School for Scoundrels

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School for Scoundrels

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School for Scoundrels

Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, Jacinda Barrett, Michael Clarke Duncan, Dan Fogler, Jessica Stroup

Roger is a beleaguered New York City meter maid who is plagued by anxiety and low self-esteem. In order to overcome his feelings of inadequacy, Roger enrolls in a top-secret confidence-building class ...( read more  read more... )taught by the suavely underhanded Dr. P. Aided by his assistant, Lesher, Dr. P uses unorthodox, often dangerous methods, but he guarantees results: Employ his techniques and you will unleash your inner lion. Surrounded by a band of misfit classmates -- Walsh, who's dying to move out of mother's basement; Diego, a punching bag for his hen-pecker of a wife; and Eli, a shy guy just looking for female companionship -- Roger's confidence grows and he makes his way to the head of the class, even finding the courage to ask out his longtime crush, Amanda. But Roger quickly discovers that star students have a way of catapulting Dr. P's competitive side into high gear. Soon enough, the teacher sets out to infiltrate and destroy Roger's personal and professional life. Nothing is off limits for Dr. P, not even the object of Roger's affection. In order to show Amanda Dr. P's true colors, Roger must rally his new friends and find a way to beat the master at his own game.

Id: 3803118

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School for Scoundrels Recent Reviews
  • TheMachinist
    July 23, 2009
    TheMachinist
    "What if you're looking for, like you know... A real girlfriend?
    - Can we please get everyone laid first!? I swear, if anyone of you get a handjob out of this... I'm a miracleworker."

    Ever since 'Napoleon Dynamite', I've considered myself a fan of Jon Heder. Ok, he hasn't accomp...( read more)lished the same level of perfection as in 'Dynamite' but I enjoy watching his movies.

    Heder plays Roger, a meter maid from NY. He suffers from panic attacks and doesn't get along that well with people. A typical loser you might say. After he gets rejected out from a Big Brother program, he gets an advice from a friend. There's a course driven by a Doctor P that does wonders to those who have no self-esteem. To his friend it did miracles. What about Roger then?

    This film's biggest asset is its cast. Wonderful casting to a light comedy. Heder does once again a nice performance of a sweet, innocent guy but one actor manages to steal the show completely. Yes, Billy Bob Thornton that is. This film would be so much worse if it didn't have Thornton in it. Ever since 'Bad Santa', I've considered him to be a very underrated comedian. His performance does resemble his 'Bad Santa' character a bit but the way he speaks, uses his facial expressions, is somewhat of a perfect fit to the movie.

    'School for Scoundrels' features also a lot of lesser known comedians. David Cross ('Kung Fu Panda', 'Arrested Development' series) and Todd Louiso ('High Fidelity') are always a joy to look at and the same can be said of Sarah Silverman. And when Ben Stiller made a cameo.. I was sold! He manages always to put a smile on my face.

    'School for Scoundrels' has a very funny script with a decent story. Many of us have had a crush on somebody but never had the balls to do anything about it. This film shows us one side, a very funny one, on how to deal with that issue. A lot of great scenes and dialogue with good performances makes this one a really fun ride! And Luis Guzman... Another guy who puts a smile on my face, any time.

    "You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna leave that bitch! Walk out the door and start over. I don't care if she's my mother! There's a million other basements I can live in!"
  • RiderOfTheStorms
    June 27, 2009
    RiderOfTheStorms
    Ok movie with some pretty damn funny parts
  • sononothing
    October 27, 2008
    sononothing
    I'll admit that one of my guilty pleasures is to watch Billy Bob Thornton yell profanities at people and the chance to see him do it to Napoleon Dynamite was a great opportunity. School of Scoundrels is about a NYC meter maid (Jon Heder) who suffers from low self esteem and ends ...( read more)up enrolling in a class taught by Dr. P (Thornton) who will turn him into a self confident beast.

    What sounds like a great idea quickly turns into formula as the pair compete for the affections of the same woman. Does this sound familiar? That's because it was done in Anger Management a few years ago. At this point it crashes into the ground and by the last twenty minutes you wonder how Heder has a career in Hollywood at all. A big disappointment.
  • mrpopcorn
    September 10, 2008
    mrpopcorn
    Dr. P: "There are two kinds of men in the world: those who run shit, like me, and those who eat shit, like you."

    An unlucky meter reader enrolls in a confidence building class so he can win the love of the girl of his dreams. The class turns out to be something quite diff...( read more)erent when it becomes clear to the young man that his professor has his sights set on the same girl.

    This is a very, very typical movie. As soon as one sees the leading lady, the plot outline is clear: guy charms lady, guy seemingly betrays lady, guy gives speech, guy gets girl in the end. It's annoying how, in a movie filled with actors I love, they couldn't manage anything over okay.

