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• Exactly what I expected posted on 14 August 2009

  A solid 7/10 comedy.Ticks all the boxes of an easy to watch comedy that doesn't get too serious but has enough funny gags to keep you interested.The main storyline is fairly good and kept my interest.These kind of films are never going to be in the IMDb top 10 or anything but I like these kind of films and this didn't disappoint.Yes, we've all seen this feel good comedy before but the acting was good and it was fast paced enough that I didn't think it dwelled on the same joke or same part of the plot for too long. There's also some very good one liners between Farley and Mr Woodcock.

• over-hyped yet had some "Fun" moments posted on 14 August 2009

  well what can i say? Mr. Woodcock, staring sean William Scott, and Billy Bob Thortan, what could go wrong? well enough to make this movie over-hyped, flawed, and almost miss able but there are some moments on this movie that make it watchable.Sean William Scott was a fat kid when he was little, picked on by a mean PE teacher Mr. Woodcock. He was humiliated, and tormented. Now 15 years later he just got done publishing a book about pushing through, thinking he was done with Mr. Woodcock, until he goes back to visit his mom, then finds out Mr. Woodcock is dating his mom. then it's a cat and mouse game to make Mr. woodcock leave his mom and be happy again.The comedy, yet predictable, still makes you chuckle but can be a little boring. over all 2 stars out of 5.good for a rental.

• under-rated fun posted on 23 June 2009

  Compared to what's out there for this type of film, MR. WOODCOCK is quite fun. It has some very funny moments, the premise is good and the execution is quite entertaining. The cast is very good for this type of genre, especially Billy Bob Thornton. He's the perfect "gym teacher from Hell". Not as crude as it could have been, although still not for the young kids. Don't be mislead by some of the negative reviews. No, it's not an earth shaking movie or academy award caliber, but for a fun evening, this is a definite fun movie to see. My main qualm is why wasn't it filmed in Nebraska where it takes place? It had an oh so California look.

• Mr Woodcock delivers the goods! posted on 06 July 2009

  We all have had Mr. Woodcock's in our lives. But nobody is as ruthless as this guy. I mean, he says at one point "I don't do sorry". He is so good at playing a jerk! Long live Billy Bob! Yes, I did like this movie a great deal. For some reason, I am just really scared by simply watching the scenes. Even when he says "take a lap" for no reason to those kids, it's just scary! He takes the cake! He never smiles and for some reason is really into making sure that kids suffer. Then again, maybe he did make them stronger later in life. At least he didn't pick on the girls. He does have some respect. However, his DAD was a real jerk. I liked that one scene where Mr. Woodcock talks about meat, super funny.

• Not worth one lap around the theater.... posted on 06 March 2009

  The most unfortunate thing about this movie is the waste of, particularly, an excellent actress like Susan Sarandon but also for wasting Seann William Scott, who has been far better in other comedies (even the American Pie series had more humor and came across as more realistic than Mr. Woodcock) and has also done well in some dramatic/action movies, with comedic qualities in his performance, as in Bulletproof Monk and the Rundown. The only actor in the movie who is enhanced by this entire affair is Amy Poehler, who is far better used here than she ever was in Blade of Glory. She gives an excellent, scene-stealing, scene-chewing performance as Maggie, the press agent and "handler" for Scott's inspirational How To book author character, John Farley.Sarandon plays his mom and its an age appropriate role for her and she looks fabulous even as a past middle age adult mother in a small, mid-west town. Her over the top roles in projects like Enchanted, or Children of Dune are better 'paycheck' roles for her than projects such as this or say Speed Racer.The movie is technically proficient from a mainstream studio release point of view. However, it suffers from being a movie that, at least theatrically, barely made its production budget back (approximately $24M, not counting the cost of prints or promotion) -- and you have to wonder how much of that cost went to the director, who clearly did a by the numbers performance (many TV movies, even on basic cable, have more interesting elements in them) and a script that took every simple or easy way out. The script is credited on screen to two writers. It feels and comes across as if they sat around one afternoon thumbing through their old yearbooks, calling a few friends up for some more diverse gym-teacher horror stories, cobbled together the most basic of son/former boyfriend/co-worker/next door neighbor attempts to break couple that seem unsuitable at the start, succeeds, but in the standard-issue feel good ending, they must be brought back together at the last possible moment so the credits can roll on a happy popcorn satiated crowd.It's predictable, its boring, it's not even mildly funny. There is one part where I laughed out loud, towards the end, a physical bit of comedy involving a pot hole and the Thorton character, Woodcock. However, laughing out loud was reflexive to what was otherwise a set up and joke that one could see a mile away. Just like a pie in the face, one laughs, but it's not what one wants to pay $10 for, plus parking, baby-sitter, gas, popcorn, etc.Best to avoid, even on basic cable for free.

