Bad Teacher brings together a funny and talented cast—including Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, and Justin Timberlake—for a fresh take on a familiar character.
Elizabeth Halsey (Diaz) teaches middle school and is quite possibly the worst teacher in the history of bad teachers. The tagline for the movie reads: “She doesn’t give an ‘F’,” which is pretty much the case.
Instead of teaching, she shows a myriad of movies— Dangerous Minds and Scream among them. While her class watches movies, she either sleeps or sneaks shots from the secret stash of alcohol in her desk.
The only thing Elizabeth does care about is trying to find a sugar-daddy husband so she never has to work again. She thinks she finds her mark when substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (Timberlake) starts at her school. The only problem is that Scott starts dating super teacher Amy Squirrel, the very epitome of an excellent teacher, and everything Elizabeth hates.
When Elizabeth learns that the teacher whose class performs the best on the state standardized test gets a $5700 bonus—and that Amy wins every year—she resorts to any means necessary to win that money, even going so far as to teach. GASP!
The reason I say Bad Teacher is a fresh twist on a familiar character is because we’ve all seen the I-don’t-care-about-kids teacher character a hundred times, but this is the first time we’ve seen a woman in the role. And Cameron Diaz shines.
This character is a huge departure from the bubbly characters Diaz usually plays that it’s a blast to watch her here, even if she is completely despicable. I have to say, this movie did make me wonder if this is what all teachers would be like if they removed their filters for a day…
I’m also excited about Bad Teacher because it follows along the same lines as Bridesmaids, showing women as much more complex characters than they’ve been portrayed in Hollywood comedies. Women are usually the voice of reason, and it’s a lot of fun to watch them when they’re not.
If you want a movie with a solid moral and life lesson, Bad Teacher isn’t for you. But as something hilariously unapologetic, with a brilliantly funny cast, Bad Teacher gets definitely gets an “A.”
7.5 of 10