2008 Woodie Awards
Struggling to Speak
Rocket Science wavers between comedy, teen tragedy
Sam Ewing
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Pros
Several very funny moments
Excellent performance by Reese Thompson
Exceptional use of music
Cons
Depressing at times
Could be seen as a knock off of other recent comedies
Visually unimpressive
***1/2
I read once that fear of public speaking was the greatest fear among Americans. In some ways, that sounds bit odd; is public speaking really feared more than death, disease car accidents, or poverty? However, if you're anything Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) the stuttering hero of Rocket Science that probably would be understandable.
Hal is such a sad case that he can barely tell you his name; but despite this he aspires to be a champion debater (not that he ever would have ever come up with the idea of his own). He's smitten with the runner-up in the state's debate competitions the previous year: Virginia Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), who also goes by Ginny. Ginny is Hal's opposite, a bold orator who speaks so fast and ferociously she seems like she might be practicing to be the next Anne Coulter.
She wants Hal to be her debate partner. Whether she actually sees something in him, is playing a cruel joke, or is merely the writer's way of showing a contrast in communication styles is unclear. What is clear is that Hal has a crush on her and sees performance in debate competitions as a way of earning her approval. Unfortunately for Hal, though, his slow progress leads to Ginny's dropping him as a partner; and a failure in his first debate makes his coach decide that he's not fit for public speaking. What ensues is a series of sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking reactions on the part of Hal that climaxes in one of the strangest displays of public speaking you'll ever see.
In one sense Rocket Science is a goofy high school comedy in the vein of recent cult classics such as Napoleon Dynamite, and Rushmore. Like those movies, it has a drab look, and the characters recite absurdist lines such as "I'm through with masturbating" with a clueless irony.
Several very funny moments
Excellent performance by Reese Thompson
Exceptional use of music
Cons
Depressing at times
Could be seen as a knock off of other recent comedies
Visually unimpressive
***1/2
I read once that fear of public speaking was the greatest fear among Americans. In some ways, that sounds bit odd; is public speaking really feared more than death, disease car accidents, or poverty? However, if you're anything Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) the stuttering hero of Rocket Science that probably would be understandable.
Hal is such a sad case that he can barely tell you his name; but despite this he aspires to be a champion debater (not that he ever would have ever come up with the idea of his own). He's smitten with the runner-up in the state's debate competitions the previous year: Virginia Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), who also goes by Ginny. Ginny is Hal's opposite, a bold orator who speaks so fast and ferociously she seems like she might be practicing to be the next Anne Coulter.
She wants Hal to be her debate partner. Whether she actually sees something in him, is playing a cruel joke, or is merely the writer's way of showing a contrast in communication styles is unclear. What is clear is that Hal has a crush on her and sees performance in debate competitions as a way of earning her approval. Unfortunately for Hal, though, his slow progress leads to Ginny's dropping him as a partner; and a failure in his first debate makes his coach decide that he's not fit for public speaking. What ensues is a series of sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking reactions on the part of Hal that climaxes in one of the strangest displays of public speaking you'll ever see.
In one sense Rocket Science is a goofy high school comedy in the vein of recent cult classics such as Napoleon Dynamite, and Rushmore. Like those movies, it has a drab look, and the characters recite absurdist lines such as "I'm through with masturbating" with a clueless irony.
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