Movie Review: Mr. Woodcock

Starring:
Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Ethan Suplee, Amy Peohler, Melissa Sagemiller

Director:
Craig Gillespie

MPAA Rating:
PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic material, language and a mild drug reference.

Release Date:
September 2007

Synopsis:
When self-help author John Farley returns home to visit his mother, he's shocked to find out that she's fallen for his sadistic high school gym teacher, Mr. Woodcock. Now, with their upcoming nuptials looming, John needs to apply his self-help techniques to his own life and make sure his mom stays single.

My Two Cents:
It’s kind of sad good actors like Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon end up doing crap like Mr. Woodcock when they get older. Well, not everything about this movie is crap, but it could have been better.

Sean William Scott’s role doesn’t suit him at first because we’re used to him being an ass in American Pie and here he plays a successful writer and self-help guru. As his rage towards Mr. Woodcock grows he starts acting more like what you would expect from him, and that’s when the movie is at its funniest. Even then, I think I only laughed twice, and already forgot why.



I didn’t fall asleep or anything, so that automatically puts it at 2 stars. Ethan Suplee once again plays a semi-retard that starts out sort of funny but then kind of creeps you out. Susan Sarandon is always enjoyable, but Amy Peohler is just too over the top. Billy Bob Thornton is probably the least funny person here, but I guess he’s just following the director’s orders. He was way funnier in Sling Blade.

Mr. Woodcock barely made enough money to cover its $22 million budget, so it wasn’t a huge failure. Sadly, that’s not saying much. There are worst comedies out there, but you have to be either drunk, high, or a raging Seann William Scott fan to watch this after reading my review.

Score: