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It's your blood, sweat and tears. You put your heart and soul into every aspect as you perform on the field.
This time, we're not talking about football.
It's the "other entertainment" on the field, showcased in the new movie "Drumline," which opens nationwide Dec. 13.
The story follows Devon (Nick Cannon), a young drummer from Harlem, who is awarded a full scholarship to the fictional Atlanta A&T University. In his transition to college life, he finds that his street smarts will no longer get him by, but it's his raw talent on the snare drum that finally gains him respect -- despite the cocky attitude.
"It's like a big musical," said Director Charles Stone III. "I mean, we didn't have people singing or breaking into song, but we do have these incredible scenarios of percussion and drumming. It's a sports film, a coming-of-age movie."
Instead of football, basketball or baseball, the vehicle for the main character to soar is the marching band. Devon, the story's hero, has a rebellious, raw talent but no discipline, and has to work through his ego to hopefully lead the band to a championship.
I grew up around marching bands and I was a member of my high school drumline so I had a lot of respect for where the director was going with this movie. By giving the audience the perspective of the drumline, they are pulled into the hard work and dedication that is often overlooked. The tagline for this film "Welcome to the Fifth Quarter," is very fitting because the bands are very entertaining at halftime although most fans run to the concession stands.
The years I spent in band were more like being in the Army. We ran, we did push ups -- it was a very strict environment that was all about respect. One thing we didn't do was dance. The "show-style marching" of the traditionally black universities is what is on display in this movie. Although it is more entertaining to watch, the quality of music usually suffered. The thing that was so great about this movie is the filmmakers made a conscious effort to blend the two styles of marching. Yes there was dancing. Yes they played new hip-hop music while they marched, but they stood tall and had respect for the music and what they were going to accomplish.
They paid attention to the music and played it accurately. In essence, they created the perfect band.
"Drumline" stars several relatively unknown actors, but it was to the movie's advantage. A big star in this movie would have taken away from the overall message. I began to get a certain sense of that with Orlando Jones ("Mad TV," "Evolution"). You might remember him also as the original "Make 7UP yours" guy from the commercials. Through the entire film, I was just waiting for him to pull out some crazy antic to make everyone laugh. It didn't happen. He was believable as the strict, disciplined band director.
Stone commented after the movie how Jones talked to him about the role after reading the script. He wanted to do some more "serious and dramatic roles." I'll admit it, I laughed out loud when I saw his name in the credits as the band director. After the movie, I bit my tongue. He was perfect for the role in every way.
Zoë Saldana plays Laila, Devon's love interest in the film. Saldana made her motion picture debut in "Center Stage" and followed up that role opposite Kirsten Dunst and Colin Hanks in "Get Over It." Her character Laila in "Drumline" is an upperclassman that is head of her sorority and captain of the Color guard (on-field dancers) for the band. At first, she doesn't buy Devon's smooth approach, but winds up falling in love with the freshman drum prodigy.
"Drumline" is the second feature film for Stone. His first, "Paid in Full," a story about drug dealers in the 1980s, is currently in theaters starring Mekhi Phifer. Stone has also directed several music videos and is probably best known for his Budweiser "Wasssup" commercials.
Grammy-winning songwriter Dallas Austin, who has collaborated with Madonna, Michael Jackson, TLC and Pink produces the phenomenal mix of music in this film, incorporating new rap and hip-hop with traditional marching cadences.
"Show-style marching bands really embrace the worlds of hip-hop and R&B with a style of choreography that is explosive," said Stone. "Most people are familiar with the corps marching bands that they've seen on television, which are overly formal and somewhat military-style. Using hip-hop music and a much more complex and funky rhythm, show-style bands are more flamboyant and create a really intense, high-energy style of marching."
This movie is entertaining and full of energy. Although "Drumline" will cater more to individuals who have been in band at a high school or collegiate level, all audiences can enjoy the movie because it's a different perspective on the lesser-known "sport."
Several movies have been released about cheerleading and the obstacles they face when gearing up for a competition, but now, in this case, it's time to strike up the band.
