Mr. Woodcock

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Mr. Woodcock ★½ 2007 (PG-13)

Thornton plays yet another misanthropic, nasty tormenter of kids, this time as the world's nastiest (and most unfortunately named) gym teacher Mr. Woodcock. Former student John (Scott) has turned his childhood trauma at Woodcock's hands into a self-help book, and he returns home to discover that his nemesis is now dating his mother Beverly (Sarandon). Vulgar jokes, slapstick, and cruel antics ensue. Thornton phones in a character he's played a million times before, while Scott serves up a meltdown of epic proportions, all leading up to a contrived happy ending that makes any legitimate bite the movie had ring false. Everyone involved should take a lap, and hopefully not come back. 87m/C DVD, Blu-ray Disc . US Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Kyley Baldridge, Melissa Sagemiller, Amy Poehler, Melissa Leo, Bill Macy, Ethan Suplett; D: Craig Gillespie; W: Michael Carnes, Josh Gilbert; C: Tami Reiker; M: Theodore Shapiro.