School for Scoundrels (2006): Dir: Todd Phillips / Cast: Jon Heder, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacinda Barrett, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ben Stiller: Comedy about learning opposition to what is really best. Jon Heder plays a shy individual with no self confidence and working at a job with no future. He learns of a self confidence course and enrolls under the teachings of Dr. P. This leads to competed affection for a young woman in his building. Observant with twist after twist in the finale. Directed by Todd Phillips as a followup to Old School and certainly an improvement over the dreaded Road Trip. Heder plays a role viewers may relate to going from pushed over to being challenged and eventually successor. Billy Bob Thornton plays Dr. P who covers his tracks while dishing out lies. Jacinda Barrett plays the standard love interest whose only interesting feature is that she is Australian. The idea that Heder is fighting for her leaves no surprise as to how this turns out. Michael Clarke Duncan plays an associate to Dr. P who is nothing more than a thug. Ben Stiller plays a depressed student who was a victim of the teacher's antics in the past. Although a message of self respect does exist, this film seems more interested in bathroom humour than anything else. Like the class itself it presents a potential theme then buries it within nonsense leaving effective plot twists to gain honors. Score: 6 / 10
Review of School for Scoundrels
