"School of Rock": Dreams Don't Die

Madelyn 2022-03-20 09:01:15

Text | Izumo Breaks the Moon

This article was first published in the September 2014 issue of "Composition Newsletter: Jinse", and the content has been edited and edited.

Reproduction without my authorization is prohibited, and misappropriation must be investigated.

For reprinting and cooperation, please contact Douyou.


Outsiders who don't know rock and roll, or who are new to rock, actually have an established impression of rock-alcohol, hangovers, chaotic and dark bars, and loud noises all day long.

Yes, that noise is rock music.

At first, I used this kind of prejudice, or in other words, the director used the self-righteous cognition of many people about rock and roll to start the film...

Dewey, who is over 30 years old, has been living in the rock and roll dream. In the eyes of ordinary people, he can only live in the house of his friend Ned, a former musician who is now a substitute teacher. Ned's girlfriend was so controlling that she told Dewey to leave without paying the rent.

When Dewey was at a loss, the opportunity came. That is to replace Ned, go to the prestigious primary school contemporary teacher.

Of course, this is all done without anyone knowing.

Dewey, who was used to being free and loose, came to a rigorous school, and it was unimaginable that he was out of place. He couldn't even remember the last name of his friend Ned, so he could only let the classmates call himself Mr.S.

He was initially irresponsible and only cared about when meals could be served at school. If there is no class, let all the students in the class go out to play. Until one day, he stumbled upon the musical talents of this group of children.

On a whim, he took them to the annual rock band competition.

The story unfolds in the children's confusion and curiosity about rock and roll.

These kids brought Dewey a new world. The process of gradually exploring with the child made him rekindle his confidence again, and remembered how unique rock and roll was to him.

Rock and roll has never been for the pursuit of perfection, but to give people the courage to break the rules.

Dewey teaches this to children. When his identity was exposed, he was unemployed again, and no one participated in the competition, it was these children who "fleeed" collectively during class, found Dewey, and completed their common competition together.

The children showed what they had learned about the true meaning of rock and roll.

The piano boy who once thought he was rigid and not "cool" enough, found confidence in the band;

The blond boy who played the drums was once the most naughty student in the class. Now he can also concentrate on his studies and concentrate on playing the drums. When Dewey was about to give up, tell Dewey that rock and roll is a serious business, and we have a mission;

The most unforgettable is the guitarist Zack, a boy who was disciplined by his father and almost polished his talents. It was Dewey who told him how to turn talent into passion. For the final game, Dewey decided to use a song written by Zack.

The perseverance and courage of these children finally moved the parents. In the end, Dewey could no longer teach at the school, but instead started classes at Ned's apartment. Ned also got rid of his girlfriend who was always in charge of himself, and started his music career again as a music teacher.

The shaping of characters and the tension between the characters are the charm of "School of Rock".

The appearance of each character has undergone earth-shaking changes to the end of the film.

Children become more enthusiastic, courageous, focused and imaginative while wanting to show off their youth. It's the band that really holds the class together, and everyone thinks about how to make the group better, not about getting a few stars for progress today.

Rock isn't about fame, it's about the music itself.

Dewey has also had a noticeable shift. Dewey was not good enough at the beginning, but it was such a lazy, sloppy, fat, and unsuccessful man that the audience could better appreciate his continuous growth.

He once called substitute teachers "temporary workers" and was not responsible during the school's "teaching" period. But later he discovered that living a life in a daze is not the purpose of rock and roll to liberate the soul. Our never-say-die, the more setbacks the more courageous, is the real meaning.

The film puts together "rock" and "campus" which are full of opposites, supporting the strongest contradiction in the whole film.

When Dewey taught the children his first lesson, because of his own frustrations, he warned the children that the world is controlled by the "boss". For example, in the school, the "boss" is the principal Miss. Mullins.

However, after Dewey happened to see Zack's father's strict and inhumane demands and attitude towards Zack, he changed his passive resistance and told everyone that the reason why he played rock was to fight against those 'bosses'. Use music to talk to the world and express your attitude.

At the end of the film, everyone still missed the championship. Dewey was a little disappointed, but the children's words inspired him again: "A lot of famous bands haven't won awards, don't let the 'boss' blow your confidence." These children are still young, but already have unbreakable willpower .

Dewey listened to everyone's heart, so the band has "Rock School", the band name that unites the contradictions.

The biggest contradiction actually collapsed when the band's name was chosen. They are the ones who wake up the dead campus. The principal who admitted to Dewey, "I became the last person I didn't want to be", was overjoyed after the performance. It was these children who made her find her former self.

The film encapsulates the core idea of ​​the spirit of rock and roll in a coat about the pursuit of a rock and roll career.

In this film, the "rock spirit" not only refers to the independent spirit of rock music itself, but also represents an attitude towards dreams. This attitude is unshakable and indestructible.

In fact, it doesn't matter whether you understand music or not. The reason why the audience is immersed in the plot and tears during the game is entirely because they feel the inner spiritual power. This kind of attitude about dreams that everyone has had, but not necessarily adhered to to the end.

In this world, people who give up their original dreams should be the majority. We are always fascinated by the turbulent things in front of us and worry about the future we cannot see.

It was like taking a test in an exam room, and everyone began to concentrate on answering the paper. But as long as one person submits the papers ahead of time, those who are still answering the questions start to feel restless and can no longer concentrate, worrying that they will be the last to submit the papers.

But please don't forget, all you have to answer is your own paper, what does it have to do with what others do? Take 10,000 steps back and say, even if the time is up, the answer has not been completed, so what? This test is not the only test in life, and the results of the test do not prove everything.

Dreams are actually the same question as answering in the exam room. In the beginning, we all lived peacefully in our dreams and worked hard for them. But gradually, we saw the people around us, all of them succeeded. Or a successful career, or a happy family, all happiness seems to be only in the lives of others. As a result, some people start to feel uneasy, start to worry, and fear that they are the only ones left to achieve nothing in the end.

It's human nature to worry like this. Didn't even Dewey doubt himself several times? But in the end, he stuck to the path he thought was right.

In a short period of time, we may not see hard work pay off, just like Dewey is in his thirties and has nothing to do. But the most important thing is that he has a heart to persevere to the end. People kept telling him to stop fantasizing, but he was still chasing his dreams with a "rock spirit". It just happened that his dream was rock music.

People should never give up their dreams because of the achievements or influence of others. Perseverance may not get all the expectations, but if you give up without even trying, how can you be worthy of yourself?

It's easy to be an ordinary person. It's nothing more than nine-to-five and conscientious work. This is the success of most people. But success does not necessarily mean the achievement of dreams. Some people just hope to open a small bookstore and live a leisurely life of "stealing life for half a day". No matter how small the dream is, as long as it is achieved, it has surpassed countless people who have long chosen to give up.

The path of sticking to your dreams has always been difficult. Time is the biggest bargaining chip, and youth makes us never lose the bet. Because we have chosen the path full of thorns, but long in our minds. Even if you don't succeed, you will be honored even if you fail. Only if you try, you will have no regrets in this life.

Dreams don't die, rock and roll.

Never bow, never give up, never compromise. Just stay focused, with the spirit of rock and roll, keep moving forward!


This article was first published in the September 2014 issue of "Composition Newsletter: Jinse", and the content editing has been shortened.

Reproduction without my authorization is prohibited, and misappropriation must be investigated.

For reprinting and cooperation, please contact Douyou.

View more about School of Rock reviews

Extended Reading
  • Toy 2022-03-25 09:01:05

    Leaving aside rock and roll, there are some small plot loopholes and flaws in the beginning of the film, but they are no longer important under the wonderful interpretation of black and the children. The good thing is that the role of the principal is no longer dull and just a pure villain. It is integrated into it, and it has done a good job in coordinating black and the children's scenes and show. In fact, everything becomes no longer important when the last music rang, because ROCK!

  • Marcus 2022-03-24 09:01:19

    Average work put by the teacher

School of Rock quotes

  • Billy: You're gonna talk to me about style? You can't even dress yourself... look at that bow tie.

    Dewey Finn: Don't you be talkin' about my bow tie.

  • Dewey Finn: Give up, just quit, because in this life, you can't win. Yeah, you can try, but in the end you're just gonna lose, big time, because the world is run by the Man.

    Frankie: Who?

    Dewey Finn: The Man. Oh, you don't know the Man? He's everywhere. In the White House, down the hall... Ms. Mullins, she's the Man. And the Man ruined the ozone, and he's burning down the Amazon, and he kidnapped Shamu and put her in a chlorine tank! Okay? And there used to be a way to stick it to the Man, it was called rock 'n roll. But guess what? Oh no. The Man ruined that, too, with a little thing called MTV! So don't waste your time trying to make anything cool, or pure, or awesome, 'cause the Man is just gonna call you a fat washed up loser and crush your soul. So do yourselves a favor and just GIVE UP!