Film: Bad Teacher

GENRE: Comedy
RATING: R for sexual content, nudity, language & drug use
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 32 minutes
STARRING: Cameron Diaz (There’s Something About Mary), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Justin Timberlake (SNL)
DIRECTOR: Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard, Orange County)
WRITERS: Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg (Year One, The Office)
PLOT: A terrible teacher gets involved at school to get enough money for a boob job and woo a new colleague.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:
1 Cameron Diaz’ Elizabeth Halsey is not nearly bad enough. She does what she can with the role but they don’t give her much to work with. Sure, she’s self-centered and doesn’t care about her students or co-workers but nothing that would make you drop your jaw with amazement. I thought that was the point.
2 The only saving grace in this film is Jason Segel as the gym teacher who has a crush on Elizabeth. His scenes with Diaz actually show some chemistry; I wish there was more of that in the film. He is endearing and fun to watch. Phyllis from The Office is also fun but I don’t know why Elizabeth would talk to her.
3 Justin Timberlake was great in Social Network and Alpha Dog, both dramas. He is very funny on SNL. He sucks in this film, however. What odd casting. His lame-ass song that he sings at the bar is the only chuckle but that’s only because we know what he can really do.
4 Kasdan should have taken a cue from School of Rock, the kids are an essential part of a teacher film. Those kids had it, this film does not. The kids are boring and add nothing to the story. I even saw one of them smiling when Diaz is chewing them out for their sucky essays.
5 As a media teacher, I got a kick out of Elizabeth just showing inspirational teacher films in her class like Stand & Deliver. Scream was a fun stretch. I try to make sure I don’t show a film on the first day of school though.

RECOMMENDATION: Maybe TBS, maybe.
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Cowboys & Aliens