Review of Film: “BAD TEACHER”

2011, 06-28:

Review of Film:  “BAD TEACHER”

There’s been a lot of publicity (in newspapers, magazines, etc.) about how CAMERON DIAZ wanted to play a “DIFFERENT” type character in a movie, & how this is “IT”...

...  Elizabeth Halsey (CAMERON DIAZ) is a very pretty teacher.  She’s actually far MORE pretty than she is any real “teacher”.  That’s probably because she simply doesn’t really CARE about teaching...

...  To be blunt, she’s a GOLD-DIGGER, & her only real interest is latching on to someone rich who can give her an EASY life.  She’s found such a guy / chump, & thus she plans to LEAVE a school where she’d been employed for just a year...

...  As announced by Principal Wally Snurr (JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS), Cameron is leaving to get MARRIED.  The other teachers there pretend to be “sorry” she’s going...

...  But, her fiancé’s mother has “caught-on” to her, “enlightened” her son as to the “facts”, & the chump decides to DUMP the lump (however pretty she might be)...

...  Reluctantly, Cameron decides she needs to RETURN to the school to earn a living while she looks for some OTHER rich guy she might ensnare...

...  She’s depressed over her (self-made) “situation” in life, & regularly turns to BOOZE (even at school) as she has her junior-high kids watch Hollywood MOVIES rather than actually try to “TEACH” them anything personally...

...  Cameron sort of “recruits” teacher Lynn Davies (PHYLLIS SMITH, who plays Phyllis on TV’s “THE OFFICE”), as she’s sort of “desperate” for friends... 

...  Due to her looks, Cameron also attracts phys ed teacher Russell Gettis (JASON SEGAL)--  but, since he has NO real money, she has no INTEREST in him, & makes that clear from the get-go (or, the “get-LOST-&-go!” to be precise)...

...  Who should arrive at the school but a somewhat cute-but-“bookish”-looking substitute teacher named Scott Delacorte (JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE).  When she learns he’s in-effect heir to a watch-making family fortune, she suddenly “develops” the “TIME” for him (so-to-speak)...

...  Well, truly-enthusiastic teacher Amy Squirrel (LUCY PUNCH) also takes a shine to Justin, & that makes her in-effect an ENEMY of Cameron’s (& vice-versa)... 

...  When she sees how Cameron keeps making “plays” for the guy SHE wants, Lucy starts trying to gather some “DIRT” on Cameron...  One might say, she wants to give her a “LICKING” while she herself keeps on “TICKING” with watch-heir Justin!...

...  Cameron isn’t really a “bad” teacher--  she’s a ROTTEN one!  She not only ignores educating the kids -- such as Garrett Tiara (played by MATTHEW J. EVANS) & Tristan (NOAH MUNCK) --, she actually enjoys HURTING them, by throwing basketballs at them, etc...

...  Please don’t misunderstand--  Cameron does have a “goal”:  namely, finding some way to pay for a “BOOB job” she thinks she needs to help attract the “kind” of person (i.e., rich sucker) she’s looking for...

...  Do you think Cameron would be so “shallow” as to act “sexy” to try to get money from parents of the kids at a student-run CAR wash?...  Would she actually try to “CHARGE” the parents for “assuring” she could get their kids good GRADES?...

...  Well, this is the age of the New “P.-I.” (Politically INCORRECT) world of “comedy”, so, of COURSE she would!...  And, naturally, LUCY would try to “catch” her at things & “REPORT” her to various of the educational “authorities”...

...  Is Justin truly an “anyway-the-WIND-blows” kind of person who would tend to assume whatever “attitude” was held by the person he was WITH at the moment (rather than having any true “convictions” about anything)?...   If so, would Cameron “CATCH-ON” to that & CARE about it?...

...  Will LUCY succeed in getting Cameron in trouble for her “questionable” conduct?...  Will nerdy Justin fall into Cameron’s “web” (& will he be “enough” for her)?... 

...  Will Cameron GET the money she’s seeking for her “corrective” work?...  Would that really HELP her in life?...  WHO’ll end-up with who?!...

...  I found this “comedy” sadly “INCONSISTENT”:  The “concept” was far better than its WEAK execution, in that the humor was seldom really “FUNNY” to me (tho some people laughed a fair amount)... 

...  Cameron’s character is a “louse”, & then supposedly “CHANGES”--  but, it’s all done in the name of grubbing money, & it’s NOT particularly “believable” or well-written...

...  Other people I know disliked the role Justin played, finding it simply “UNNECESSARY” to the story.  Actually, I found it a “hook” as an “excuse” for what went on.  He played the role as written & did a generally GOOD job at it (& it’s not his fault that the character wasn’t WRITTEN as very funny or with a “spark”!)...

...  Cameron plays her role “OK”--  but, in a way, it’s so “one-dimensional” (as scripted!) that it ends up coming across as somewhat “FLIMSY” overall (tho she probably enjoyed playing such an almost “wicked” role)... 

...  It could’ve been so much BETTER --  but, again, it’s because the character wasn’t very “CLEVERLY” written...

...  The BEST work is by LUCY & JASON (& PHYLLIS)-- but that’s because their characters have some “depth” to them, & thus they can “DO” more with them...

...  Thus, I found the film a disappointment overall.  To me, it’s simply NOT particularly “funny” (with far too much of it coming across as “desperate” humor, with an inconsistent “flip” to Cameron’s character for a supposedly “happy” ending).  The concept just doesn’t “HACK” it, to me...

...  And thus, tho it’s not “bad” so much as not very GOOD as a film, I’m rating it as 6.5 out of 10 stars...

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