Rocket Science

Welcome to the world of 15-year-old Hal Hefner, a boy who stutters. His parents are divorced and his brother is an obsessive-compulsive kleptomaniac. Already, we are prepared for a wild ride into the movie.

Reece Thompson breaks hearts as Hal Hefner, the awkward outcast who can’t talk properly. After stuttering and being laughed at repeatedly, a girl named Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick) convinces him to join the high school debate team. He agrees to join.

As Hal stutters his way into the competition, he begins to fall in love with Ginny. But before his first big competition, he discovers that Ginny has moved schools and abandoned him for his debate.

Hal goes through stages of heartbreak, from stealing to vandalism involving a cello to teaming up with her ex. But in the end, he learns to move on, and that this was just a step into accepting himself, and accepting his voice for what it is.

The entire film manages to capture high school for what it’s really like for a topic like debate team. It shows how hard some people work for something that goes unnoticed, or labeled for ‘nerds’.

This movie will have you laughing and smiling at the things it looks into. The performances will play on the emotions of getting through high school and steal your heart at the same time. It’s definitely an excellent little film that you should check out.