Drumline

Devon Miles is a self-taught drummer from Harlem whose skills earn him a scholarship to a university in Atlanta. He arrives expecting to take the marching band's drumline to the top, but he soon learns that raw ability is not enough. The band's director, Dr. Lee, demands strict discipline and a single unified sound, and Devon's instinct for showmanship puts him at odds with his section leader, Sean. A suspicion that he cheated to win his place threatens both his studies and his spot in the drumline ahead of a major competition between university bands.

Drumline was released in 2002 and runs 118 minutes. It mixes comedy, drama, music and romance, and was directed by Charles Stone III. It was the first film in his directing career, followed by Paid in Full, Mr. 3000, Uncle Drew, Step Sisters and The Underdoggs. Shawn Schepps and Tina Gordon Chism wrote the screenplay, and Wendy Finerman, Timothy M. Bourne and Jody Gerson produced. Nick Cannon plays Devon, with Zoe Saldaña as Laila, Orlando Jones as Dr. Lee, Leonard Roberts as Sean Taylor, GQ as Jayson and Jason Weaver as Ernest.

Made for a budget of 20 million dollars, the film took in 58 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.9 from more than 35,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. The critics' rating of 6.7, drawn from 87 reviews, sits closer to the audience score on TMDB than to the IMDb figure.