Whiplash(2014)

R
Rated R for strong language including some sexual references
1h 46m
- Drama
- Music

Release Date: Oct 10, 2014 | Limited

A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

Official Website

Releases

Original Release | Oct 10, 2014

10th Anniversary (Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)) | Sep 20, 2024

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Box Office Results

All Releases (2)
Total US & Canada:
$14,003,391
Total International
$36,348,474
Total Worldwide:
$50,360,880

Total US & Canada:
$13,091,960
Total International
$35,890,041
Total Worldwide:
$48,982,001

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Director & Top Cast

Damien Chazelle
Director

Kara Connolly
Actor

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,SDDS,Datasat,Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. He has been playing drums from a young age and aspires to become one of the greats like Buddy Rich. Conductor Terence Fletcher (J. K. Simmons) watches Andrew practice his drums and walks out without saying anything. Mr Kramer (Damon Gupton) is Andrew's first instructor at school, but it is clear that Fletcher is the one that everybody wants to join. Andrew has Father Jim (Paul Reiser), who is a writer turned high school teacher. Andrew meets Nicole, a movie theater employee and they begin dating. Frank (Chris Mulkey) is Andrew's uncle.The next day, Andrew enters one class aside from Fletcher and there, he meets the drummer named Ryan Connelly (Austin Stowell). Shortly, the professor arrives, and the class performs "Billy's An". Andrew sees Fletcher in silhouette looking at the door. After the class, Andrew peeks into one of the classrooms where the class is handled by Fletcher, and he is being looked at by Fletcher.Back at the Studio Band, Andrew is playing drums as core drummer. Suddenly, Fletcher breaks inside and Andrew becomes horrified of him. Fletcher conducts every saxophonist and bassist one by one and finally the drums. Fletcher eventually accepts Andrew into his studio band as the alternate for core drummer Carl Tanner (Nate Lang). After that, Fletcher tells Andrew to come, and he is told to come at his room tomorrow at 6 in the morning.Andrew invites Nicole to go out with him. The next day, Andrew realizes that he is late for class. Andrew struggles and rushes quickly to the school, only he goes inside the empty classroom. Andrew knows that the class actually starts at 9 AM. Andrew waits three hours before the class.Andrew discovers that Fletcher, although encouraging at first, is relentlessly strict and verbally and physically abusive towards his students, mocking and insulting them. Fletcher confronts then suddenly yells at a saxophonist named Metz (C.J. Vana) playing out-of-tune and angrily tells him to get out of the Studio Band. When the band rehearses the Hank Levy piece "Whiplash" and Andrew struggles to keep his tempo, Fletcher hurls a chair at him, slaps Andrew every four in 12 counts he makes, and he will not stop questioning until Andrew answers whether he is "dragging" or "rushing". Andrew answers "rushing" then Fletcher forces Andrew to tell the whole band that he is really upset, louder! Fletcher then mocks Andrew about his parents being separated. Thus, Andrew is being embarrassed and insulted.At a local jazz competition, Andrew misplaces Carl's sheet music; as Carl cannot play without it, Andrew steps in informing Fletcher that he can perform "Whiplash" from memory. Fletcher promotes him to core drummer. At the Studio Band, the band is practicing the new song called "Caravan" which needs an extreme time stamp measure of 330 bpm. Fletcher dismisses the band except Andrew when Fletcher discusses him about that note. Shortly, Ryan Connelly, whom Andrew met from the other class, arrives. Andrew plays the drums to test the ability of the tempo, but his tempo fails while Ryan plays well. Therefore, Fletcher takes Ryan as the new core drummer, but Andrew does not agree to this. Jealous, Andrew will be the core drummer if he earns the part.Determined to impress Fletcher, Andrew practices until his hands bleed and breaks up with his girlfriend Nicole (Melissa Benoist), believing she will distract him.The next day, Fletcher tearfully reveals in class that a talented former student of his, Sean Casey, has died in a car accident. The band rehearses "Caravan", but Ryan struggles with the tempo. Fletcher auditions Andrew, Ryan and Carl for hours while the class waits outside. Fletcher then pushes the three drummers to play at a faster tempo on "Caravan", keeping them for a grueling five-hour practice. When it is Andrew's turn, Fletcher kicks the chair then throws the drum away in wrath and even tells Andrew to increase the tempo. In this process, Andrew's left hand is bleeding and the blood drips onto the drum set. After a one minute of playing, Fletcher finally tells Andrew that he earned the part.On the way to a jazz competition, Andrew's bus breaks down. Determined to make the performance, he rents a car but arrives late without his drumsticks. After an argument with Fletcher, Andrew drives back to the car rental office and retrieves the drumsticks. As he speeds back, his car is hit by a truck. He crawls from the wreckage and arrives on stage badly injured. When he struggles to play "Caravan" due to his injuries, Fletcher stops the band midway through the performance to tell Andrew that he is "done". Enraged, Andrew attacks Fletcher in front of the audience and is dragged away.Days later, Andrew is expelled from Shaffer and meets with a lawyer representing the parents of Sean Casey. The lawyer explains that Sean actually hanged himself, having suffered anxiety and depression after joining Fletcher's class. Sean's parents want to prevent Fletcher from teaching. Andrew agrees to testify, resulting in Fletcher being fired.Months later, Andrew sees Fletcher performing at a club. They drink together and Fletcher explains that he pushes his students beyond the expected so they might achieve greatness. Citing a story where Jo Jones allegedly threw a cymbal at Charlie Parker as an example, Fletcher says that the next jazz musician to live up to Parker's legacy would never let discouragement stop them. He invites Andrew to perform at a festival concert with his band. Andrew agrees and invites Nicole, but she is in a new relationship and declines.On stage at the jazz festival, Fletcher reveals to Andrew that he knows he testified against him. In revenge, Fletcher leads the band in a new piece for which Andrew was not given sheet music. Andrew leaves the stage humiliated, but returns and begins "Caravan", interrupting Fletcher as he addresses the audience. The rest of the band joins him, surprising Fletcher, who eventually follows suit. Andrew ends the performance with an extravagant drum solo, and Fletcher gives him a nod of approval.