• Good film, nobody needs surgery posted on 22 May 2009

  Susan Sarandon looked fine, in fact great for her character. I thought the movie was funny and just plain entertaining.I liked the broad humor as well as the occasional slapstick bit. In addition, there was some social/philosophical commentary that went well with the light tone of the movie. Although the 'Cornival' was a bit corny, that was the point. John, Mr. Woodcock's nemesis, was searching for a connection with his roots and eventually realized that he was more disconnected than he thought, having to change his general outlook and his relationships with the people he most cared about.

• A bit of a dull story with lack luster comedy but the cast turns it around posted on 16 April 2009

  Mr. Woodcock is a unique film. I don't mean that because of it's plot because this is nothing new in fact Billy Bob Thorton did something like this with School For Scoundrels, and I don't mean the comedy because honestly it just wasn't that funny and as per usual for most comedies the stuff that may have been funny is used up in the trailers, and the dialog and the story isn't that great and yet it's definitely worth seeing, how is that possible? Well there are two reasons and it's the main stars of the film who manage to take a weak and relatively shoddy script and actually really make it worth while and fun and their chemistry is just downright brilliant period. There is very little about this film that is worth getting excited over and I knew this as I was sitting there and yet I kept thinking...this is actually pretty good, kind of fun, I'd watch it again and the only reason is for them. The rest of the cast was good too, no one really tripped up in making the film but no one else is hardly in it. Once again Hollywood has fallen into the inexperience trap with director Craig Gillespie who is very new and this is only his second film. And then you have two virtually brand spanking new screen writers who have written nothing previously for the big screen. This film could have been three times better had they had experience behind the camera and not just in front of it.Other than his obvious role on the American Pie films as the hopelessly dirty Stifler, Seann William Scott has not really impressed me in anything else. I just always assumed he would always doing nothing else but Stifler and yet this role of his really surprised me. He is almost the straight man as clean cut, celebrity author John Farley. Scott spends most of the film having this break down and talking to himself and plotting against Woodcock and it's just fun to watch. He also has some outrageous physical comedy which is a good additive too. Billy Bob Thornton has had some great roles, and some good films but I've still never been a huge fan but his performance as Jasper Woodcock is just awesome. Although, as I stated earlier, it's not a far cry from the role he played in School For Scoundrels when it was Jon Heder he was torturing but Woodcock is even worse. He is the ultimate provocateur, and together with Scott they are an awesome team against each other. It's just pure dumb luck on their part that the two of them literally save this film from obscurity. Also Susan Sarandon looking lovely as always plays Scott's Mom and Woodcock's fiancé much to Farley's dismay. Sarandon doesn't really pull out the stops for this performance, she is just kind of there but an actor of her caliber just being there...helps. Amy Poehler is actually the real laugh getter as John's egotistical, maniacal and alcoholic book agent. She doesn't have a big role either but she does it well. Ethan Suplee has definitely had better and more significant roles but he plays John's sidekick and former High School class mate. His role is toned down from the typical sidekick role to make way for both Scott and Thorton so he kind of gets lost as a pointless character.I think the most important thing for a truly successful comedy is to have some really memorable moments and Mr. Woodcock tries, and tries hard but I don't know if it's successful although I'm thinking to myself that "it's a rhetorical question Farley" could become a new expression. The single only reason to see the film is the battle of both wits and physicality between Woodcock and Farley. I don't think there is very many laugh out loud moments in a comedy that you'd think would be of that type. It's definitely a much more subtle comedy styling and it comes across as cute and maybe a little dull around the edges but I've seen worse. 7/10

