Big Picture Big Sound

Rock of Aged

Some actors seem to be born funny.  They can make you giggle without breaking a sweat.  Rainn Wilson ("The Office," Juno) is one of those actors (though in this case he does sweat... profusely).  Wilson's goofy yet intense mug and earnest delivery of sometimes bizarre, sometimes creepy dialog always brings a smile to my face.  His on-screen appearances -- even small cameos as in Juno -- are always memorable. In The Rocker, Wilson is finally given a shot at a leading role, and he pulls it off pretty well, walking a fine line between pathetic and cool, between funny and just plain weird.

Wilson plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, a young man who, at the start of the film, seems poised to take on the world.  Fish plays drums for the hair metal band "Vesuvius," offered a record contract, and a sweet opening gig with Whitesnake in the late 1980s.  Unfortunately there's a catch -- the label wants to put a record exec's nephew on the drummer's throne, instead of Fish.  His loyal bandmates agonize for at least five minutes, then abandon their friend, choosing a life of fame, fortune and decadence, leaving poor Fish with few prospects.

Flash forward 20 years, and we see just how far Fish has fallen - working in a dead-end job as a telemarketer (until he gets canned even from that) and being dumped (and evicted) by his girlfriend.  With no other options, Fish moves in with his sister's family where his nerdy young nephew plays in a band called "A.D.D." As fate would have it, the band has just lost their drummer only days before their first gig - their high school prom.  Initially resistant, since he hasn't sat behind a drumset in twenty years, Fish eventually agrees to fill in.  This leads to a chain of events that could open a new door for Fish to live the rock star dream he missed the first time around, and maybe to move past the bitterness and resentment he's been harboring for the past two decades. 

I won't go into details about how Fish and his band rise to stardom (let's just say Fish likes to let it all hang out when practicing and this leads to unexpected consequences), but eventually the band goes on tour and Fish gets a taste of the life of celebrity he had always imagined, and learns that perhaps it's not all it's cracked up to be.  Ultimately it's a message movie -- "never give up on your dreams" -- or "even rock stars have to grow up" or "put some clothes on, you fat bastard!" But it's the moments along the way that make the film enjoyable:  Fish sharing a tender moment with a rat, Fish hugging his band-mates after a gig, leaving huge dripping sweat stains on their clothes, Fish awkwardly tripping over his drums and falling off the stage when he tries to kick the drums over Keith Moon-style (been there, done that), Fish vomiting into his hand (just a little) and putting it in his pocket for luck at the first gig.  Fish just, well, being Fish.

I can't imagine an actor today who could have pulled off the role as well as Wilson, and he apparently is either a very quick learner or was already a drummer because he's definitely got the chops (I know... I used to dabble in the drums a bit myself).  And the young supporting cast members pitch in admirably, adding the necessary touch of normalcy and mature restraint that is needed in the perpetually immature Fish's life. 

Teddy Geiger plays Justin, the tortured teen songwriter, still hoping to reunite and reconcile with the father who abandoned him as a toddler. Christina Applegate plays Justin's mom (and potential Fish love interest) -- a hot and slightly dangerous young mama.  Josh Gad and Emma Stone round out the band as the overweight nerdy keyboard player and brooding young punk (ish) bass player. And various Saturday Night Live alums make appearances along the way with Jason Sudeikis doing a memorable turn as a smarmy left coast record exec.

The original music in the film, both by Vesuvius and by A.D.D. sounds pretty much like what you'd hear on the radio today in the hair band and alternative genres respectively.  In fact one or two of the A.D.D. songs stuck in my head after the film, and this is probably a good sign.  And the band members/actors do an excellent job of looking natural in their roles as musicians, which goes a long way toward suspending one's disbelief in the otherwise fairly unlikely story.        

The pacing of the film is, at times, a bit slow, and some of the jokes miss their marks (the aforementioned vomit in the hand scene being a little over-the-top).  The story line is somewhat predictable and everything is tied neatly into a bow at the end.  Even still, The Rocker offers an enjoyable diversion for its 102 minutes, with a few hilarious laugh-out-loud moments and an uplifting optimistic message.  It certainly made me want to pick up my sticks again, but I'll be keeping my clothes on, thank you.  Recommended for an afternoon or evening of silly fun to all rockers and wanna-be rockers out there still pursuing the dream.