Cameron Diaz as a foul-mouthed teacher? What could go wrong there?
That Cameron Diaz is an able comedy actress isn’t really a subject for debate. While There’s Something About Mary is the obvious evidence, her supporting turn in My Best Friend’s Wedding remains underrated, and there are words that could be had about A Life Less Ordinary, the lighter moments of Charlie’s Angels, and the Shrek franchise.
Yet her choices in comedy tend to be a little odd. What Happens In Vegas is just about tolerable, while The Sweetest Thing is one of the most cringe-inducing cinematic attempts at humour in recent memory. The penis song is a low point for all involved.
On paper, though, Bad Teacher seems a wiser choice. Behind the camera there’s Jake Kasdan, of Freaks & Geeks and the underrated Zero Effect fame. Writing? That’d be Gene Stupnitsky and Lee
Eisenberg, the scribes behind many episodes of the US take on The Office. And then there’s Diaz, playing the kind of politically incorrect teacher that should, at heart, make for a solid comedy.
But it doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work for a couple of reasons. The big one is this, though: Diaz’s character just isn’t nasty enough. She’s sneering, certainly, and there are one or two chuckles from getting her class to watch a succession of inspiring teacher movies. But she doesn’t really teach, and consequently, we don’t get her being particularly bad at it. Instead, the film becomes a quest for the money for her character’s boob job, and a pursuit to gain the attention of Justin Timberlake’s Scott. It is no exaggeration to say that watching the first half hour of Bad Teacher, then, would test the patience of any comedy fan.
The film, however, does eventually splutter into life. And it’s Jason Segel, perhaps the only actor in the whole movie who pitches his performance spot on, who deserves the credit. Because he ends up coming across as the teacher who doesn’t really seem to give a shit, conveying with less what Diaz can’t do here with more. Lucy Punch, as the squeaky clean rival teacher, eventually ceases to grate, and her performance comes through, too. Justin Timberlake, however, is a little bit wasted here, although he’s perfectly acceptable with what he’s given to work with.
If there’s a fault, though, it must ultimately lie with the script. Eisenberg and Stupnitsky failed to translate the humour they winningly brought to the small screen just the other year, with the mirth-free Year One. Here, they’ve had a good idea for a movie, but diluted it so heavily you wonder why they pitched for a higher rating in the first place. Scandalously light on funny lines, it’s a screenplay that barely provides a platform for what should have been a solid night out at the movies. The worry? They’ve written Ghostbusters 3.
Bad Teacher is no disaster, we should be clear about that. But it’s a good idea, safely executed. And for every promising comedy scenario, you have to pay for it with many minutes of tedium. A pity, as you can’t help feel that all concerned, the strong Segel aside, could have done better than this.
Yet her choices in comedy tend to be a little odd. What Happens In Vegas is just about tolerable, while The Sweetest Thing is one of the most cringe-inducing cinematic attempts at humour in recent memory. The penis song is a low point for all involved.
On paper, though, Bad Teacher seems a wiser choice. Behind the camera there’s Jake Kasdan, of Freaks & Geeks and the underrated Zero Effect fame. Writing? That’d be Gene Stupnitsky and Lee
Eisenberg, the scribes behind many episodes of the US take on The Office. And then there’s Diaz, playing the kind of politically incorrect teacher that should, at heart, make for a solid comedy.
But it doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work for a couple of reasons. The big one is this, though: Diaz’s character just isn’t nasty enough. She’s sneering, certainly, and there are one or two chuckles from getting her class to watch a succession of inspiring teacher movies. But she doesn’t really teach, and consequently, we don’t get her being particularly bad at it. Instead, the film becomes a quest for the money for her character’s boob job, and a pursuit to gain the attention of Justin Timberlake’s Scott. It is no exaggeration to say that watching the first half hour of Bad Teacher, then, would test the patience of any comedy fan.
The film, however, does eventually splutter into life. And it’s Jason Segel, perhaps the only actor in the whole movie who pitches his performance spot on, who deserves the credit. Because he ends up coming across as the teacher who doesn’t really seem to give a shit, conveying with less what Diaz can’t do here with more. Lucy Punch, as the squeaky clean rival teacher, eventually ceases to grate, and her performance comes through, too. Justin Timberlake, however, is a little bit wasted here, although he’s perfectly acceptable with what he’s given to work with.
If there’s a fault, though, it must ultimately lie with the script. Eisenberg and Stupnitsky failed to translate the humour they winningly brought to the small screen just the other year, with the mirth-free Year One. Here, they’ve had a good idea for a movie, but diluted it so heavily you wonder why they pitched for a higher rating in the first place. Scandalously light on funny lines, it’s a screenplay that barely provides a platform for what should have been a solid night out at the movies. The worry? They’ve written Ghostbusters 3.
Bad Teacher is no disaster, we should be clear about that. But it’s a good idea, safely executed. And for every promising comedy scenario, you have to pay for it with many minutes of tedium. A pity, as you can’t help feel that all concerned, the strong Segel aside, could have done better than this.
