New to DVD this week is Nickelodeon’s The Naked Brothers Band Movie, a mini-mock-rockumentary directed by Polly Draper. Nickelodeon is on all the time in my house and I enjoy some of the shows as much as my ten-year-old son Carlos, but as I had only had cursory glances at the newest offering, The Naked Brothers Band show, I really wasn’t convinced that the movie could reach beyond its tween demographic. I was wrong.
The “documentary” follows Draper’s sons, Alex (who was six years old at filming) and Nat Wolff (then 9), who are at the center of a fictional troubled rock band called the Silver Boulders that has been together since preschool. Nat, the band’s leader, has a creative disagreement with the band when he has refuses to play Thomas’s song, “Boys Rule, Girls Drool” feeling it would alienate their largest fan base. Tensions come to a head with a food fight in a restaurant, and the band splits, with the three non-brothers forming the Golden Boulders under smarmy manager Mort Needleman.
Nat and Alex are devastated, and party-guy Alex drowns his sorrows in lemon-lime soda. While on a Sodaholics at Sea rehab cruise Alex convinces Nat to start again, returning to their original incarnation as the Naked Brothers Band. They return to New York and bring two friends into the group (including the pretty Rosalina, a romantic interest for dreamy-eyed Nat) and play to rousing crowds in Chicago, while the Golden Boulders are booed from the stage by the females in the audience right after they open with “Boys Rule, Girls Drool.” The film’s happy ending culminates with a familiar, impromptu concert on the roof that ends with fireworks (instead of the arrival of the London police, as in that other rock group's film).
Nat Wolff is sure to be a tween favorite with his huge eyes and full lips, but I have to admit being partial to Alex (I always did go for the bad boy types) with his wiry “tattooed” arms, red, white and blue do rag (“Red white and blue are my colors. I invented them.”), and his serious crush on their hot twenty-something tutor. The scene of his pre-breakdown dance on the counter at the Moondance Diner, out of control on lemon-line soda, is one of the highlights of the film. He also has my favorite line: after they first meet smarmy manager Mort, Nat says, “Jesus! What a jerk!” Alex grabs his brother by the shirt and warns, “Don’t ever say Jesus! He was the best president we’ve ever had!”
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - jacob
cool
2 - BRENDA BARBA
THIS COMMENT IS FOR THE NAKED BROTHERS IM SO APROUD OF YOU GUIS BECAUSE YOU GUYS DID A VERY GOOD JOD IN YOU'R SONGS.i like you;r songs a lot and i alwas put them in my computer because i don't have you;r CD
3 - janice RICO
nat you are so cute and hot and sexy and adoreable I like your song crazy car and motormouth nat im going to put you on my top ten on myspace
4 - ELISSA
IM A HUGE FAN AND NEVER MISSED ONE SHOW AND ME RIGHTING A COMMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE IS A DREAM THAT HOW MUCH I LOVE US
5 - katie Bernal
Dear Nat my favorite song is Taxi cap and Sometimes ill be there.My favorite nake brothers band show was Nats first kiss.Can you get Alxe to teach me how to play the drums.Nat you are so cute and cool.Thomas and David are so funny.Rosalina is a nice gril so many boys say Rosalina is hot and they say that im so ugly.But i thing you dont think im ugly. Qaseem is funny to.
6 - kala
Dear Nat,
Hello my name is Kala Turner I am one of your biggest fans. Nat I am totlly in love with you. I love all your songs and Alex my sister Kaitlin Brann loves you.Also Nat I had a dream about you and we kissed and it acually felt like i kissed you and I am your age
7 - kathleen
nath i love u p.s im youre age.
8 - kate
nat i was wondering if you can give me yore poster.
9 - #1 Fan
Dear Rosalina & Nat, You too love each other be a couple.
10 - joe
nat u and youre band is so awsome.i am one of youre bigest fans.i get mad when kids at my school call the naked brothers band stupid.the naked brothers band is my favorite band in the world.
11 - haley
the nked bros band is funny nat and alex are good acters
12 - CoolT123
Nat Me and my friends love you. My friend Vannessa says hi.
13 - Kayla DeWitt
The Naked Brothers Band is so awesome. Nat and Rosalina are ment to be together even though Nat is sooooooooooooooooooo HOT!!!! His songs make me cry because they are all about Rosalina. It kills me that they are ment to be together and they don't do anything.THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
14 - MOLLIE ANN GRANT
I LOVE THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND AND NAT IS MY LOVER
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLOVE YOU NATXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX MAKE ME FAMOUSE [Personal contact info deleted]
15 - Gerard
Dear Naked Brothers Band- I love your songs. Do you like want to come to my house sometime? Gerard
16 - Elivira
Dear Rosalina,you and nat are a nice couple why don't you go out with him.
17 - Rosa
Dear Nat,Tell Rosalina if she like you
sincerly Kim,
WRITE BACK PLEASE
18 - NATH
YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CLASS PLEASE SEND ME SOMETHING BACK NAT AND ALEX AND ROSELINA ARE THE BEST EVER ROSELINA YOU ARE ME DREAM DATE EVER I WROTE A POEM ABOUT YA ON MY GUITAR ROSELINA YOU ARE LIKE A ANGEL TO HEAVEN ON A SCALE ONE TO TEN YOU ARE A 11 I AM THE WRITE AGE FOR YA FROM ANOTHER NAT.
19 - nnate
this is nate from the naked brothers you are all
wkd
20 - nnate
rosalina rocks from nate
21 - sam
your songs are brill
22 - katharine
I LOVVVVVE you!!!! when you play in your band me and my friend have listened to the song online crazy car like 111111000000000000times but i have no clue wot that number is!!!soz but i can't ask you out beascuse i have a boyfriend allready but you won't ask me out beacuse you and Rosalina like each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!have you got msn?
SOZ BUT I HAVE TO SAY THIS:BUT I LOVE YOU MORE THAN THE UNEVERSE AND EARTH AND SPACE PUT TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!! KATHARINE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
23 - kylie
hi nat i love all your songs you write thay are sort of hip hop but i still love it you are all wicked i love the song crazy car it is wonderful and roselina your relly now how to play instrments nat you are so cool
24 - kylie
hi nat i love all your songs you write thay are sort of hip hop but i still love it you are all wicked i love the song crazy car it is wonderful and roselina your relly now how to play instrments nat you are so coolxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
25 - Nadia
Nat i am so in love with you and i always have dreams about you i think your shows are so cool and you have an amasing singing voice i dont know how you do it all theres singing,a bit of dancing, acting and having fans chase you all the time i think you are so cool i also love singing,dancing and acting lots and lots and lots and lots of love from your bigest fan nadia hancock!!!