Looking for a great popcorn movie tonight? If so, Bad Teacher will be a film that fits this need admirably.
Released in 2011, this movie tells the story of an underachieving middle school teacher who left her teaching practice after courting a rich man. After a few years, he left her, forcing her to pick up teaching again.
Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Chase Rubin, this film may have not have won any Academy Awards, but watching it will fill your evening with laughter if comedies are a preferred form of entertainment for you.
Let’s get into the details of this picture below…
Storyline synopsis (don’t read if you hate spoilers)
Bad Teacher tells the story of an incompetent middle school teacher by the name of Elizabeth Halsey, who returns to her chosen profession after her wealthy fiance leaves her for another woman.
Often swearing at her students, and spending nights away from the classroom in the embrace of alcohol and drugs, she lives her life like a rudderless boat on a stormy ocean.
Then, in a twist of fate that can only be described as convenient, a substitute teacher by the name of Scott Delacorte starts working at her school that same semester.
Unlike her fellow coworkers, Scott (played by Justin Timberlake) just happens to come from a wealthy family, instantly attracting her attention.
Not able to afford the breast implant surgery that she so desperately wants, she begins cleaning up her act in an attempt to impress Scott.
This doesn’t come without intense competition however, as a rival teacher also vies for Scott’s affection.
The reviews are in, and they are mixed
Considering this film’s genre (comedy) and its outlandish plot, we shouldn’t be terribly surprised that this film has those that adore it, and others that abhor it.
Some love it for its self-parody and dedication to mindless entertainment in a day and age where people take things far too seriously, too often.
However, others bemoan this film as a barometer of our times, where good looks, sex appeal, and anti-intellectualism rule the day.
Others are ambivalent about Bad Teacher, as they have seen this formula in many comedy movies before. This movie isn’t a Gigli, but it isn’t a Good Will Hunting either.
As a result, it isn’t surprising to see that this film has ratings ranging from 5.7 on IMDb, to a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Random trivia
There are a number of interesting facts behind Bad Teacher that you may find interesting and amusing. They are as follows:
(1) While Cameron Diaz and Jason Timberlake hook up on screen as per their relationship in this movie, they had just previously broken up in real life. It wasn’t totally awkward however, as they had parted on good terms.
(2) The movies that she showed in class to deflect attention from her constant hangovers at the start of Bad Teacher wasn’t exactly the best material for middle school children, as the scenes on the television were from Scream and Dangerous Minds, both R-rated movies.
(3) While Cameron Diaz ultimately decided not to get breast implants in this movie, she went on to get breast implants in real life just a few months after Bad Teacher hit theaters.