Speech & Debate

PG-13

Released Apr 7, 2017

1 hr. 55 min.

Comedy

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List

55%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Frustrated by the hypocrisy they see in their parents, teachers, and the members of the school board, an unlikely trio set out to find a common truth and make their voices heard as they revive a defunct school club and take on the world.

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Premiered Sep 29

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steve d

As a former Debater and coach, I wanted to like it, but it tries way to hard and does nothing interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Estava tão cult, até transformar se em um pastelão, adolescentes caindo de bêbados e drogados na esbornia, desvirtuou o que seria um filme leve e divertido sobre jovens liberais inteligentes e militando em prol da liberdade sexual, mães solteiras e afins, o discurso & debate quase se perdeu… Mas se recuperou de forma brilhante, aquele musical final, salvou, era o que eu esperava desses jovens "encrenqueiros" e reacionários… Um filme delicinha, descompromissado, que levanta uma linda bandeira....

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Andrea N

Surprised this movie doesn't have better reviews because I thought it was very funny and enjoyable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/14/21

Full Review

Robbie M

Absolute cliché, boring garbage

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/27/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Three misfit high school students in a misfit script with misfit acting and misfit pacing and a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. BTW they are terrible at speech and debate.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was definitely the worst movie I have seen in years. The main character has a terrible singing voice. It gave me a headache to listen to her. The plot is completely incoherent, and the ending is awful. The acting is worse than a middle school play. I made an account just to warn people how horrible this movie is. You may have made some bad decisions in life, but watching this movie will be by far your worst.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Dan Harris

Director

Sarah Steele

Diwata

Liam James

Solomon

Austin P. McKenzie

Howie

Kal Penn

James

Janeane Garofalo

Marie

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Speech & Debate: Trailer 1

2:30

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

A heartfelt love letter from theater kids to theater kids.

Rated: B

Apr 14, 2017

Full Review

Frank Scheck

Hollywood Reporter

The film's stage origins, and a cameo appearance by Lin-Manuel Miranda, may be of interest to theater buffs, but everyone else will be left wondering what all the fuss was about.

Apr 11, 2017

Full Review

Andrew Barker

Variety

Once a darkly comic romp centered around outing a pedophile teacher, this adaptation has been shorn of its sharpest edges, leaving a largely unfocused, conventional teen dramedy in its place.

Apr 7, 2017

Full Review

D.R. Baker

The Young Folks

...Speech & Debate will probably not stand out among the best, although it is, at times, a fun ride anyway.

Rated: 6/10

Apr 28, 2017

Full Review

Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Coming-of-age tale confronts teen issues; sex and drinking.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 18, 2017

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

All in all, this is a plucky but rather disorganised attempt to explore pressing issues. For a teen-focused film, it's refreshingly lacking in cynicism, but its fate will depend on whether or not its audience shares this quality.

Rated: 2.5/5

Apr 6, 2017

Full Review

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Synopsis

Frustrated by the hypocrisy they see in their parents, teachers, and the members of the school board, an unlikely trio set out to find a common truth and make their voices heard as they revive a defunct school club and take on the world.

Director: Dan Harris
Screenwriter: Stephen Karam
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment
Production Co: Sycamore Pictures, Vertical Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Teen Sexuality|Mature Thematic Content|Substance Use|Some Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 13, 2017

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