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School for Scoundrels (2006)
Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, Jacinda Barrett, Sarah Silverman
7.5 out of 10

I knew about School for Scoundrels for a while. I'm obsessed with Sarah Silverman, so I have wanted to see this ever since it showed up on her IMDB page. This time, she wasn't totally neglected, like in "There's Something About Mary" or "Heartbreakers". But she's not the only reason that I liked it. The movie, which is directed by a the very funny Todd Philips, has something for both guys and girls. It delivers the romantic moments and the getting-hit-in-the-crotch moments (maybe one too many of these) with skill and poise.

The film follows Roger, played by Jon Heder, who is a (surprise, surprise) big dork. Heder has been pinned down to one role which I don't think he is ever going to escape. Anyway, his character is told of by a weird friend (David Cross) a class that helps losers become winners. Roger, thinking it's a self-help seminar signs up. The class, run by Doctor P (Thornton) with his assistant Lesher (Michael Clarke Duncan), turns out to be a boot camp for losers, putting them through many things "real men" do.

Roger becomes one of the star students, and decides to ask his neighbor Amanda (Barrett) out. The date is successful, but Dr. P wants Amanda, too (or he just wants to humiliate Roger). After this, they have a series of battles to win over Becky's heart, including a tennis match (very funny), a scene in which Dr. P spraypaints Amanda's apartment to make Roger look like a stalker, and the final showdown at the airport.

The cast is really what makes this movie good. Thornton and Heder have chemistry as the two leads. Michael Clarke Duncan steals many the scene, especially during the paintball scene. Sarah Silverman (did I mention that I love her) is, as always, hilarious. Jacinda Barrett was good, nothing too special. The supporting cast, including Paul Scheer, Horatio Sanz, Tood Louiso (Snakes on a Plane!), David Cross and Luis Guzman are all funny. In the end, it's the cast that makes this romantic comedy a good movie.

Instead of checking out an Ashton Kutcher movie yesterday, I decided to see School for Scoundrels before Open Season & The Guardian. There were quite a few scenes that were funny, but nowhere near any of Billy Bob Thorton's or Jon Heder's best. The casting here was interesting with Michael Clarke Duncan and Sarah Silverman playing supporting roles. Also, we get a crazy cameo from Ben Stiller who plays a guy living with 50 cats. Overall, the script was mediocre, the cast was good & the laughs were decent, but I wouldn't recommend seeing this in theaters. Unless you are a fan of Thorton or Heder (which I am of both), then be my guess & check it out. If not, then check out one of Kutcher's movies instead. PEACE OUT!!!

School for Scoundrels (2006 dir. Todd Phillips): 7/10

Alright, so it was kind of a stretch this month, with The Illusionist being one of the best movies of the year and Just My Luck being one of the most forgettable...but all of the Top Five did indeed keep me entertained, and that's what matters. So, the awards...

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway. What can I say, I like her.

Best Actor: Paul Giamatti in "The Illusionist"

Best Supporting Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor in "Kinky Boots" and Edward Norton in "The Illusionist"

Best Supporting Actress: Julie Andrews, of course. Especially when she sings a little.

Best Ubiquitous Actor: Chris Pine,gorgeous and charming in both "PD2" and "Just My Luck"...maybe soon he can get some better roles in better movies, preferably adult ones where I can see him naked.

Best Cameo: Ben Stiller in "School for Scoundrels". Just enough of him to be funny, and a character who actually wasn't a) a nebbish or b) a retarded obnoxious freak.

Worst Cameo: Raven. Can someone please run her over with a steamroller?

Biggest Surprise Performance: Ana Gasteyer's giant belt in "Reefer Madness"

Choice for Oscar Nominee: Paul Giamatti

Best Costumes: Just My Luck and Princess Diaries 2; some great classic pieces like the white coat and little dresses in JML and the ball gowns/tailored suits in PD2.

Best Bad Guy: Julian Glover, of course, in For Your Eyes Only. So maybe dragging them around in a boat wasn't the best idea, but he was still handsome and evil at the same time.


Oh, and Desperate Housewives is on and Dougray Scott can screw me right here, right now. Oh, and so can Josh Henderson. Preferably at the same time.

This film contains some truly classic scenes, including the paint ball number and the hilarious tennis match. When Roger and his new classmates are given beepers that "initiate confrontation" we are treated to varying degrees of humiliating chaos. This movie had our audience laughing out loud and even clapping. It can be very invigorating to see someone who has been pushed around finally decide to stand up for themselves.

Jon Heder (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) does an excellent job of making us care about Roger. We want him to succeed on his quest to win his lady love, Amanda (Jacinda Barrett). Where the movie falters is in the casting of Billy Bob Thornton as Dr. P. I'm sure when the casting decision was made, Mr. Thornton seemed the perfect choice on paper. On screen, however, that is another matter. Mr. Thornton phones in his performance as Dr. P, the scoundrel in charge, for he can play obnoxious in his sleep. The problem here is he never fleshes out Dr. P. We get that he is competitive beyond sound judgement and that he is willing to play the game beyond reason. What we see is a Billy Bob who is painful to watch with his plugged-in hairdo and his pancake makeup. He delivers his lines perfectly but his botoxed facial expressions can't quite keep up with the delivery.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you are looking for a flick that will make your sides hurt with laughter then go no further. "School for Scoundrels" will make you laugh but you may hate yourself for it in the morning.

Rating: B

Review coming soon...

Mediocrity at its worst at play here. A good idea, especially for those not familiar with the original, that is as underdone as a 2 minute pizza. Limp, flaccid, storytelling that sets up good moments only to reveal no payoff at all. Jon Heder stumbles through the film as Napoleon Part-Deux and Billy Bob is phoning in his Bad Santa role. Love interest Jacinda Barrett offers no spark or connection at all. Lazy filmmaking = Just say no!

While the movie was trite, predictable, and low on laughs, there was still something satisfying about watching a man as low as Heder try to reach levels of intensity as high as Thorton...

*1/2

Finally a Jon Heder movie that is pretty good. I hated Napoleon Dynamite sooooo bad, and Benchwarmers was good...although it felt like it was Napoleon Dynamite playing his part. But I loved the fights between him and Billy Bob, I really like Billy Bob too....he was perect for the part....Good film, nothing to get too excited about but good
nontheless. Jon Heder went up one notch in my book.

But it made me laugh nonetheless.