The road to greatness can take you to the edge.|Oct. 10, 2014|United States|107 Min.|TV-14
Genre: Drama;Music
Description: Andrew Neiman is a first-year student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. From a young age, he has been passionate about playing the drums and dreams of becoming a world-class drummer like Buddy Rich. Terence Fletcher, the conductor and bandleader of Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band, offers him a spot as the alternate drummer for Carl Tanner. However, Andrew soon realizes that Fletcher is an extremely strict, ruthless, and abusive teacher. During a rehearsal of the Hank Levy piece “Whiplash,” Andrew struggles to maintain the tempo, prompting Fletcher to react violently by throwing a chair at him, slapping him repeatedly, and humiliating him in front of the entire band.
During a jazz competition, Andrew loses Tanner’s sheet music before the second set. Tanner cannot play without the sheets, but Andrew confidently claims he can perform “Whiplash” from memory. His successful performance earns him the position of core drummer for the Studio Band. However, Fletcher also recruits Ryan Connolly, a core drummer from a lower-level ensemble. Andrew, believing Connolly is less talented, is outraged when Fletcher promotes him. Determined to prove himself, Andrew ends his relationship with his girlfriend, Nicole, to dedicate himself fully to his music, practicing so intensely that his hands bleed. After a grueling five-hour session with Fletcher, Tanner, and Connolly—during which Fletcher berates and throws objects at them—Andrew regains his core spot.
On the way to their next competition, the bus Andrew is on breaks down. He rents a car but arrives late and realizes he left his drumsticks at the rental office. Desperate, he convinces Fletcher to wait for him and races back to retrieve them. On his return, his car is struck by a truck, but Andrew, undeterred, crawls out of the wreckage and sprints to the theater, making it just in time as the ensemble takes the stage.
Cast director: Damien Chazelle
Cast actor: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Chris Mulkey, Nate Lang, Charlie Ian, Jayson Blair, Kavita Patil
Original name: Whiplash