Cameron Diaz knows raunchy comedy.
The statuesque blonde became the genre’s post girl after sporting that curious hair gel in “There’s Something About Mary.”
In “Bad Teacher,” Diaz is in full control of the R-rated hijinks. And boy, do those naughty bits look good on her. The surrounding film isn’t such a cozy fit. For every inspired supporting player or plot turn there’s another that feels air-lifted in from a far inferior film.
So long as Diaz is talking dirty – and loving it – “Bad Teacher” gets a shiny new apple.
Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, a newly dumped school teacher desperate to catch a rich man’s eye. She think she’s in luck when she meets Scott (Justin Timberlake), an independently wealthy teacher at her school. But Scott lingers longer around Amy (Lucy Punch), a goody two shoes who hammers away at her students with cutesy lesson plans.
Elizabeth digs her high heels in for a fight. She starts saving up money for breast augmentation surgery to stack the … odds in her favor. But can she win Scott’s heart and wallet? Or will Russell (Jason Segel), the perfectly ordinary gym teacher, show her the error of her gold-digging ways? That “Bad Teacher” isn’t terribly interested in answering these question hints at its ramshackle underpinnings.
Co-screenwriters Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg of “Year One” infamy do give Diaz some withering put downs, and she knocks every one out of the school yard.
“I really love helping bums,” she says while attempting to sound like a decent human being.
She puts even less energy into her lesson plans. Her idea of teaching is playing “Stand and Deliver” while she nurses her hangover du jour.
So, how do you make a conniving, pot-smoking shrew into someone worth caring about?
“Bad Teacher” doesn’t even bother. Diaz creates her own zany brand of good will by refusing to play by the rules. Yes, she’s a nightmare. But she’s not a phony, and her candor should scores her some points with audiences.
Timberlake, so good, so often on “Saturday Night Live,” acts like he’s trapped in a series of five-minute “SNL” skits. He’s trying too hard, and his character never comes alive, let alone breathes. Segel is the polar opposite, a performer who looks like he made up every one of his lines on the spot and can’t stop grinning over his own wit.
Thomas Lennon of “Reno 911!” fame, cast as the man who holds to the answer key to a major test, does what he always does here. He steals scenes and make everyone around him look better.
No matter how enticing Diaz looks in a series of slinky, sexy outfits, “Bad Teacher” stumbles in the final reel. The story gets entangled with a cheating scandal, and it’s clear Stupnitsky and Eisenberg have thrown up their hands at delivering a credible coda.
“Bad Teacher” doesn’t have the fire in its belly that previous black comedies like “Bad Santa” and “Observe and Report” share. But when Diaz is being naughty you won’t even care.
(Photo: Cameron Diaz turns a high school car wash into the social event of the season in “Bad Teacher.” Sony Pictures)
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Only liked it, loved bits and pieces of it though. Something seemed to missing from it.
While Diaz looked attractive from time to time for the most part I think she looked pretty bad, whether that was on purpose or not I don’t know. Bad characters in films should be fun to watch, her character was just plain evil though, a real sociopath which made Segel’s attraction to her problematic for me.
Some of the secondary character’s were a bit too fleshed out than was necessary crossing the line from adding texture to the film to adding fat that could easily have been cut.
The “sex scene” went over like a lead balloon with the crowd in my theater and IMHO Timberlake’s character should have been cut the focused shiftedentirely onto the conflict between Diaz and the other teacher.
Never the less I liked the film but pretty forgetable.
Well said, Opus. Agree on just about all counts. Diaz’s one redeeming quality is she didn’t sugar coat the truth, but is that enough to hang your hat on?
The sex scene probably sounded great on paper. But on screen … meh.
The film could have been improved by making Segel’s character more complex – and less saintly.
Haven’t seen the movie, but based on the trailer it looks like it could have been made into a nice black comedy skewing the educrats and unions.
Well, K, without giving away too much, there was a nice little white-guilt joke at the expense of an Obama voter. As for the rest of the movie, was it perfect, or a comedic masterpiece? No, but as CT and others have noted, had some decent stuff and Diaz’s politically incorrect part rocked. Throw in no sucker punches, two Judas Priest tunes and Eric Stonestreet (no matter how underutilized) and a matinee 90+ minutes well spent.
@EricP
Thanks! – I’ll check it out.
I was afraid of the promo R-rated trailer (thinking this was mild to what was going to be in the film). Now I will change my mind. Thanks for the review and your service to us cftoto!
Here is the “American Spectator” review of the film…
…it not only agrees with Toto 1000% but puts a great big cherry on top. I am seeing this in theaters AND buying the Blu-Ray copy for each of my liberal (read: moron) family members.
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/06/29/teacher-of-the-year/print
Saw it to the end due to Diaz’ smart ass behaviors. Timberlake ruined every scene he was in – so disappointing. Segal held up the rest of the show complementing Diaz in opposites – it would have been cool if he were a sexy guy, but no. The entire show is about how trying too hard and staying in one’s own head is the ultimate loser game, while accepting oneself in honest and self serving ways can actually play out for the best. Some scenes will be classics, many forgettable, but as flawed as it is, it has its moments of gritty truth.