• I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would. posted on 14 April 2009

  As of today the IMDb rating for this movie is 5.1. I wasn't expecting much but I enjoy Billy Bob Thornton, even in bad movies. It is easy to just look at the slapstick comedy, but there is a deeper message about finding yourself, and about learning to accept others, even if they don't fit your idea of what is right.Billy Bob Thornton is Jasper Woodcock, tough as nails Jr. High P.E. teacher. His students all look like out of shape misfits, and he is brutal in his treatment of them, lambasting them for being fat or out of shape or coming to class without proper uniform. In all the kind of person you DON'T want teaching your kids anything.One of his chubby misfits is a meek kid names John Farley. The last we see of the young chubby kid is when he is trying to do pull-ups and Woodcosk shouts to him, "Don't let go!", but he does and falls to the floor. We next pick up the story 13 years later, when Seann William Scott is John Farley who, after being inspired by Woodcock's "Don't let go" wrote a best seller titled "Letting GO", about getting past your past. As a young adult he altered his lifestyle and eating habits and also became a very fit looking young man.While doing a book signing tour, he finds out that his corn-belt home town is giving him an award, a sort of key to the town, which he considers a great honor, so he goes back for it. Back home his mom, Susan Sarandon as Beverly Farley, is naturally glad to see him and has good news, she has been dating a very nice man for 5 months. John is mortified to learn it is Woodcock!So, most of the movie is John trying to understand what his mother sees in this beast of a man, and further trying to beak it up. This is further aggravated when John finds out Woodcosk is being honored as "Teacher of the Year."Amy Poehler as John's assistant Maggie Hoffman is just so perfect and so funny all the time, she steals any scene she is in. Watching part of the "making of" extra on the DVD, she is just a naturally funny person. Melissa Sagemiller as Tracy, an old classmate of John's, is fitting.SPOILERS. John in the end is unsuccessful at breaking up Woodcock and his mom, but when she finds the two arguing, almost coming to blows, by now engaged, she takes off the ring and walks away sadly. It turns out that even with Woodcock's grave faults in the gym, he treats John's mother with utmost respect, and seems the perfect man for her. John has to learn to accept that, and not impose his own feelings on his mom. Mom and Woodcock reconcile and John learns to be happy for them.

• Such an evil teacher posted on 04 December 2009

  go out and watched this movie at weekend. but feel awful the whole day. it ruined my whole weekend.I know American movies suppose to be a happy ending. but this movie is totally political wrong. Mr. Woodcock, beating student, offensive words to kids, in stead of teaching but punishing people, is not funny. such an evil teacher should not have a happy ending. he should end up into prison. feel bad after watching this movie. really really don't understand why such a movie could be public. where are the parents? Anybody have the same feeling with me?

• Painful To Watch. posted on 21 March 2009

  All throughout high school Mr Woodcock gave kids a really hard time in gym class. So hard that one student wrote a book on how to live your life and overcome such obstacles. This young man is all grown up and returns home to hear that his mother is engaged to...Mr. Woodcock. Thus providing more hard times for our lead character and apparently some unfunny situations that we are suppose to laugh at.Ever since the very funny Bad Santa, there have been a slew of Billy Bob Thorton plays an asshole type comedy. The one prior to this entry was School For Scoundrels. Now, if you play this two movies one after another I guarantee you that you would not be able to tell which character was from which movie, since they are almost the exact same. This film and Scoundrels, both feature Thorton an autopilot. While he still gets the laughs, it's the rest of the film that fails horribly around him, It makes me wonder how many more of these films we are going to get.Sean William Scott gets no laughs here. He is not playing the perverted jerk (Road Trip, American Pie) nor is this an action comedy (The Rundown, Bullet Proof Monk). So we are treated to a boring character, played by a wooden Scott. I can't help but say that the lead role was horrible miscast here.The script is nothing new, nor funny. Mr. Woodcock unfortunately falls into the category that hurt so many comedies. The old, "If You've Seen The Trailer, You've Seen All The Funny Parts". It is completely true in this case. I did chuckle here and there, but that's only because Thorton is abusive to little kids.

