School for Scoundrels (2006 film)

Infobox_Film
name = School for Scoundrels


imdb_id = 0462519
producer = Craig Mazin
Bob Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Scott Budnick
Annette Savitch
director = Todd Phillips
writer = Todd Phillips
Scot Armstrong
starring = Billy Bob Thornton
Jon Heder
Michael Clarke Duncan
Jacinda Barrett
Sarah Silverman
David Cross
Horatio Sanz
Ben Stiller | music = Christophe Beck
cinematography = Jonathan Brown
editing = Leslie Jones
Dan Schalk
distributor = flagicon|USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
flagicon|USA The Weinstein Company
flagicon|USA Genius Products
flagicon|BRAMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
(DVD)
flagicon|UK Paramount Pictures
released = September 29, 2006 (US)
runtime =
budget= $20,000,000
language = English

"School for Scoundrels" is an American 2006 comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film of the same name. The film was released on September 29, 2006 and is rated PG-13 for language, crude and sexual content, and some violence.

Plot summary

The plot mirrors that of the original film. Roger (Heder) is a put-upon loser in society - subject to ridicule from co-workers and more - who dreams of dating the foreign graduate student who lives in his building (Barrett). To overcome his lack of self-esteem, he signs up for a course taught by Dr. P (Thornton). After participating in lessons similar to those in "Fight Club", Roger begins to develop a sense of personal pride. Wanting to prove that he's still got his edge, Dr. P starts competing with Roger for Amanda. After a competitive tennis match in which Roger humiliates him, Dr. P enlists the talents of Roger's classmates to frame Roger as an obsessive stalker. Roger uses his authority as a meter reader to impound Dr. P's car, and in retaliation Dr. P gets Roger fired from his job. Roger learns of Dr. P's plans for Amanda from a depressed former student (Stiller) and with the aid of fellow losers in the class sets out to save Amanda and prove Dr. P's duplicity.

Dr. P's rules of dating

*Be dangerous; it's cool
*No compliments, EVER!!!
*Always get the girl alone
*Wherever you are, the place is lame!
*Relate to her
*Lie, lie, and lie some more

Cast

*Billy Bob Thornton - Dr. P/Dennis Sherman
*Jon Heder - Roger Wadell
*Jacinda Barrett - Amanda
*Michael Clarke Duncan - Lesher
*David Cross - Ian
*Sarah Silverman - Becky
*Ben Stiller - Lonnie
*Horatio Sanz - Diego
*Matt Walsh - Walsh
*Todd Louiso - Eli
*Jon Glaser - Ernie

Taglines

*Nice guys graduate last.
*Life's a game. Learn how to play.
*Too nice? Too honest? Too you? Help is on the way.
*Lie, lie, and lie some more.

Differences between original and remake

The character of Dr. P is an homage to the headmaster of the fictional Yeovil College of Lifemanship, Stephen Potter, in the original 1960 film. The Lifemanship books on which both films are based were written by the real Stephen Potter.Both films feature a tennis game between love rivals as a set-piece.

In the original 1960 film Potter is the ally of the hero, who helps him try to get the girl. The villain played by Terry-Thomas uses his instinctive gift at lifemanship to outdo the hero. In the remake, the role of the villain and the professor have been merged into one character.

In the original the hero ends up rejecting the philosophy of lifemanship in favor of behaving honestly. In the remake the hero becomes a master of lifemanship, outwitting his own teacher.

Comparisons to other films

The film has been criticized for borrowing from "Anger Management" [cite news
url = http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=RNOB000020060929e29t00055
title = This 'Scoundrels' just rotten
author = Craig D. Lindsey
work = The News & Observer
date = 2006-09-26
accessdate = 2007-06-20
quote = ...with bits and pieces of "Anger Management" and "Fight Club" thrown in.
format = fee required] and "Fight Club", [cite news
url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OC&p_theme=oc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1149CAF1058B6730&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D
title = Wimps rule at unusual school
author = Craig Outhier
work = The Orange County Register
date = 2006-09-20
accessdate = 2007-06-20
quote = ...he's simply taken the hazing jokes and turned them into a "Fight Club"-style extension class.] especially the scene in which the "losers" are assigned to confront strangers à la "Fight Club". [cite news
url = http://alacarte.lexisnexis.com/partners/int/lexisnews/results.asp?id=24303401&mtid=1&ws=9j0hDk1UboE=&ws_pub=Buffalo%20News%20(New%20York)&ws_date=September%2029,%202006&ws_len=569&ws_lni=4M1T-X9H0-TWDJ-02DY-00000-00&ws_lastupdate=20061004&ws_title=Slow%20learner
title = Slow learner; 'Scoundrels': good concept, poor execution
work = The Buffalo News
date = 2006-09-26
accessdate = 2007-06-20
quote = "Fight Club"-style beatings of people they meet on the street.] [cite news
url = http://alacarte.lexisnexis.com/partners/int/lexisnews/results.asp?id=24900669&mtid=1&ws=9j0hDk1UboE=&ws_pub=Buffalo%20News%20(New%20York)&ws_date=October%204,%202006&ws_len=312&ws_lni=4M27-VG30-TWDJ-036H-00000-00&ws_lastupdate=20061006&ws_title='Scoundrels'%20is%20good%20for%20a
title = 'Scoundrels' is good for a laugh
work = The Buffalo News
date = 2006-10-04
accessdate = 2007-06-21
quote = ..."losers" to tackle a number of tasks, including a game of paintball, and starting a confrontation with a stranger (a reference to "Fight Club").
format = fee required] [cite news
url = http://alacarte.lexisnexis.com/partners/int/lexisnews/results.asp?id=23847254&mtid=1&ws=9j0hDk1UboE=&ws_pub=The%20New%20York%20Post&ws_date=September%2029,%202006&ws_len=551&ws_lni=4M0Y-VYB0-TWCM-K2XH-00000-00&ws_lastupdate=20060930
title = Flunked film class
work = New York Post
date = 2006-09-29
accessdate = 2007-06-21
quote = Plus the scene is stolen from "Fight Club," which was much meaner, fresher and faster.
format = fee required]

References

External links

* [http://www.schoolforscoundrels-movie.com "School for Scoundrels"] - Official movie website
*imdb title|id=0462519|title=School for Scoundrels
*rotten-tomatoes|id=school_for_scoundrels|title=School for Scoundrels
* [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/schoolforscoundrels "School For Scoundrels" reviews] at Metacritic
* [http://www.moviehole.net/interviews/20060926_exclusive_interview_billy_bob.html Billy Bob Thornton interview] for the film