School of Rock 401 Senior year, Storyteller's log

You've made it to School of Rock Senior Year!

As you remember from last time, Dewey has nothing left to live for. His passion is dead.

What is this place the land of the dead?

It's chaos, the void.

But it's also the birthplace of infinite possibilities. Here are a few of them.

I think that's enough to give you the idea...

Were you able to figure out what must happen next? We know the kids have to go to the concert. Why because the movie would be incomplete without it.  Dewey heard Patty's lesson but only paid attention to half of it. He became responsible but didn't give up his dream. He found a common passion with the kids through music. He taught them lessons they'll never forget. The spirit of rock and roll is "stick it to da man". The "man" symbolizes the inhuman aspect of civilization the kills passion and dreams. The kids got Dewey's passion. They already had the responsibility part down pat. Even through Dewey was a fake teacher, his passion was real. The kids believe in it and themselves.

The kids persuade Dewey to come out of his depression and go the concert with them. He agrees. As a result Ned stands up to Patty and leaves her to see the concert. Ned's lost passion has come back. And Patty didn't learn the lesson.

This is really cool because Patty delivered the lesson of be responsible. Once Dewey connected with the kids musically he became a great teacher. Dewey learned the lesson. As a consequence of his action the kids brought the lesson back to Dewey. Lessons always return.

What's happened is that Dewey has reorganized his experience. Responsibility and Passion can go together. This is something Dewey and Patty couldn't see before. Often the audience won't be able to see what the reorganization at the end of the movie is going to be. Dewey is reborn and comes alive at the rock concert.

Here's where we are on the structure map now: Doing the right thing.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Dewey succeeded in a way greater than Patty's vision, and becomes more fulfilled because his new goal includes others.

We now have the competition. Ironically, Dewey competes against his old band. We have one more key point before we can wrap it all up. The kids band faces stiff competition. They need a dynamite ending song. Dewey now proves his has learned the lesson of acting responsibly. Dewey tells the band they are going to play Zack's song instead of his own epic, The Legend of the Rent. This was an unthinkable action for Dewey at the beginning of the movie. He has sacrificed his own moment in the spotlight for the good of the whole band. This is proof that Dewey has learned the lesson.

Now that Dewey has done the right thing hope soars off the charts. Even the audience gets more than they hoped for.

In summary, the four major parts are:
1. ACT I. Dewey has a problem. He needs to be responsible.
2. ACT 2A.Dewey attempts to solve his problem the wrong way by stealing a job and pretending to be a teacher.
3. ACT 2B. Just when he thinks he's on top of the world he has to face the consequences of his own actions and loses everything including his own passion.
4. ACT 3. Dewey has touched others and his lessons and actions come back to him in a positive way. He's reborn and proves it by a self sacrificing choice.

Simple.

The chaotic symbolic death is real and really terrifying. But the reorganization and rebirth are just as real. You come out the other side changed, able to handle more with a more complete and complex view of the world. Maybe more about this later...

Make sure to come back for the School of Rock for your diploma and Graduation party surprise!