Black stars as Dewey Finn, a musician–turned–impostor substitute teacher who shows his class of Juilliard-caliber fifth-graders that a jam isn’t just the stuff you spread on toast. Written by White (The Good Girl), the story follows Finn’s evolution from a self-centered dude who “rocks a little too hard, and keeps getting kicked out of bands,” says Tenacious D front man Black, to a bona fide if somewhat bananas authority figure. Eventually, Finn leads his rock ’n’ roll protégés—played by a fresh crop of musical talent, including 11-year-old guitar prodigy Gaydos Jr.—to a performance at a local battle-of-the-bands competition. Cusack stars as the school’s uptight principal, and White plays Finn’s milquetoast roommate in the comedy, which was originally set in fourth grade until Linklater (Dazed and Confused) started scouting schools in New York and New Jersey. “It all came flooding back to me,” the director says. “Fifth grade, that was the year I threw spitballs and got my first girlfriend. In fourth grade, you’re still pretty conformist.”
FLAT NOTE: During the shoot, the onscreen roommates shared an apartment offscreen as well, in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. “I felt like I was in a Jack Black movie,” White says. “He set a fire once, we had a toilet explode—and it always seemed to happen when he was in his underwear.”
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