• Mr Woodcock posted on 03 July 2009

  Just watched this movie on a whim and it is brilliant. No, not because Sean William Scott is in it but just because Billy Bob Thornton is! It more than lives up-to the trailer and the talk i've heard about it! Billy Bob is a terrific comic actor, Pushing Tin, Bandits, Bad Santa and School for Scoundrels are some of his best comedic performances! Just his manner and even his facial expressions will have you laughing! I challenge anyone to watch this or any other Billy Bob Thornton comedy and say "He just isn't a comedy person" cause if you do you are WRONG! Also i highly recommend other movies of Billy Bob Thorntons and they A simple plan, Friday night lights, One false move and U-turn. These titles show how versatile he can be!

• Awful movie and VERY misleading preview posted on 21 February 2009

  I enjoy watching the stars of this movie in their other projects so I really wanted to like this movie. I especially liked Billy Bob Thornton in "School for Scoundrels" so hoped this was a lot of more of similar humor as 2 "enemies" try to one up each other. I believed that due to the previews which play up the humor and conflict between the two characters.Wow, the actual movie is sadly different. The slapstick humor from the previews is noticeably missing and instead there are only a few laughs. Most of those come from Amy Poehler or Ethan Suplee. John Farley (Sean William Scott) just comes across as mean and unlikeable. Jasper Woodcock (Thornton) is dry and unfunny and through various scenes appears to be a person deserving pity almost. Beverly Farley (Susan Sarandon) is similarly sad as her tale unfolds. Rather than the light hearted slapstick comedy I was expecting, I got more of a dark comedy such as War of the Roses. This did not work even as well as that movie, which I also disliked.To have such a great cast, it is just really sad that this was the movie was they made. I am happy that I did not see it in the theater so I did not lose nearly as much money. This is definitely one I recommend people pass by, or better yet, watch the previews and imagine what you think the movie was. I wish I could do that.

• Some laughs in a one dimensional tale thats been done before posted on 21 February 2009

  Self-help guru who hated his gym teacher goes home to find his mom engaged to said teacher, stilted merriment tries to ensue. The idea is sound the execution isn't. Woodcock, Billy Bob Thorton's gym teacher character is much too one dimensional to really work since he has one expression the whole time. Sean William Scott as the self help guru tries too hard to be wacky and falls on his face. Actually the script just doesn't work since its so obvious where its going. There are laughs and smiles despite of the lack of it all hanging together, and one "Whoa" nervous "oh crap he really got hurt" laugh towards the end. Worth a look on a slow night on cable where you'll be more forgiving of the dull bits on the way to the good ones.

• Dark comedy works on several levels.. posted on 17 February 2009

  A message comedy that has it's darker moments. Billy Bob Thornton heads the well-cast ensemble, as a cold-as-ice gym teacher. His harsh methods for building men are way off base, and do more harm than good. The interesting thing is that he actually believes his outlandish techniques work. Of course they do not and a successful Sean William Scott returns to challenge Mr. Woodcock's pending marriage to of all people, Sean's Mother. All this tension leads to dark comedy, and quite a bit of enlightenment for both combatants, as they realize neither of their methods is perfect. While others have criticized BBT for living in a comfort zone with these abrasive characters he plays, I would point out that he portrays them extremely well. "Mr. Woodcock" is a good evenings entertainment. - MERK

