Drumline (PG-13, 2002)

In DRUMLINE, Devon (Nickelodeon's Nick Cannon) is a spirited kid who wins a full scholarship to college for his drum playing. The school, the fictitious Atlanta A&T, has a world-class marching band that hasn't won the big competition sponsored by BET television, and the school's president has put a lot of pressure on the bandmaster, Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones), to do whatever it takes to beat cross-town rival (and real-life marching band champs), Morris Brown College. But Lee believes that his job is to teach his students about music and about character, even at the cost of losing. At the center of this argument is Devon, whose flashy style and buoyant self-confidence put him at odds with the band's most sacred commitment: "one band, one sound."

John Philip Sousa and all of the Music Man's 76 Trombones never dreamed that marching bands could be this cool. Farewell to the nerdy reputation for "band camp." Drumline makes marching bands as soul-stirring as raise-the-roof gospel and more irresistibly, foot-stompingly, hip-hoppily thrilling than any video currently playing on MTV.

The movie is about more than music, too. The band numbers themselves would be more than worth the price of admission, but the story and the characters hold their own. The story may be an old one, but the details of this unexplored world make it seem fresh and the very appealing performers make it seem real. Orlando Jones is one of the most talented comic actors in movies today, but in this decidedly un-comic role he manages to make Dr. Lee seem dedicated and principled without being priggish or inflexible. Cannon is outstanding, making us believe in Devon's talent and charm. Cannon makes Devon confident and vulnerable at the same time, and lets us see Devon's growth subtly and naturally.