Storyline

Nineteen-year-old Andrew Niemann wants to be the greatest jazz drummer in the world, in a league with Buddy Rich . This goal is despite not coming from a pedigree of greatest, musical or otherwise, with Jim, his high-school-teacher father, being a failed writer. Andrew is starting his first year at Shaffer Conservatory of Music, the best music school in the United States. At Shaffer, being the best means being accepted to study under Terence Fletcher and being asked to play in his studio band, which represents the school at jazz competitions. Based on their less than positive first meeting, Andrew is surprised that Fletcher asks him to join the band, albeit in the alternate drummer position which he is more than happy to do initially. Andrew quickly learns that Fletcher operates on fear and intimidation, never settling for what he considers less than the best each and every time. Being the best in Fletcher's mind does not only entail playing well, but knowing that you're playing well and if not what you're doing wrong. His modus operandi creates an atmosphere of fear and of every man or woman for him/herself within the band. Regardless, Andrew works hard to be the best. He has to figure out his life priorities and what he is willing to sacrifice to be the best. The other question becomes how much emotional abuse he will endure by Fletcher to reach that greatness, which he may believe he can only achieve with the avenues opened up by Fletcher. — Huggo Andrew Neiman, a 19-year-old jazz drummer is determined to rise to the top of the country's most elite music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons, Juno), an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability and his sanity. — Loft Cinema Andrew is a drummer and a first year student at the Schaffer Conservatory. He is selected by the school's senior instructor, Mr. Fletcher, to play on his studio band. Fletcher is - to say the least - a difficult and demanding task master who accepts and expects nothing less that perfection from his students. His methods of exacting the best from his students include belittling them, throwing objects at them and creating a level of tension so high that average individuals would likely crumble under the pressure. It leads Andrew to eventually quit but a surprise encounter with Fletcher gives him a chance to show just what he can accomplish - or to fail miserably. — garykmcd With dreams of becoming one of the best jazz drummers in the world, Andrew Neiman enrolls himself into a prestigious music conservatory. His ambition does not go unnoticed, and he is hand-picked, and mentored by the schools senior instructor, Fletcher. Andrew soon realises that Fletcher's terrifying methods will either make, or break him as an artist. — BecksyKane 1 more All