• One of the WORST comedies in recent years! posted on 17 February 2009

  This so-called comedy is horrendous on all levels, and worst of all--it's boring! It's forgettable! This doesn't even fall into the so-bad-it's good category. About the only positive thing I can say about "Mr. Woodcock" is that it's only a little under 80 minutes long. I was looking forward to seeing the flick, since I am a pretty big Billy Bob Thornton fan. Unfortunately, with this movie, he has officially completed the trifecta of duds. First there was "School for Scoundrels," which was mediocre. Then there was "The Astronaut Farmer," which was also mediocre. Now we have "Mr. Woodcock," which is downright awful. There are many actors who I admire and even adore, who have done a fair share of bad movies, but for some reason (before these three movies) I can't think of any less-than-satisfying ones that Billy Bob has done, except for maybe "Waking Up in Reno." It seems like he has reached the I'm-just-here-to-pick-up-my-paycheck phase of his career.The movie has an interesting premise. We all have had crappy gym teachers in the past. Unfortunately, the plot goes nowhere and flings us into one implausible, sitcom-level situation after another. My main problem with the plot is that we're supposed to believe that Mr. Woodcock is a gem to everyone, except Seann William Scott's character. Susan Sarandon's character supposedly finds this man charming, when in all actuality he doesn't show even an ounce of charm throughout the flick. Maybe it would've been funny if he were really mean towards Scott, yet he acts like the nicest guy towards everybody else. We're even supposed to believe that all the townsfolk in this sleepy Midwestern town think he's a great person.My second problem with the plot? Seann William Scott transforms from a calm, mild-mannered motivational speaker to an insane wreck...within a matter of 10 minutes! What kind of character arc is that? First of all, Scott is sadly miscast in his role. Personally, I don't think he possesses much range as an actor. He's Stiffler...that's that! Any role that doesn't require him to be a rude, foul-mouthed weasel takes him out of his element. I was never convinced that Scott was a well-meaning motivational speaker with worldwide acclaim. Amy Poehler, of "SNL" infamy, tries to steal the show with her snappy one-liners. Unfortunately, she's just as talentless as the rest of "SNL's" current cast, and does nothing to breathe life into this comatose flick.The gags are absolutely predictable and brainless. As if this would surprise anyone, this is another one of those comedies where all the good jokes are given away in the trailer. There's one gag involving a video camera accidentally being left running while Ethan Suplee's character gabs on and on about how hot Scott's mother is. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover that there's going to be a later scene, where Susan Sarandon walks in as the video is playing on a TV screen. Not to mention each gag is delivered with all the gusto of a student filmmaker.This movie is such a waste of two brilliant actors. Billy Bob sleeps through his role, keeping the same sneering expression every minute he's on screen. I can't blame him. Like I said before, he probably just did the film to collect a paycheck. Susan Sarandon is forced to play an utterly brainless character, who falls for Woodcock's charm, despite the fact that he has none! I can't recall a worse film she's ever done. I hope her paycheck was pretty huge as well.Plain and simple, this is another lamebrain comedy you should skip. I wouldn't even recommend this on DVD. If you happen to catch it on cable, please change the channel. I can think of a lot of bad comedies that have come out in recent years, but few as merit-less as this one.

