Bad Teacher Review

Bad Teacher Review

Bad Teacher wants to be the dirty comedy of the summer, and it tries hard to be that.  The problem is that you can see that it is trying.  A great puppet once said "Try not, do or do not, there is not try."  Yes it was Yoda, but the point is just as valid, a comedy, especially one that wants to be dirty, can't try, it must do. I am not saying that the movie isn't funny, in fact quite the opposite, the movie is quite funny in parts, but the problem is so much of the movie feels forced and not organic. The movie isn't a failure, but it isn't a home run either.

Cameron Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, a shallow and materialistic gold digger who is only teaching until the right sugar daddy comes along. She is crass and rude, and spends most of her teaching time hung over and or passed out while the students watch classic films about classic teachers.  The plot, if you want to call the moments in between curse words, vulgarity, and crude gestures, revolves around Elizabeth's desire to get breast implants so that the new substitute teacher, played by Justin Timberlake, will notice her.

Of course in order for her to succeed she must overcome two things.  The first is of course the extremely high price of breast augmentation surgery.  The second is Amy Squirrel, the optimistic and dedicated teacher, who is Elizabeth's polar opposite. Of course the two compete over the Justin Timberlake character, which lead to mildly amusing exchanges, which were done much better in Rushmore nearly 15 years ago.  Amy Squirrel is played by Lucy Punch, a brilliant english comedienne who you will recognize from Dinner For Schmucks. As good as she is, she is unfortunately under utilized.

While I fault the movie for trying so hard, I will give it credit for being unapologetic in regards to its main character. Most of the time movies try to make us like the hero, by making them change for the better. Not in this movie.  Elizabeth starts the movie as a horrible person, and she finishes the movie as a horrible person. She succeeds against her nemesis, not by becoming a better person, or a better teacher, but by out foxing the goody two shoes.  Elizabeth never misses an opportunity to be opportunistic.

Bad Teacher is sadly just another forgettable summer comedy, full of a couple of good moments, but not many great ones, which is the biggest disappointment.