Jack Black Named A Beloved Comedy His Best Movie

It is safe to say that Jack Black is one of the most unique movie stars of the 21st century. Having appeared in films as early as the 1990s, as well as establishing himself as a comedic rock icon alongside Kyle Gass with their band Tenacious D, Black's rise to superstardom is particularly notable through his roles in family films. Whether it is through his voice work in animated films such as "Shark Tale, "Kung Fu Panda," and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," or in live-action fair such as "Nacho Libre," "Goosebumps," the "Jumanji" films, and most recently, "A Minecraft Movie," Black has left his mark on the family film genre.

Along with his extensive work within family films, Jack Black remains a beloved comedic actor thanks to his roles in more mature material. "High Fidelity" served as a wonderful cinematic breakthrough for him, whereas his roles in "Shallow Hal," "King Kong," "The Holiday," "Tropic Thunder," and "Bernie," all showcase different sides to his charisma that cannot otherwise be seen in family-friendly films. However, there is one particular film within his filmography that perfectly captures Black's essence as a performer, combining the edgy charm seen in his projects tailored for older audiences with his knack for appealing to younger audiences with his signature sense of humor and undeniable musical prowess. A film that is so good that Black himself considers it the defining project of his career.

Nearly 22 years ago, Jack Black starred in "School of Rock," a film that was written by "The White Lotus" creator Mike White and directed by Academy Award-nominee Richard Linklater, who originally passed on the film, but the film's producer would not accept it. The film follows Jack Black as Dewey Finn, an over-excited rock guitarist who was kicked out of his band for his unruly behavior, and is also threatened to get kicked out of his apartment if he fails to pay his overdue share of the rent. Down on his luck, he poses as a substitute teacher at a prep school, where he recruits his students into his rock band to compete at the upcoming battle of the bands.

Mike White wrote "School of Rock" with Jack Black in mind for the role of Dewey Finn. When watching the film, it is clear that no other actor could have portrayed the character as perfectly as Black. His bountiful energy, his unflappable charm, and of course, his undeniable musical abilities are integral in this film's success, and his enthusiasm is so infectious that it rubs off on the rest of the cast as well as the audience by the time the film's electric battle of the bands climax occurs.

Jack Black spoke about his experience on "School of Rock" in an interview with GQ where he reflected on his iconic roles, particularly in how his collaborative relationship with Richard Linklater on the project was very rewarding:

"Richard is a theatre guy at his core ... That's his roots, and me too, so I was super comfortable with... workshopping scenes with the kids and finding new beats... It's definitely the movie I'm most proud of. It's the one that really...it felt like all the planets aligned."

As a testament to Jack Black and Richard Linklater's collaboration on the film, the scene in which Dewey assigns his students various musical instruments and workshops a song on the fly with them was created during their rehearsals and added into the script. Black and Linklater would collaborate again in two more films, including the criminally underrated "Bernie," which garnered Black a Golden Globe nomination, and "Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood."

On a budget of $35 million, "School of Rock" grossed $131 million in worldwide box office totals. It remained the highest-grossing music-themed comedy film until 2015, when "Pitch Perfect 2" surpassed it, grossing $287.5 million globally. Black was also nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Actor – Comedy or Musical category, losing to Bill Murray for his performance in "Lost in Translation." However, during the era when the MTV Movie Awards actually made good decisions with their winners, Black was awarded the Golden Popcorn for Best Comedic Performance.

Reflective of Richard Linklater's penchant for exploring time in his films, the cast of "School of Rock" reunited in 2013 for a 10-year reunion. Following a screening of the film at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, Linklater, Jack Black, and the now-grown-up cast of students participated in a Q&A, followed by a special performance from Black and the School of Rock in their original roles. The film also spawned a Broadway musical adaptation featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book written by Julian Fellowes. Alex Brightman originated the role of Dewey Finn, scoring a Tony Award nomination for his performance.

Nickelodeon produced a "School of Rock" television series based on the film, which ran for three seasons. As for plans for a potential sequel to the beloved film, Jack Black has expressed interest in reprising his role as Dewey Finn. However, he acknowledges that it should only happen if Mike White were to return to write the script. Given White is currently busy with his acclaimed HBO semi-anthology series "The White Lotus," only time will tell if he has another story to tell with the titular School of Rock, and how it has grown over 20 years later.

"School of Rock" is available to own on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. It is also available to stream on Paramount+.