• A better movie could've been made here posted on 23 December 2008

  I suppose the fact that,to the best of my knowledge,I've never had a sadistic,mean gym teacher(I had a few kinda dense ones,but they were basically fair)in my schooling might color my skepticism as to the show's tag-line(or one of them)--"Everyone has to take P.E.;Not everyone survives it"--or the contention that EVERYONE has had a sadistic gym teacher. Having said that,I was intrigued by this little offering,given the talent involved.While this movie isn't bad enough to be even really close to being crap,this movie seems rushed and short-sighted,particularly in the scripting. First,the things that went right: Billy Bob Thornotn may be getting typecast(by his own volition,it would seem)as the un-sentimental,hard-ass sadist,but you gotta hand it to him he DOES do it well! His Woodcock(O MAN this is going to be a minefield of entendre!)is spot-on as a sadistic,tough-minded,criticism addict who seems to get some quiet pleasure out of intimidating his students,much of them being scared middle school boys. Also,Seann William Scott--as an adult former student who has become a best-selling self-help author who discovers to his great horror that aforementioned gym teacher is getting into his long-widowed mom's life--is effectively a good physical comedy foil for the situation. There are laughs here,and the "joust" between Thornton and Scott is compelling enough to keep with.The things that are wrong or could be better is pretty much the rest of the film: Susan Sarandon is breath-takingly beautiful and sexy still,but she is pretty much relegated to being either a helpless "straight man" to the either male principals or she's there to be coyly humiliated by the situation at hand(not to mention her character's breathless,apparent naiveté). The potential love interest of FArley's (Melissa Sagemiller)is almost a head-scratcher as to the fact that she's not much to the plot,Amy Poehler's sharp bitch whose in charge of FArley's publicity is played for exactly one note,and the friendship between FArley and a dim,single-minded classmate(Ethan Suplee) is clumsily laid-out and is a rough fit. Some logistic questions(one example: How does a twenty-six year old with no apparent professional degree or distinction of any sort becomes a best-selling self-help author?)also tend to distract and possibly siphon credibility from this show. Granted,it is basically a broad comedy,but it still seems to be sort of short-sighted in making a kind of story,not certain if it wants to be a "Everything is going wrong!" type comedy or a "This is war!" type farce. Much of that blame probably goes to the script,which the writers seemed to be so in love with the concept of the movie that they forgot to fill in the minor(or no-so-minor)details.I feel like the basic recipe was good,and the ingredients work well enough to be watchable,but this is a renter at best. A movie about having to deal with a tough,cruel teacher from one's past can probably be something special,interesting and above-average,but this movie just simply falls short of most of those standards.

• A Penalty for the screen writers! posted on 15 December 2008

  I was actually looking forward to seeing this movie because I have a step father who I often feud with. So naturally I was hopping this would cheer me up and get me to laugh. But boy did this movie depress me and boy did it make me angry.First let me go over what I did like about this film before I trash it. It had what could have been a really good and funny plot. Our lead character discovers that the evil gym teacher that tormented him in middle school is now going to marry his mother. Basically think of that teacher from high school or middle school who hated your guts. You didn't do anything he/she just hated you and made it clear. Now imagine if that teacher going to be your new stepfather/stepmother. What do you do? This sounded hysterical and in the films defenses there were a few funny moments. Sadly however those funny moments were all given away in the trailer. This would be the first problem I had with this film. All the parts that come to mind as being the highlights were already spoiled and what's left is okay but not great.However let's talk about the story a little more. As I said before our star use to be stuck with an evil gym teacher who was out to make his life a living hell. Now he's all grown up and has used his experiences with "Mr. Woodcock" to write a self help book. This book becomes a best seller and he now teaches people how to let go of there past. Things are going well until his past come back to hunt him! Now that also could of bin funny. Watching a mans message of letting go of the past get challenge by the bad things that happen to him long ago. Sadly it does not play out well and I will explain later.This Woodcock fellow dose not seem to regret any of the mean things he has done to him. In fact he's very mean to everyone and everything. They made him such a jerk to the point you can't bring your self to like his character. The mom on the other hand seem really nice but one cant help but wonder what is she thinking, is she that desperate? The guy makes very rude and mean spirited comments to her son, even going far to make sex comments about his mother. He treats the people in the town like dirt and everything that comes out of his moth is negativity and insults. Some time his abuse gets physical.So I was starting to think the story was about an evil step father who the son had to save his mother from marrying. After all for some reason he and us the viewer can only see what a bad guy Woodcock really is. But no. By the end of the movie the son must learn to Respect Woodcock and his very abusive ways. So according to the movie women are better off pretending there abusive spouse is a good guy in spite of the fact he treats the world like dirt. For all women can't be happy unless they have a man, even if he is a creep. What kind of message is that to send out! Okay, dose our hero at least manage to persevere his message he has become popular selling? No, by the end he turns back on all of that and decided to take after his mom. Give into stock home syndrome and convinces himself that Woodcock is a good guy. So he finds himself apologizing to an unapologetic abusive jerk. He even declares that all the abuses was good for him. What kind of message are they trying to send out? Well did Woodcock learn any lessons, become sorry for his actions and show off that there is a nice guy in there some ware? As I already said no. They make it very clear he is not sorry for any the things he dose. In the movies Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, our lead faced a similar problem with his father in law to be. However that worked out on screen much better. Why? Because by the end the Character who was being a jerk learned his lesson and realizes he was in the wrong. Something that never happens here. The best we get is when Woodcock said "I'm "Basically" sorry" to the mom but after the entire movie one cant help but feel more mad then amused.To make things a little worse thing are never resolved. Like there a little romance going on between our star and a girl he knew from his old school but it never went any ware. In fact in one moment our "hero" cames off as a bit of jerk to because it seems he did not care much for her at all. So now our lead character not that likable earthier. Then when it gets to the end the movie feels as if it just stops. No laterally, it feels like it stop in mid-moment and then the credits start. Leaving the movie feeling unfinished and made to quickly.Over all what could of bin a good movie falls apart because things are never resolved, characters are unlikable, and sends out the message that abuse; verbal or physical is cool as long as your mom love him.That Why Mr. Woodcock gets a 3 out of 10.

