“School For Scoundrels” (MGM)
Billy Bob Strikes Again
Billy Boy Thornton is back and in rare form in the new comedy “School For Scoundrels.” Unfortunately his co-star in this movie is Jon Heder, a one note actor who made his career in “Napoleon Dynamite” and has been playing variations on the same character ever since. If Billy Boy had had an actor worthy of the challenge, this film about a duel of wills would be much better.
Billy Bob plays Professor P, a teacher of confidence building classes. Heder plays Roger, a mild mannered individual who is in need of some way to build his confidence. He stumbles across Professor P’s class and enrolls, along with a wide variety of other mild mannered men.
Once in the class the students are subjected to brash words and humiliating situations. Professor P is a stern taskmaster and his assistant Lesher (Michael Clarke Duncan) is just as bad if not worse. Eventually the students do start becoming more assertive, and Roger is the star of the class.
As Roger becomes more confident, Professor P becomes more competitive with him. Professor P even goes so far as to ask out Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), Roger’s dream girl who lives across the hall from him. Now a competition for Amanda’s heart begins and Roger proves to be a worthy competitor.
The problem with all this is Heder is not a good enough actor to show any growth on Roger’s part. The actor starts off playing the role as a schmuck and ends up with the character still being a schmuck. He never seems to be anyone remotely in Billy Bob’s league.
Opposite him, Billy Bob is all oily charm and smart-mouthed sass. He has played roles like this in the past (“Bad Santa” and “The Bad News Bears”) and he has it down to perfection. Heder doesn’t stand a chance
As the mutual love interest for the two men, Barrett is a bit bland. She is sweet looking and all that, but not enough of a cutie to attract the likes of Professor P. Much more interesting is the character of her roommate played by Sarah Silverman.
Ben Stiller has a cameo at the end of the film that is neither needed nor wanted. It just messes up the flow of the film and for no apparent purpose.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual innuendoes.
If Billy Bob had had a multi-dimensional actor performing opposite him this could have been a much better movie. As is, it brightens up every time Thornton is on screen and bogs down whenever Heder appears. The movie is all about growth and Heder never allows his character to grow at all. He is Napoleon dynamite at the start and Napoleon Dynamite at the end.
I scored “School For Scoundrels” a well-taught 5 out of 10.
