Whiplash (2014)
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An ambitious jazz drummer is pushed to his limits by an abusive instructor in a high-stakes musical environment.
The story
Andrew Neiman, a 19-year-old jazz drummer, attends the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. He is recruited by Terence Fletcher, the conductor of Shaffer's most prestigious ensemble, to perform as a backup drummer. However, Andrew quickly discovers that Fletcher is relentlessly strict and abuses students verbally, physically, and psychologically. When Andrew fails to keep tempo during a rehearsal, Fletcher reacts with extreme hostility. Determined to succeed and impress his mentor, Andrew begins to push himself to the extreme, practicing until his hands bleed, while navigating the intense pressure of the conservatory's demanding environment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Andrew Neiman, a 19-year-old jazz drummer at Shaffer Conservatory, is recruited by the abusive conductor Terence Fletcher. After a series of grueling rehearsals where Fletcher subjects students to physical and verbal abuse, Andrew wins a spot as a core drummer after a competition. His obsession with music leads to a rift with his family and girlfriend. After a series of escalating incidents, including a car accident and a confrontation on stage, Andrew is expelled from the conservatory. He later learns that a former student died by suicide due to Fletcher's abuse and agrees to testify against him. Months later, Andrew encounters Fletcher at a jazz club. Fletcher admits his methods were harsh but necessary. He invites Andrew to perform with his professional band at a New York festival. At the festival, Fletcher intentionally sabotages Andrew by giving him a song he doesn't know. After a disastrous start, Andrew reclaims the drum kit and performs a masterful solo, earning Fletcher's nod of approval.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Damien Chazelle
- Writers
- Damien Chazelle · writer
- Cast and characters
- Miles Teller · Andrew Neiman; J. K. Simmons · Terence Fletcher; Paul Reiser · Jim Neiman; Melissa Benoist · Nicole; Austin Stowell · Ryan Connolly; Nate Lang · Carl Tanner; Chris Mulkey · Frank Neiman; Damon Gupton · Mr. Kramer
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- perfectionism; dedication; success; ambition
- Tone and mood
- intense; inspiring
- Premise and plot tags
- music; musicians; percussion; percussionists; teacher–student relationships
- Source material / true-story basis
- short film
- Content notes
- abuse
- Reception
- The film received acclaim for its screenplay, direction, editing, sound mixing and Simmons’s performance. It was assessed as one of the best films of the 21st century and appeared on numerous critics' end-of-year lists.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · scale: percentage · review count: 304; Metacritic · score: 89 · scale: 100 · review count: 49
- Awards and nominations
- Best Film Editing · Academy Awards · win; Best Sound Mixing · Academy Awards · win; Best Supporting Actor · Academy Awards · win; Best Supporting Actor · Golden Globe · win; Best Supporting Actor · BAFTA · win; Best Supporting Actor · Critics' Choice · win; Best Supporting Actor · Screen Actors Guild · win; Best Film · Deauville American Film Festival · win; Best Picture · Academy Awards · nomination; Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Awards · nomination; Best Film · Deauville American Film Festival · win; Best Film · Deauville American Film Festival · win
- Production trivia
- The director was involved in a serious car accident during the third week of filming.; The lead actor, Miles Teller, performed much of the drumming himself.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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