Review of Rocket Science (2007) by Walter M — 17 Sep 2008

[font=Century Gothic]"Rocket Science" starts at the New Jersey State High School Debating Championship where Ben Wekselbaum(Nicholas D'Agosto) and Ginny Ryerson(Anna Kendrick) are debating on behalf of Plainsboro High School. Partially through a well thought out argument in favor of farm subsidies, Ben freezes and the team finishes in second place. Ginny is heartbroken at the loss. At the same moment, 46 miles across the state of New Jersey, Hal Hafner(Reece Daniel Thompson) has a much better reason to be upset when his father(Denis O'Hare) leaves home. Some months later, Ginny recruits Hal to the debating team despite his serious stutter because she can see promise in him. This is true because Hal always has the answers in class but can never articulate them in time.[/font].

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[font=Century Gothic]"Rocket Science" has two things going for it right off the bat. It starts fantastically and the soundtrack is superbly cool. And the rest of the movie sustains that momentum to be one of the better coming of age movies I have seen recently. In this case, it is a charming and offbeat tale of a teenager finding his voice. I know Hal may seem to be an extreme example but his is an age where many are prone to awkwardness and have trouble communicating to each other. And problems at home can only make this worse.[/font].