Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) has a very messed up life. Between his parents splitting up, and his "˜strange to say the least' relationship with his brother, it is a wonder that he hasn't gone off the deep end yet. But all that seems to change when master debater Ginny (Anna Kendrick) recruits Hal for the current debate team. Though somewhat hesitant, Hal eventually agrees to take part in the extra curricular activity, and signs up. However, things quickly go back to normal as Hal's mom starts to date a classmates father, Hal continues to have a hard time putting his "˜stutter' to rest when in front of the judges, and Ginny unexpectedly betrays him on the day of their first debate. Now Hal must reach deep down to discover who he really is and what he really wants to make of his life.
Shot on an immensely tight budget, Rocket Science effectively combines both slapstick comedy and story-driven characters to form a movie that appeals to everyone. Unknowns Thompson and Kendrick light up the screen with their chemistry as you start to feel with both characters. Though the script is lacking in certain spots, the light hearted flow of the film helps you bypass the misses and focus on all the things that the film does right: characterization, plot development, and real life situational humor. Though all sound like obvious elements of a movie, these simple things are usually what we find missing from the big blockbusters.
In the end, I highly recommend Rocket Science. If the story itself doesn't appeal to you, that is okay. Go for the pleasure of seeing a good, complete film.
