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The movie poses plenty of questions about the nature of talent, flamed-out youth, and mentoring. Is Green, an accomplished musician who put himself through an Ivy League college, simply a failed rocker living vicariously through his students? And if so, is that a bad thing? Does his teaching style force students to reach beyond what they think they're capable of and, in doing so, cultivate greatness? Or is he doing more harm than good? Would you, after watching this movie, leave your child alone with Paul Green?

Madi is frequently mocked, even by Green, for her Quaker beliefs

Regardless of your answers to these questions, it's impossible to deny that Green is a complicated and compelling character, and Rock School is a well-crafted documentary. At times it seems to reference another classic rock 'n' roll travelogue, Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz, but the ciné ma vérité style employed here is more immediate and less rehearsed. The school's narrow hallways crackle with energy (and fear as Green stomps through them), and when the All-Stars take the stage at a Zappa festival in Germany, you can feel the butterflies in their stomachs. Watching them band together to rock—and the faces of the audience and participants when they realize what these kids are capable of—is a joy.

At one point in the movie Green reveals his hopes for his work at the School of Rock Music. They entail picking up a copy of Rolling Stone in 2007 to find rock journalists asking where did all these great new bands come from? "And all the sudden they start tracing stuff back to me," he says with a wistful look in his eyes. Some dreams never die.

Talk About It

1. Can you teach rock 'n' roll? Does forming a curriculum around the music strip its rebel soul or does it elevate the art form to the next level?
   
   
2. In a pep talk to several students prior to a Black Sabbath tribute concert, Paul Green deadpans, "This is not about you. This is not about me. This is not about the music. This is about Satan." He's joking (I think). But it begs the question: Do we really want nine-year-olds mimicking Ozzy Osbourne? More broadly, should we encourage kids' rock 'n' roll dreams? What are the moral implications given that Green certainly doesn't seem to make an effort to steer his students away the pitfalls (drugs, sex, etc.) that are often linked with a rock lifestyle?
   
   
3. Why do you think most of the students keep coming back despite Paul Green's tantrums?
   
   
4. Will says Green has a "Peter Pan" complex. Do you agree with that assessment? What do you think really motivates his work at the School of Rock?like these?

The Family Corner

Prolific profanity and casual references to sex and drug use make this school for adults only.

Photos © Copyright Universal Pictures

Remember School of Rock, the comedy with the alarming premise that Jack Black might be posing as a high school teacher and training young children to be rock stars?

Guess what: Paul Green is not a fictional character. He's not Jack Black, but he is teaching kids how to strut and jam like rock stars. Rock School is a documentary about Green and his Philadelphia-based program—the Paul Green School of Rock. You'll see Green running his school like a cranky drill sergeant, foul language and all. But you'll also be surprised at how the kids respond.

Mainstream critics reviewing the film resemble an enthusiastic mosh pit.

© Lisa Ann Cockrel 2005, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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