• a wheel-spinning comedy posted on 15 December 2008

  "Mr. Woodcock" is one of those movies that sounds great on paper, but which loses something on its way to the big screen.Jasper Woodcock is a sadistic high school PE teacher who, through the course of his career, has made life a veritable hell for most of the boys enrolled in his class. One of his students, an overweight kid by the name of John Farley, grows up to write a best-selling self-help book about letting go of one's past as a means of embracing one's future. When John returns to his small town Nebraska home for a visit, he's mortified to discover that this very same Mr. Woodcock has become his widowed mother's new boyfriend. Farley spends the rest of the movie doing everything he can think of to sabotage the romance, systematically violating all the precepts in the book that has made him so famous.With few exceptions, "Mr. Woodcock" fails to exploit the black comedy potential of its material, settling for homogenized, crowd-pleasing pablum instead. That's not to say that there aren't some occasionally amusing moments in the film, only that they are too few and far between to turn the film into anything more than, at best, an average Hollywood comedy. Billy Bob Thornton, Susan Sarandon and Seann William Scott (Stifler in the "American Pie" movies) have all proved their talent and likability many times in the past, but they aren't allowed to go much beyond one-note performances in this film. However, it's nice to see veteran character actor Bill Macy ("Maude") again, very funny in his one scene as Woodcock's obnoxiously overbearing father.

• Misanthropic garbage substitutes derision for wit posted on 13 December 2008

  Seann William Thomas has far more camera time than the one-dimensional nasty-and-cynical Woodcock. But, as the film rolls out, Thomas' character turns out to be as nasty and as self-centered as Woodcok with not nearly the style or honesty. He treats everyone he comes in contact with, including his best friend Nedderman, as a rube or a jerk. But, as shown by the director, they all are rubes and jerks. And, he blows off the people who try to help him -- and not with any verve or anything convincing. His alcoholic manager delivers a few of the film's few chuckles, but they are fleeting and by the end, she is just another caricature. Susan Sarandon has two minutes to show her talents as a faded corn queen -- the mother of Scott's character and fiancée of Woodcock. SHe still has it, but is totally wasted here. As for Thornton, I think he does as well as the film allows him to; he provides the foil. But, in the end, by comparison, he isn't a memorable bad guy because everyone else in the film is as big a jerk as he is.In the end, I was just grateful that it was only 88 minutes.

• A waste of good talent posted on 12 May 2008

  Amy Poehler is a terrific comedian on Saturday Night Live, but her role in this movie doesn't give her anything to work with. Her character, a publisher's representative guiding a new author on a book tour, is mean, not funny.Susan Sarandon plays the author's mother who is involved with the sadistic gym teacher (Billy Bob Thorton) the author had when he was a chubby junior high student. Unfortunately her role doesn't require a talented actress. The funniest thing is the way she looks in the awful gown she wears as the queen of the corn festival. There is no explanation of why the corn queen is old enough to have a grown son.The plot is the stale one of an author who wrote a best selling self-help book and then adopts behavior that contradicts his advice.Still, it is not the worst movie I've ever seen, and I didn't erase it before watching it.