Pratik Handore
‘School of Rock’ is a 2003 comedy film that revolves around a slacker rock guitarist Dewey Finn who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school and ends up forming a tight bond with the students. The musical comedy is directed by Richard Linklater and stars Jack Black in the lead role. The idea of an amateur rock musician acting as a teacher in a school sounds outlandish, but does it have any precedence in the real world? We decided to dig into the matter, and here’s what we learned in that regard!
Is School of Rock Based on a True Story?
No, ‘School of Rock’ is not based on a true story. The movie is based on an original story from screenwriter Mike White. However, before the inception of the concept, White and lead star Jack Black had discussed making a rock and roll film about the hard rock band Styx. After completing work on the 2002 film ‘Orange County’ Black and White decided to collaborate again, and Black suggested the idea of making a movie about Styx. The band’s creativity appealed to Black, and he noted that the band members were outsiders in the hard metal, heavy rock scene of the time.
However, White completely sidelined Black’s idea and ended up writing the screenplay for ‘School of Rock.’ White, who had been friends with Black for years, felt that the actor really hadn’t landed a part that capitalizes on his charisma and brand of comedy. Therefore, the script of ‘School of Rock’ was tailor-made to best suit Black’s talents. “I felt like there was an opportunity to write something for him that would show different colors of him than he’s been able to show in some of the other movies he’s done,” White told IGN in an interview.
Black and White, who had been neighbors for a few years in real life, play roommates Dewey and Ned in the movie. Along with Black, almost all the child actors in the movie played their own musical instruments. Like most music-themed films, ‘School of Rock’ also utilizes the Battle of the Bands gimmick during the climax. However, such a competition really takes place in New York City, with teenagers competing in a tournament every summer.
While the film is not based on a true story, it has been heavily reported that the concept was derived from Paul Green’s School of Rock (officially known as Paul Green Rock Academy), where children learn rock music from record producer Paul Green. The school was the subject of an unaired VH-1 documentary. Viacom, the parent company of VH-1, also owns Paramount, the studio which produced the movie.
Green and his students noted many similarities between the film and their real-life, including the look of Black’s character and Green’s appearance. Green contemplated suing the producers at one point. However, seeing the boom in new enrollments that came to his school due to the film’s success, Green decided not to pursue a lawsuit. All things said, ‘School of Rock’ is a fictional story that coincidentally or not has some semblance to reality. At the heart of the story is a desire to inspire children and make them channel their raw energy in a positive way. The music scenes are filmed with a touch of realism, and the relatable hard rock and heavy metal references in the film make it all the more enjoyable.
Read More: Where to Stream School of Rock?
