'MR. WOODCOCK' NO GYM-CLASS HERO, NOT EVEN A CLASS CLOWN.Byline: BOB STRAUSS >FILM CRITIC Billy Bob Thornton Robert George (Bob) Thornton (born July 10 1962, in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA whose career lasted from 1985 to 1996. He was a 6'10" 225 forward. He holds career averages of 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 283 total games. is mean man "Mr. Woodcock woodcock: see snipe. woodcock Any of five species (family Scolopacidae) of plump, sharp-billed migratory birds of damp, dense woodlands in North America, Europe, and Asia. ." The guy's just got to get a new shtick shtick also schtick or shtik n. Slang 1. A characteristic attribute, talent, or trait that is helpful in securing recognition or attention: . Now. Woodcock is a gym teacher at a Nebraska middle school. His philosophy is life is tough, so the more he embarrasses and physically strains out-of-shape eighth-graders, the better off they'll be. It's funny for five minutes. The movie is full length. One of his traumatized charges, John Farley John Farley is the name of:
His best-selling book, "Letting Go: Getting Past Your Past," has made him a nationally idolized i·dol·ize tr.v. i·dol·ized, i·dol·iz·ing, i·dol·iz·es 1. To regard with blind admiration or devotion. See Synonyms at revere1. 2. To worship as an idol. self-help guru. But when he returns to his hometown to accept a civic prize, John discovers that Woodcock is dating his widowed mom Beverly (Susan Sarandon). Unable to, well, get past that, John plots with some childhood loser friends to break up the relationship. But Woodcock, of course, is too smart -- or maybe just too tough -- for that to work. This thing has been sitting on a shelf for a year or so, and it's easy to see why. Plot's dopey, timing's a mess, and the only really funny character, Amy Poehler's maniacal ma·ni·a·cal or ma·ni·ac adj. Suggestive of or afflicted with insanity. book publicist, is written out of most of the film. A truly smart satire of the more deluded aspects of self- improvement culture might have been wished for. Or maybe John could use his newfound confidence and coping skills to really give Woodcock a run for his money. But it's just another comedy of contrived mortification MORTIFICATION, Scotch law. This term is nearly synonymous with mortmain. and misunderstanding. There is an upside to all of this dreary, mean-spirited mirthlessness, though. Craig Gillespie, an award-winning Australian commercials director, appears to have learned a lot from mistakes made with this, his first feature film. Gillespie's sophomore movie effort, "Lars and the Real Girl," is a tone-perfect psychological comedy that's as humane as "Mr. Woodcock" is dehumanizing. "Lars" comes out next month. Wait for it. Bob Strauss (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss@dailynews.com MR. WOODCOCK - One star >PG-13: sex, mild violence, language, drug use, children in jeopardy. >Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Amy Poehler. >Director: Craig Gillespie. >Running time: 1 hr. 27 min. >Playing: Area wide. >In a nutshell: A young man's sadistic sa·dism n. 1. The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty. middle-school gym teacher ends up dating his widowed mom. Hilarity fails to ensue. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: When John Farley (Seann William Scott, left) returns to his hometown for a visit, he finds out that his former fearsome middle-school gym teacher (Billy Bob Thornton) is dating his widowed mom (Susan Sarandon) in "Mr. Woodcock." |
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