MR. WOODCOCK... RHETORICAL REVIEW, TAKE A LAP!Ah yes, there were many ways this review could have started, but I'm taking the high road on this one... Anyone who has ever dreaded gym class in school will relate to this movie. The problem is, they have to relate to it for an hour and a half. Self-help guru John Farley (Seann William Scott) is called to return to his hometown in nowhere's-ville Midwest small town to receive the key to the town. To his horror, he finds that while he was off being successful, his mother (Susan Sarandon... is that right? Yup, it is) has found a new romance with the school gym teacher, Mr. Woodcock, (Billy Bob Thornton) who tormented him when he was in his PE class. We sees the flashbacks to the humiliating and cruel tactics used on the younger John which bring on a fury with the older John and makes him attempt to break the couple up. This movie does have some funny moments, but most of those moments are from Saturday Night Live cast member Amy Poehler who is Maggie, John's agent. It wasn't a terrible movie (still #1 Lindsay my love) but it wasn't a great movie either. Thornton is stereotypical as is Scott and if the movie kept the comedic pace up it could have been something. However, at the end of the movie everything gets all dramatic and it just doesn't work with the beginning of the movie being somewhat crude and sophomoric. If you are totally bored and have seen all the movies I recommend then I guess you could take a time out and watch this. There is some entertainment value, just like mushrooms on a pizza count as a vegetable.
Not a Pick: Pretty predictable, and not totally horrid; it didn't suck as much as I anticipated.
