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Rocket Science

Play trailer Poster for Rocket Science R Released Aug 10, 2007 1h 41m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 114 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
High-school student Hal Hefner's (Reece Daniel Thompson) life is falling down around him. His parents have split, his brother picks on him incessantly, and he has a terrible stutter. Hal cannot believe it when Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), a pretty classmate, asks him to join their school's debate team. Falling head over heels in love with Ginny, he agrees to her request, with unexpected results.
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Rocket Science

Rocket Science

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Critics Consensus

Though Rocket Science appears to be a typically quirky indie, the well-rounded performances and director Jeffrey Blitz's clear affection for his characters gives the film its proper human spark.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: B+ Feb 18, 2012 Full Review Cliff Doerksen Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald Here's a twist -- an American high-school movie that has a brain. Rated: 4/5 Jun 16, 2010 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Humor, compassion, tenderness, forgiveness and friendship. The trials and tribulations of youth and of life told with heartfelt emotion and some well executed deadpan comedy. A little off-beat and a lot of fun. Nov 9, 2019 Full Review Ben McEachen Empire Magazine Australasia Well worth the wait, Rocket Science is a winning coming of age comedy with a difference. Rated: 4/5 Jun 16, 2010 Full Review Margaret Pomeranz At the Movies (Australia) It's intelligent, it doesn't go for the emotional jugular, it has an honesty about it that's refreshing. Rated: 4/5 Jun 16, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joel B Rocket Science does have an interesting premise about a boy with a sever stutter who befriends a girl at school who recruits him to join the debate club. The first thirty minutes or so the film does feel cluttered but then does find it's feet. The most interesting part is the main characters arch and how he progresses through out and you can see his confidence grow. However most of ensemble characters have a dead pan effect and it feels like they lack personality and charisma. The film does well at being funny when it wants to be and has an important message about how stepping out of your comfort zone can be a good thing regardless of how scary it is. There were a few awkward scenes that makes you feel for the characters which makes you want to root for him more. Even though there a noticeable flaws and the build up is lacking in the final act there is definitely an important message to be had. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/03/24 Full Review KB B It was a pretty intriguing movie with decent acting and a very good storyline. It's definitely worth the watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/04/24 Full Review Ram L Keyphrase: "A near-total absence of realism while appearing authentic." The movie has its funny moments, sure. But the story is a series of unlikely events and weird dreams that leaves you with questions such as: "Why is she doing this?" You find out and the question becomes "Would anyone really do that?" At one point you're wondering "Why is he agreeing to this? Will anything come out of it?" Nothing does come out of it and you're wondering "So what was that all about?" —> Very briefly, the movie strikes me as one long sequence of entities—people, events, decisions—so utterly unlikely that when the main character says at the end "I'm trying to figure all this out," someone asks him *what* he's trying to figure out; you'll probably wonder, too. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/02/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful film about the complexity of love and life! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Insanely charming and funny with a superb soundtrack to boot, Rocket Science exceeds in it's endeavors and rises above many of it's indie peers of the same vein. At times it feels like a second rate Rushmore, but that's nothing to really slouch at. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review robert p I should have headed the warnings that the first part of the movie shows promise but then the guy get's dumped by his girlfriend. After that, the film slows down to almost a crawl as the guy learns the world is not fair. Thus my *2* star rating!! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Rocket Science

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis High-school student Hal Hefner's (Reece Daniel Thompson) life is falling down around him. His parents have split, his brother picks on him incessantly, and he has a terrible stutter. Hal cannot believe it when Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), a pretty classmate, asks him to join their school's debate team. Falling head over heels in love with Ginny, he agrees to her request, with unexpected results.
Director
Jeffrey Blitz
Producer
Effie Brown, Sean Welch
Screenwriter
Jeffrey Blitz
Distributor
Picturehouse
Production Co
Duly Noted Inc.
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 10, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 15, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$712.4K
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby
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