Whiplash
Overview
Whiplash is a 2014 psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, based on his own experiences in a competitive jazz band. The film stars Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman, a first-year student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory of Music in New York City, one of the best music schools in the country. Andrew is a talented jazz drummer who is obsessed with greatness. He wants to be remembered, to be one of the greats like Charlie Parker or Buddy Rich. He is socially awkward, has few friends, and has broken up with his girlfriend because he believes relationships will distract him from his goal. He attracts the attention of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the conductor of the school's top jazz ensemble. Fletcher is a legendary and terrifying teacher who believes that the only way to create greatness is through humiliation, intimidation, and psychological abuse. He throws chairs at students, slaps them, screams insults, and uses their deepest insecurities against them. Fletcher famously says, "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job.'" Andrew wants Fletcher's approval more than anything, and he pushes himself to the brink of destruction to get it. He practices until his hands bleed, he gets into a car accident and still runs bleeding onto the stage, and he sacrifices every relationship in his life. The film builds to an incredible climax at a competition where Andrew is set to play. Fletcher reveals that he knows Andrew reported him for abuse, causing him to lose his job. Fletcher sabotages Andrew by giving him the wrong music, and Andrew walks off the stage humiliated. But then he returns, defies Fletcher, and launches into a stunning drum solo of "Caravan." Fletcher is initially furious but then begins to conduct him, and the two share a moment of mutual respect. The film ends with Andrew playing a drum solo, and the screen cuts to black. J.K. Simmons delivers a terrifying, Oscar-winning performance as Fletcher — one of cinema's most memorable villains. Miles Teller learned to play drums for real, performing the final solo himself. Whiplash was a critical and commercial success, earning over $49 million on a $3.3 million budget. It won three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Whiplash is an intense, exhausting, brilliant film about the cost of greatness and the question of whether abuse is ever justified in the pursuit of art.
