"Drumline" hits the spot
A joke about the CIAA Basketball Tournament is that it's one big weeklong party, with some basket-ball thrown in. 
The same can
be said for black college football - the competition is the battle of
the bands with some football thrown in on the side. You don't go to the
bathroom or to the concession stand at halftime 'cause it's showtime!
Charles Stone III has directed a marvelous movie in "Drumline" that describes "to a T" the power and prestige marching bands and band directors have at historically black colleges and universities. And the movie only adds fuel to the debate for football purists who say the game should be the main attraction.
The main character in the film is Devon Miles (played by Nick Cannon), a drummer who earns a band scholarship to Atlanta A&T, which closely resembles North Carolina A&T State University - right down to the blue and gold colors.
When Devon arrives on campus, Morris Brown is the king of the hill in black college bands. It has won every mythical BET Battle of the Bands competition.
Raised by a single mom, it becomes apparent that Devon has a problem with male authority. He quickly butts heads with section leader, Big Brother Sean Taylor (Leonard Roberts), who is the star drummer in the band.
Sean sees Devon's
talents as a threat. It is their rivalry/relationship that is the second
best part of the film.
But Stone is not content to just delve into the tensions between band members. He has the audacity to open Pandora's Box and reveals the jealousies between band directors and the love/hate relationship between band directors and college presidents.
A&T's band leader Dr. James Lee (Orlando Jones) is old school or as he calls himself "a musician." He's determined to keep the band mired in old-school songs from groups like Earth Wind & Fire, James Brown and the Jackson Five.
On the other side, President Wagner urges Lee to play more contemporary tunes to "keep the alumni happy," i.e. to keep the money flowing.
When Lee tells Wagner "We are here first to educate, then to entertain," the words fall on deaf ears. Sound familiar?
Stone is a master at capturing the little things: the wearing of the dreaded "stocking cap" that young men sleep in today; how each band section believes it is the most important part of the band; the step dances at a campus party and even down to Devon's mom.
When he holds a bouquet of flowers at his high-school graduation, her response is "What fast-tail girl gave you those?" Who hasn't heard that?
Drumline is about the bands, but it works because of the relationship between Devon and Sean. It's about seeing boys grow to men.
Unfortunately Stone, like many filmmakers, feels that to draw a female audience, one has to throw in a love relationship. It doesn't work in Drumline. Devon and girlfriend Laila (Zoe Saldana), an upperclassman who is a dancer on the band, don't click on screen, and Laila's weak acting skills make the relationship even more of a dud.
The BET competition finale, which will have you on the edge of your seat despite the predictable outcome, is the highlight of the film. Stone does a fantastic job of capturing the black college band experience in a genre the whole family can enjoy.
There is just one hitch, however. In its latest trailer for the film, the announcer says "Why are guys going to see Drumline?," as dancers shake away. That clip is about all the shaking you see in the movie.
Sorry guys.
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.