    Don't be mistaken, though; there are some very funny moments in the movie. Seeing Heder nail Billy Bob over and over again on the tennis court was probably the highlight of the movie for me. Some parts are so typical it hurts, though, like the ending in the airport. Every plot "twist" was so obvious that it had me laughing, in a bad way.

    3/5
  • PvtCaboose91
    July 3, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "There are two kinds of men in the world: those who run shit, like me, and those who eat shit, like you."


    School for Scoundrels is a straightforward contemporary comedy: dexterous characters, genuinely hilarious moments and a few fascinating plot twists. It's

    ...( read more)the furthermost thing from an evocative, profoundly thought-provoking experience; however if you enjoy quality comedy with a number of pleasant laughs then this is undeniably a film to rent. I had elevated expectations for this film, particularly due to the cast. Jon Heder from Napoleon Dynamite, Billy Bob Thornton from Bad Santa, as well as a minor role portrayed by Ben Stiller. The plot also operates on an appealing premise of a battle of wits concerning two characters. Don't anticipate some form of masterpiece. Instead, settle down to watch School for Scoundrels with refreshments; assuming an undemanding, light-hearted comedy flick encompassing masses of merriment.

    School for Scoundrels is a remake of an old 1960s film of the same name. The plot suitably mirrors said original film, logically enough. Roger Wadell (Heder) is a beleaguered, underachieving New York City meter maid inundated with countless issues of trepidation and a shockingly depleted level of confidence. One of Roger's friends wishes to assist him in overcoming his feelings of meagreness, and encourages him to enrol in a highly confidential school conceived to help people build confidence. This school is run by the dastardly Dr. P (Thornton). He's aided by the intimidating Lesher (Duncan) as he unleashes his sometimes dangerous methods of developing confidence in his students. Dr. P's goal is to encourage his students to consider themselves as lions in an animal kingdom - and it's a battle to become the leader of the pack. Soon enough, Roger's level of confidence begins to elevate and he finally becomes assertive enough to get involved with long-time crush: his Australian neighbour Amanda (Barrett). Roger is the stand-out student in Dr. P's class, but this prompts Dr. P to employ a more unorthodox method of instilling additional confidence: destroying Roger's professional and personal life. Through the eyes of Dr. P nothing is too far. Alas, an elaborate battle of wits emerges between the two men.

    School for Scoundrels may seem like your standard, average contemporary comedy made for a quick buck. However, this film isn't as terrible as one would be expecting. The major stand-out is the solid script held together by a stellar cast and an able director (Todd Phillips, who also helmed Starsky and Hutch). Like all modern comedies, the film is skilfully made and unproblematic to watch. The film lacks laughs in the first half, but then things start looking up into the second half. There are loads of hysterically funny moments to witness during the film's second half. These laughs are slow to get going...nevertheless the wait is definitely worth it. Prepare to be laughing uncontrollably. I will admit that the film is slightly formulaic and clichéd. Then again, the film isn't as clichéd as I was expecting. Surprisingly, the screenplay manages to avoid succumbing to some clichés and still contains a hint of unpredictability.

    The characters seem to be nothing more than a bunch of worn stereotypes; however despite the shallow material the cast pull off their roles excellently. Billy Bob Thornton, as always, accomplishes his role with tremendous skill. He plays one heck of an arrogant bloke, though. He suits the role: charming but deceptive. Of course, Jon Heder is another great addition to the cast. Heder is certainly entertaining enough to cover up many shortcomings in the script. Ben Stiller has a small role, but he's extremely memorable. Just his facial expressions had me in stitches, let alone his hilarious voice. Jacinda Barrett and Michael Clarke Duncan are also very talented in their roles.

    Overall, School for Scoundrels is a simple comedy that makes for highly enjoyable viewing. Sometimes it's extremely clichéd; however the film is bright enough to maintain your interest throughout the running time. Although critics generally panned the movie, I unquestionably recommend it for a pleasant night of satisfying laughs and interesting characters. Reasonably forgettable, but still a lot of fun.
  • navinpai
    November 27, 2009
    navinpai
    Watched this movie on a lazy afternoon, and while this movie may seem very original, I couldn't help but compare it to the movies Hitch and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi......worth a watch, especially the endig which goes though a anticlimax-climax-anticlimax loop, or if you like light hu...( read more)mour...but other than that don't expect much from the movie!!
  • genabobena
    November 3, 2009
    genabobena
    Laughed my ass off. I love Billy Bob Thornton.
  • itsmagical
    September 9, 2009
    itsmagical
    Really enjoyed this film until the twist was revealed then it all goes down hill in my opinion
  • tonyp56
    September 8, 2009
    tonyp56
    Funny movie, especially paint balling... LOL
  • jerrynation
    August 22, 2009
    jerrynation
    What happen with B Bob Thorton and Jon Heder i love this man in Napoleon Dynamite, but all theyre last movies has been a disaster. I was wondering if the director is in love with Jon, just watch the way they take him, Hmmm interesting
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