The star snare drummer in his high school band, Devon Miles has been personally recruited to go to Atlanta A&T on a scholarship by the college's band director, Dr. Lee. Leaving New York City for the first time, Devon finds new challenges at college - new friends, new rivals (particularly senior drum major Shawn Taylor, also Devon's section leader), and an unexpected romance with a philosophy major. Devon tries to take the fast track to becoming the star of A&T's band, but isn't ready for the discipline that's expected of him. Even worse, he may be drummed out of the band just when they need him most - at an annual intercollegiate band competition against crosstown rivals Morris Barry University - if anyone discovers his secret: he can't read music.

I'll admit, at first I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of a movie about the struggles of a member of a collegiate marching band, but Drumline turned me around completely by the end of the movie. It's thrilling, uplifting, exciting, funny, and thoughtful all at the same time. If nothing else, you'll be amazed by the sequences and scenes where the band struts its stuff, particularly in the climactic showdown. If those scenes don't wow you, at least on a technical level, I can't help you - and you've evidently never been to a football game in your life.

The cast is outstanding here, anchored by Mad TV alumnus Orlando Jones as Dr. Lee. His work in the early (and far superior) seasons of that Fox sketch comedy series always had me convinced that Jones was a damn good actor, but even as the movie paints him as someone with a bit of a stick up his ass, he at least gives the role dignity and weight. When he gripes out Shawn and/or Devon, he's completely fair, and you know why he's doing it. He's not the "unfair adult" that so often comes with high school/college-age sports movies (and face it, even if it's only about the halftime show, Drumline is a sports movie). Newcomer Nick Cannon excels as Devon - again, you can see where he's coming from at all times, why he does and thinks as he does. The cast reportedly had to attend a "band boot camp" to at least look like they were really playing, but Cannon never had me doubting for a moment that he really was playing. Since a large portion of the movie is devoted to band and music sequences, he doesn't get to speak, just play - and act with his eyes. Some young actors can pull this off, some can't. Nick Cannon blew me away.

In some ways, Drumline is a conceptual cousin of Good Will Hunting - swap Robin Williams out for Orlando Jones, theoretical math for marching band, and MIT for the fictional Atlanta A&T - but Drumline doesn't try to be as deep. It doesn't need to. And it has no less impact. Even if you only want to see it for the marching band duel at the end, check out Drumline - it's a very good movie, and takes some turns you might not expect.

• screenplay by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps
• story by Shawn Schepps
• directed by Charles Stone III
• music by John Powell
• Cast: Nick Cannon (Devon), Zoe Saldana (Laila), Orlando Jones (Dr. Lee), Leonard Roberts (Sean), GQ (Jayson), Jason Weaver (Ernest), Earl C. Poitier (Charles), Candace Carey (Diedre), Shay Roundtree (Big Rob), Miguel A. Gaetan (Trey), J. Anthony Brown (Mr. Wade), Afemo Omilami (President Wagner), Angela E. Gibbs (Dorothy), Tyreese Burnett (Henry), Brandon Hirsch (Buck Wild), O'mar J. Dorsey (James), Al Wiggins (Principal), Nicholas B. Thomas (Pooh Bear), Petey Pablo (Himself), Stuart Scott (Fox Sports Commentator), Courtney Stewart (Student #1), Von Coulter (Devon Miles Sr.), Jason Sims-Prewitt (Trumpet Section Leader), George A. Peters II (Sax Section Leader), Gary Yates (Coach Ellison), Rob Cleveland (Music Professor), Enoch King (Tuba Section Leader), AJ Calloway (BET Announcer #1), Free (BET Announcer #2), Reggie Gay (Morris Brown Announcer), Ryan Cameron (A&T Announcer), Blu Cantrell (National Anthem Singer), Erin Brantley (Dancer), Kiara Nicole Ely (Dancer), Stacey A. Fann (Dancer), Christy Gamble (Dancer), Brianne Landry (Dancer), Pauline S. Lewis (Dancer), Glenda Morton (Dancer), Shamea Morton (Dancer), Jenear Wimbley (Dancer)