to the movie.
What's the Story?
In SCHOOL OF ROCK, Jack Black plays Dewey Finn, a musician who loves rock music and wishes to be in a successful band. Like the music he loves, Dewey is loud, self-absorbed, and messy, but he's also passionate and funny. When his best friend Ned (screenwriter Mike White) says he will have to move out if he doesn't start paying rent, Dewey impersonates Ned and takes a substitute teacher job for a fifth-grade class at a posh prep school. Soon, Dewey starts teaching the class rock music and how to be a rock band.
In a perfect role for Black, this music comedy allows him to be ridiculous, charming, and hilarious. Pair Black with a bunch of adorable fifth graders, throw in some choice rock tunes, and together, School of Rock quickly becomes a comedy classic. Penned by White (The Good Girl, The White Lotus), this heartfelt comedy also has some strong lessons to teach beyond how the power of music can move people. Some of these lessons admonish overbearing parents, show image-conscious kids what's really important, and encourage children to lean into what they're really passionate about. Leading up to a fantastic final performance, this film shows kids how fun and rewarding music can be.
This is by far one of the most accessible and conventional films from director Richard Linklater (Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). Black is enormously entertaining, and the kids are terrific. The cast is wonderful, and Joan Cusack shines as the buttoned-up principal struggling to keep her wits around angry parents. The film also avoids potentially tricky areas a story about rock 'n' roll music might involve, like drugs and sexual content. The brief scene about "groupies" might still offend some parents, but Black's character handles his explanation to the kids well enough. Dewey generally becomes a strong and positive role model for the kids, especially shown when he protects one kid from a bunch of older musicians smoking cigarettes around him in a van.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how much Dewey loves rock music in School of Rock. Why is music so important to him? What does music allow him to express?
How do characters show strong communication and teamwork while learning how to be a band? When faced with adversity, how do characters show perseverance?
What's the most important thing Dewey learns from the kids? What is the most important thing the kids learn from him?
What is your favorite song featured in the film?
What do you think rock 'n' roll is all about after watching this film?
MPAA explanation:
some rude humor and drug references
Last updated:
September 9, 2024
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