Rocket Science
Seen it?2007 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a lukewarm 6.3 out of 10 from audiences and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved The Kids Are All Right, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Hal is a 15-year-old high-school student with a minor yet socially alienating (and painful) disability: he stutters uncontrollably. Determined to work through the problem, Hal opts for an extreme route – he joins the school debating team, which sends him on a headfirst plunge into breakneck speech competitions and offers a much-needed boost toward correcting the problem.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
6.3 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$5 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 28K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jeffrey Blitz
- Nicholas D'AgostoBen Wekselbaum
- Margo MartindaleCoach Lumbly
- Reece ThompsonHal Hefner
- Anna KendrickGinny Ryerson
- Jonah HillJunior Philosopher
- Denis O'HareDoyle Hefner
- Vincent PiazzaEarl Hefner
- Aaron YooHeston
- Utkarsh AmbudkarRam
- Candace HammerTownsend Prep Debater