Considering that Linklater seemingly forgot to direct any actor outside of Black or Cusack (and one can’t help suspect that with Black he just said, “Do whatever the hell you want,” and left it at that)—AND considering that Mike White’s story rolls over every cliché with Dewey’s rocker van like he was intentionally trying to hit these narrative potholes—School of Rock still, well, rocks. It’s irrepressible—and, no doubt, launched a thousand after-school rock band academies. I’m pretty sure every parent in my peer group has enrolled their kids in one at some point and we have this movie to thank for it.