Movies Database: Rock of Ages (2012)

Duration: 123 min
Gender: Comedy, Drama, Musical
Release Date: 22 June 2012 (Romania)

Writers: Justin Theroux (screenplay), Chris D'Arienzo(screenplay)
Stars: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta and Tom Cruise
Plot:

In 1987, Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) travels from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a famous singer while barback Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) prepares for another night of work at "The Bourbon Room," a popular nightclub on the Sunset Strip ("Sister Christian" / "Just Like Paradise" / "Nothin' but a Good Time"). As Sherrie approaches The Bourbon, her suitcase, containing her favorite records, is stolen. Seeing the incident, Drew tries to catch the robber, but fails. He comforts Sherrie and, upon learning of her situation, he gets her a job at the Bourbon Room as a waitress.

The club's owner, Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin), and his right-hand man, Lonny Barnett (Russell Brand), are trying to find a way to deal with unpaid taxes that are threatening the club, wishing their love of rock 'n' roll could keep it alive. Drew and Sherrie go to a Tower Records store and look through the used records for sale, both confessing their dreams of becoming famous ("Juke Box Hero" / "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"). Dennis and Lonny finally decide to book Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise), a famous rock star who has recently announced that he will be resigning from his band, Arsenal, to perform at the Bourbon in hopes of raising enough money to clear up their debt. Upon hearing of Stacee's upcoming concert, Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the religious conservative wife of Mayor Mike Whitmore (Bryan Cranston), organizes her church to protest in front of the Bourbon Room, planning to shut them down in an attempt to rid L.A. of its "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" image ("Hit Me With Your Best Shot").

Meanwhile, Drew's and Sherrie's relationship progresses and they slowly begin to fall in love ("Waiting for a Girl Like You"), with Drew admitting he has started writing a song for Sherrie. At the night of the show, Dennis learns that Arsenal's opening act has cancelled its appearance, and Sherrie convinces him to use Drew and his band, "Wolfgang Von Colt". Drew then confesses his feelings for Sherrie and they kiss ("More than Words" / "Heaven"). Meanwhile, Stacee's manager, Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti), schedules an interview between Stacee and Constance Sack (Malin Åkerman), a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, before the concert. She mentions the rumors that Stacee is difficult to work with and that he was actually kicked out of Arsenal, but Jaxx claims that his life is much more complicated than it appears to be ("Wanted Dead or Alive"). He then seduces her, and they are close to having sex ("I Want to Know What Love Is") when one of his arrogant comments convinces her that it would be a mistake and causes her to leave.

While Drew is waiting to go on stage, he misconstrues Sherrie's apologies to Stacee for having broken his cut glass Scotch bottle as an admission that they had sex. Drew uses all of his anger and rage to fuel his performance and is rewarded with thunderous applause ("I Wanna Rock"). He then angrily breaks up with Sherrie while Stacee performs ("Pour Some Sugar on Me"). Heartbroken, she quits her job at the Bourbon Room and leaves. He decides to go after her, but is stopped by Gill, who had watched Wolfgang Von Colt's performance and believes he can make Drew famous. Drew agrees and leaves with Gill, who also takes all the money raised by the show, leaving Dennis more in debt than before.

For days, Sherrie struggles to find a job ("Harden My Heart") until Justice Charlier (Mary J. Blige), the owner of a local strip club called "The Venus Club," takes Sherrie under her wing, allowing her to work in the club as a waitress ("Shadows of the Night" / "Harden My Heart"). Meanwhile, Drew signs with a record company while Sherrie struggles to financially support herself ("Here I Go Again"). Later, at the Bourbon Room, Dennis and Lonny declare their romantic feelings for one another and they share a kiss ("Can't Fight This Feeling").

Eventually, Sherrie is forced to become a stripper. Justice teaches her the essentials of being an exotic dancer while Drew learns that he must change his rock star image into that of a boy band ("Any Way You Want It"). A depressed Drew visits the Hollywood sign, where he finds Sherrie, who reveals both that she didn't have sex with Stacee and that she is going back to Oklahoma. Sherrie and Drew lament the situation while Stacee realizes he has feelings for Constance ("Every Rose Has Its Thorn"). In the extended cut, Stacee enters the Venus Club looking for way to subdue his feelings for Constance. He spots Sherrie and offers her $10,000 for a lap dance. Sherrie complies, but in the end they both realize they don't want each other ("Rock You Like a Hurricane"). Drew returns to the record store where he first asked Sherrie out, and there, he finds that her previously stolen records, each one with her name signed on the cover. He buys them all and leaves them at the Venus Club with a message on the bag, telling her that things once lost can be found again. Meanwhile, Stacee learns from Constance's article that Gill had stolen the proceeds from the show at the Bourbon Room, and terminates his employment for this reason.

That night, before Stacee's first solo show at the Bourbon, Patricia and her supporters square off against Stacee's enthusiasts, led by Lonny ("We Built This City" / "We're Not Gonna Take It"). When Stacee arrives, he seems to remember Patricia and greets her as "Patty." Lonny also recognizes her from photo art inside one of Arsenal's old records, and he exposes her as a former groupie of Arsenal, and hence a hypocrite, in front of everyone, humiliating her and ruining her anti-rock crusade. Stacee enters the club and finds Constance, and professes his love for her by having sex with her in the bathroom. He also has his security return the stolen money to Dennis, who uses it to pay the taxes and save the club.

Drew's boy band, the "Z Guyeezz," begins to open the show. But the rocker crowd boos their pop/hip-hop, and Drew, spotting Sherrie in the audience, leaves the stage. The two reconcile and Drew also dismisses Gill, proclaiming that rock 'n' roll will never die. Sherrie then reunites Wolfgang Von Colt for the opening act, where Drew performs the song he wrote for her ("Don't Stop Believin'"). Stacee hears the song and seems to be moved by it. Eight months later, Stacee, who has rejoined Arsenal, performs the song with Drew and Sherrie, who is now part of Wolfgang Von Colt, in an arena, in front of a crowd that includes Dennis, Lonny, Justice, a pregnant Constance, and Patricia, whose humiliation at exposure as a hypocrite has sent her back to her rock 'n' roll persona. They all join in and sing together.

Screenshots