Bandslam
Will Burton has an uncommon chance to start his short life all over again. In a different town, at a fresh school, with the prospect of new friends, this formerly miserable teen misfit has got one shot to reinvent himself as the person he always wanted to be in BANDSLAM, a music-fueled comedy about the things people do to figure out who they really are.
Disney superstars Aly Michalka (Super Sweet 16: The Movie, Aly & AJ in Concert) and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3) join with rising young star Gaelen Connell (Chocolat, A Dirty Shame) and popular comedian Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”) in this upbeat and funny teen tale that navigates life’s big dilemmas between friendship and romance, gossip and truth, jealousy and loyalty, dreams and reality, all the way to the biggest battle-of-the-bands competition in the country.
It all begins when Will (Connell) moves to New Jersey, happily leaving behind his perilous life as a daily target for bullies in Cincinnati. Even Will has to admit things start out better than he imagined, when he makes an impression on two very different girls: the shy, offbeat, bookishly alluring SA5M (Hudgens) -- which she pronounces Sam, explaining that “the 5 is silent” -- and the cool, popular Charlotte Barnes (Michalka), the talented ex-girlfriend to the lead singer of the school’s hottest band, Ben Wheatley and the Glory Dogs.
When Will reveals his encyclopedic knowledge of music, from classical to punk, he is tapped to manage Charlotte’s fledging rock band and help them secure a spot in Bandslam, a battle-of-the-bands showcase she hopes to use to get back at her ex-boyfriend. Only now, Will’s world turns totally upside down. He may have lost his loser status but he finds himself in the middle of rivalries, jealousies, secret revelations and betrayals he never saw coming. When sudden changes threaten to break up the band and unravel all his new relationships, Will is tempted to do what he’s always done – pack it in -- but this time he’s going to face the music.
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Distributors: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: 8/14/2009
Features
Credits
Director Todd Graff
Producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
Executive Producers Ron Schmidt and Marisa Yeres
Story by Josh A. Cagan
Screenplay by Todd Graff and
Josh A. Cagan
Charlotte Barnes Aly Michalka
Sa5m Vanessa Hudgens
Will Burton Gaelan Connell
Ben Wheatly Scott Porter
Karen Burton Lisa Kudrow
Educational Resources
Bandslam
Activities & Games, Educator’s Guide, Lesson Plans, Language Arts, Pop Culture, Social Studies
2009 Dove Foundation
Seal of Approval
2009 Kids First
Seal of Approval
Heartland
Truly Moving Picture Award
Film Advisory Board
Seal of Approval
Feature Q&A
Q&A with Bandslam’s Gaelan Connell
The Bandslam stars discusses his inspirations and favorite things.
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