Rocket Science (2007)

Rocket Science
2007
Drama/Comedy
Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick

Yes, another Anna Kendrick movie, but I promise, I didn't rent it because she was in it. Although I freely admit she is very quickly moving up my celebrity crush list. No, I rented Rocket Science in my continuing attempt to see every movie set in high school (or college). There are some I have skipped because they seem like they are trying to hard to be quirky or indie or something else like that which I would hate, at first Rocket Science seemed like it could have turned out like that, but having never heard anything about it before I saw it on Netflix I decided to give it a shot. And I am happy I did, because I really liked it. The movie follows the life of Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson), who has a terrible stuttering problem, who is recruited by star of the high schools debate team Ginny (Anna Kendrick) to be her new debate partner. Even though he has a terrible stutter and can't speak in public to save his life, he accepts her invitation to be her parter, eventually developing a huge crush on her. A lot of stuff happens after that point, but I won't spoil it. It may sound like sort of a ridiculous premise but the way it is actually presented is anything but. I can honestly say I had absolutely no idea how this movie was going to end or where it was going most of the time, which was refreshing. I think Anna Kendrick may actually be a little cuter in this than she was in Up in the Air, but I can't really put my finger on why (I think it may be because she is a little chubbier in this movie, therefore more realistically in my league). Nevermind about Anna Kendrick because even though she is good in this movie, Reece Thompson in the lead in phenomenal. There is just something about his character and performance that comes off as so authetic. I really believed he was the character. Which is not easy considering he has to compete with the stutter the whole time. I also liked how they handled the stuttering, it wasn't there for you to laugh at, or feel sorry for, it was just part of life, and you accepted that and moved on. Rocket Science containts a variety of emotions, it features some very dramatic (and slightly depressing) scenes, but also has plenty of scenes that had me cracking up, sort of like real life I suppose. Hal Hefner is a character you root for. There were a few things about it that annoyed me because it was trying to be hip (like the parents playing accoustic Violent Femmes covers all the time), but they did not distract from the overall experience. If you think you have seen all realistic portrayals of high school from movies, make sure to see Rocket Science, because it is a great example ofit.

3.5 out of 5 Stars
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