Drumline (film)

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Drumline DVD cover
Drumline DVD cover

Drumline is a 2002 dramatic film directed by Charles Stone III. The plot is about a young drummer from New York who enters a historically Black Southern university and tries to lead the school's drum section.

Contents

[edit] Cast members

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) is about to graduate from high school in New York City. He is the best drummer in the senior band and frustrates his teacher by modernizing the band's rendition of R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly. Upon graduation, Devon heads to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the fictional Atlanta A&T University, a historically Black university that takes enormous pride in its marching band, on full scholarship by Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones), the head of the A&T marching band. Atlanta A&T band requires all band members to read music, focus on traditional black music rather than popular hits, and adhere to the "one band, one sound" philosophy emphasized by Dr. Lee. Devon seems to believe that his talent alone was what attracted Dr. Lee to him. The band's training season is similar to an athletic team's in that it is very physically and mentally difficult and challenges all recruits to push themselves past what they previously thought were their limits. At the end of preseason, the musicians must audition for spots on the field (ranked P1 through P4) and Devon is the only freshman to make P1, the highest level player, further fueling his ego. While going through this rigorous process, Devon finds time to romance an upperclassman dancer, Laila (played by Zoe Saldana).

Things at first seem to be going very well for Devon on and off the field, but things start to go wrong when the percussion leader Sean challenges him to take his solo in his first game, then predicting to another upperclassman, "He'll freeze up like any other freshman." He is therefore humiliated when Devon performs the solo well. This sets up some tension in the drumline which is exacerbated when Dr. Lee is told by the college president to modernize or lose his funding. Lee hesitates to give Devon a chance because he feels that Devon's attitude and respect are lacking. The situation further deteriorates when it is revealed that Devon cannot read music. The final straw comes at A&T's homecoming, when Devon incites a melee with the visiting band by leading his fellows in using their sticks to play on the visiting line's drums (a serious insult in drumline mythos). This fight also harms his relationship with Laila as she is now embarrassed to introduce him to her parents. Because of his part in the fight, Dr. Lee kicks Devon out of the band.

Devon is hurt by this rejection and tries to pretend he isn't bothered by it. He contacts the fictional university and rival school Morris Brown University (based on the real Morris Brown College), to discuss playing for them next year. The rival band leader (Mr. Wade, played by comic J. Anthony Brown) says that Devon doesn't need to know how to read music (something Dr. Lee insisted on) and will likely get a full scholarship and a good position on his drumline — if Devon can tell Wade what Dr. Lee is planning for the BET Southern Classic (a large fictional competition of college bands, based on the real Honda Battle of the Bands), at which point Devon realizes that his heart is still with the band he used to play for. He rejects the scholarship offer from the rival band and returns to A&T.

Though Devon is still not playing for the band, he can't give up his drumming. He is sent some cassette tapes from his estranged father and gets some ideas for new drum arrangements. He and the section leader Sean Taylor (Leonard Roberts) have a final confrontation that clears the air and they begin working together. They present their ideas to Dr. Lee who decides they will be used during the Classic. Devon helps the drumline prepare and patches up his relationship with Laila.

At the Classic, the other bands perform mostly popular songs; Morris Brown even gets rapper Petey Pablo to perform during their routine. A&T, unfazed, sticks to their performance of mixed retro and current sound. A tie is announced and the Morris Brown and A&T drumlines face off. Dr. Lee tells Devon he can play for this face off, rewarding Devon for his hard work in preparation for the Classic and his improved attitude. Morris Brown and A&T trade performances. Morris Brown's second cadence includes their snares moving forward and playing on the A&T drums then throwing down their sticks, showing their desperation to win and similar to the incident that got Devon kicked out of the band earlier that season. The A&T line retains their temper this time around, however. They play their answering cadence and in the middle throw down their sticks, mimicking Morris Brown, but then suddenly the entire line pulls out another set of sticks and continues playing, earning them wild applause. They end their routine face to face with the Morris Brown drumline, but instead of playing on their drums, the line drops one of their sticks onto the other drumline's drums--basically stating that they don't need to be rude to win. The judges award the win to Atlanta A&T and the film closes with the line celebrating.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

  • While the film is concerned with fictional Atlanta A&T University, parts of the movie were filmed at the real-life Clark Atlanta University.
  • Cannon has starred in similar fish out of water films including Love Don't Cost A Thing and Underclassman
  • The film references popular band Earth, Wind and Fire when Dr. Lee says that a majority of today's popular artists (among whom he names Jill Scott, LL Cool J and Snoop Dogg whom he calls by his original name, Snoop Doggy Dogg) have sampled and enjoyed EWF. The following sequence features a popular EWF song.
  • The directors recruited Atlanta-area youth musicians to participate in the film.
  • Features cameo appearance by AJ and Free of BET's 106 and Park.
  • The character portrayed by Jason Weaver is inducted into Kappa Kappa Psi in the film.
  • The film has come to be a cult classic among HBCU bands

[edit] Soundtrack

# Title Performer(s) Length
1. "D&K Cadence" A&T Drumline "The Senate" 0:28
2. "Been Away" Q "The Kid" feat. Jermaine Dupri 3:50
3. "I Want a Girl Like You" Joe feat. Jadakiss 3:59
4. "Blowin' Me Up (with Her Love)" JC Chasez 4:50
5. "Club Banger" Petey Pablo 3:49
6. "Faithful to You" Syleena Johnson 3:30
7. "Butterflyz" Alicia Keys 4:12
8. "Uh Oh" Monica 3:39
9. "My Own Thing" Raheem Devaughn 3:58
10. "What You Waitin' For" Nivea 3:35
11. "Peanuts" Nappy Roots 4:35
12. "I'm Scared of You" Nick Cannon 4:00
13. "Shout It Out" Too $hort feat. Bun B 4:47
14. "Let's Go" Trick Daddy feat. Duece Poppi and Tre + 6 4:11
15. "Marching Band Medley" (Let's Go/Uh Oh/Bouncin' Back/I Told Y' All/In the Stone/I Want You Back/Shout It Out) Bethune Cookman College Marching Band 4:04
16. "Marching Band Medley" (Let's Go/Uh Oh/Bouncin' Back/I Told Y' All/In the Stone/I Want You Back/Shout It Out) [Bonus track] Morris Brown College Drumline 4:04

[edit] External links

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