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Drumline

Play trailer Poster for Drumline PG-13 2002 1h 58m Comedy Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 86 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Set against the high-energy, high-stakes world of show-style marching bands, "Drumline" is a fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world before realizing that it takes a more than talent to reach the top.
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Drumline

Drumline

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Critics Consensus

Essentially a sports movie with drums, the energetic Drumline somehow manages to make the familiar seem fresh.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/22/2010
4/5
Outstanding cast, great message, strong language. Go to Full Review
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 06/19/2003
3/4
The joy of the movie is in the getting there, and Drumline gets so much of the little stuff right that the denouement ends up being nothing less than rousing. Go to Full Review
Charles Taylor Salon.com 01/10/2003
Charles Stone III is a craftsman with brains and taste, an instinctive sense of where to put the camera and the discipline not to belabor scenes. Go to Full Review
Justin Brown Medium Popcorn 07/02/2023
1/5
The main protagonist is incredibly unlikeable and the plot is mindless. I didn't care about any of the characters. Go to Full Review
Brandon Collins Medium Popcorn 07/02/2023
3/5
As questionable as Nick Cannon's character is, this is still entertaining. The drumming scenes were fantastic. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal 09/25/2010
3.5/4
True bandos can see themselves in this exuberant, charismatic and lovingly accurate college marching-band movie that faked no flavor while staying in step with themes of instruction, character and respect. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kevin P @RT55971421 Jul 20 An entertaining sports movie about marching band drummers of all things. Nick Cannon and Zoe Saldana are both very charming in the lead roles. The movie does a great job getting you tucked into the oddly intense and hypnotizing art of drumming. Even if the movie takes itself WAY TOO seriously and joyless at times. The banter between Devon and the marching band drill sergeant is amusing. The movie has a great fast paced exciting edits of drumming music that keep you hooked. I love the fun sassy rival school conductor. You definitely feel the tension for school funding support. Not a fan of the melodramatic reaction with the band fighting the other band even though Devon was decked at, they should all be in trouble with leaving him as the scapegoat. But thankfully the rest of the story is pretty solid and is elevated by the movie's great direction, solid acting, and brisk editing. See more Carrington S @RT97516098 Jul 19 Been watching this movie since I was a child. Excellent film! See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 20 Funny in 1 hour and 58 minutes. Rated PG-13 for Language and Innuendo. The worldwide gross is $57,600,000.00 over a budget of $20,000,000.00. See more Jeremy W. @reliablecritic Jun 11 WORTHY WATCH! Love this movie. Nick Cannon 100% delivered on this movie. I’d go out of my way to watch this movie again. 🙌🏻 See more thiago s @Thiagostone Nov 21 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Branden V @FlashGordon12183 Oct 30 I was marching snare in high school I loved it and when I watched this movie with my dad it felt like I was there again See more Read all reviews
Drumline

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Movie Info

Synopsis Set against the high-energy, high-stakes world of show-style marching bands, "Drumline" is a fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world before realizing that it takes a more than talent to reach the top.
Director
Charles Stone III
Producer
Wendy Finerman, Timothy M. Bourne, Jody Gerson
Screenwriter
Shawn Schepps, Shawn Schepps, Tina Gordon
Distributor
20th Century Fox of Germany, 20th Century Fox de Argentina [ar], 20th Century Fox, Fox
Production Co
Fox 2000 Pictures, Wendy Finerman Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Innuendo)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 13, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$56.4M
Runtime
1h 58m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, DTS, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)