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Movies / On DVD / Mr. Woodcock
Mr. Woodcock

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Mr. Woodcock (2007)

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Reviews Counted:106

Fresh:14

Rotten:92

Average Rating:4/10

Consensus: Underutilizing a talented cast, Mr. Woodcock lacks the comic energy and timing to make the most of its intriguing premise.

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 88 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:28-09-2007

Synopsis: For students at Forest Meadow Middle School, P.E. class is not playtime, but rather an exercise in mental and physical humiliation administered by the tough as gristle Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob... For students at Forest Meadow Middle School, P.E. class is not playtime, but rather an exercise in mental and physical humiliation administered by the tough as gristle Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton). Run more like a military boot camp than a gym class, Woodcock’s physical education class takes on a new meaning where no child’s flaws or weaknesses are safe from the torture and embarrassment that follow the sound of the despised teacher’s whistle. For John Farley (Seann William Scott), author of the national bestseller Letting Go: Getting Past Your Past, the painful memories of being in Mr. Woodcock’s class have since been replaced by the self confidence gained from becoming a successful writer and motivational speaker. When a last minute cancellation on his book tour gives him an unexpected day off, John returns home to surprise his mother, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), with the news that he will be awarded the small town’s prestigious “Corn Cob Key” during its annual Cornival Festival. John’s jubilation quickly turns to angst when he discovers his mother has fallen in love with Mr. Woodcock. Forced to spend time with his old nemesis, John must endure the familiar sting of his former teacher’s sharp tongue and intimidation tactics all over again. Ignoring the pleas of his hard-nosed book publicist Maggie (Amy Poehler) to get back on tour, John extends his visit in an effort to disrupt the relationship between his mother and Woodcock, but with each passing day he finds himself regressing deeper into the insecurities and awkwardness that plagued his youth. Mortified and panic-stricken by the inevitability of his mother marrying the one man he truly despises, John enlists the help of his old school mate, Jay Nedderman (Ethan Suplee), in a last-ditch attempt to take down Mr. Woodcock. The result is a series of hilarious confrontations that lead John to discover that one’s past is often hard to escape. Mr. Woodcock is a New Line Cinema presentation of a Landscape Entertainment production, directed by Craig Gillespie from an original screenplay written by Michael Carnes & Josh Gilbert. The film is produced by Bob Cooper and David Dobkin. The executive producers are Diana Pokorny, Toby Emmerich, Kent Alterman and Karen Lunder. The co-executive producers are Michele Weiss and Keith Goldberg. The co-producer is Brian Inerfeld. The creative behind-the-scenes team includes Director of Photography Tami Reiker, ASC, Production Designer Alison Sadler, Editors Alan Baumgarten, A.C.E. and Kevin Tent, A.C.E., Costume Designer Wendy Chuck and Composer Theodore Shapiro. The talented cast features Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott and Susan Sarandon, as well as Ethan Suplee, Melissa Sagemiller, Kurt Fuller, Melissa Leo, Bill Macy, Brent Briscoe and M.C. Gainey, with Amy Poehler. New Line Cinema will release Mr. Woodcock (rated PG-13 by the M.P.A.A. for “crude and sexual content, thematic material, language and a mild drug reference”) in theaters nationwide on September 14th, 2007. --©: New Line Cinema [More]

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Ethan Suplee

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Ethan Suplee, Amy Poehler

Director: Craig Gillespie

Director: Craig Gillespie
Screenwriter: Michael Carnes, Josh Gilbert
Producer: Bob Cooper, David Dobkin
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Reviews for Mr. Woodcock

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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It looks like Billy Bob Thornton has gotten to this lucrative W.C. Fields place in his career where he fills his coffers by playing endless variations on the same character.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
09/14/07
Mike Russell
Mike Russell
Oregonian

Mr. Woodcock. Funny, right? Mr. Woodcock, Mr. Woodcock, Mr. Woodcock. Gets funnier every time, doesn't it?

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/14/07
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

Mr. Woodcock is often as juvenile and predictable as its title suggests. Yet, this dark comedy about a self-help author plotting revenge on his sadistic former gym coach gets honest laughs because of performances that ring universally true.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
09/14/07
Steven Boone
Steven Boone
Newark Star-Ledger

Thornton's straight-faced growl is consistently funny throughout this mild but effective comedy.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
09/14/07
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post

You can guess how it all ends, but getting there is a repetitious parade of put-downs and smackdowns that suggest you can't go home again.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
09/14/07
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News

The film's poster showing Woodcock holding two strategically placed basketballs is funnier than anything in the actual movie!

Full Review Source: Maxim | comment Comment
09/14/07
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Maxim

There's a funny movie somewhere in Mr. Woodcock. It's too bad that the filmmakers weren't more mindful of the pot.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
09/14/07
Mack Bates
Mack Bates
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

So misguided that even Sarandon blends into the background, having practically nothing to do except stand around and wring her hands as the two men in her life battle it out in a passive-aggressive war.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
09/14/07
Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald

It's just another comedy of contrived mortification and misunderstanding.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
09/14/07
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

The movie uses up all its potential funny in its first 10 minutes, and then bounces between tossing up lame, pointless antics with a tenuous connection to the plot, and wimpily shifting the focus of its comeuppance.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
09/14/07
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

Child abuse: har-dee-har-har.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
09/14/07
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Sharp performances enliven this formulaic comedy.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
09/14/07
Stephen Farber
Stephen Farber
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Though Mr. Woodcock (tee-hee!) starts with that strong enough premise, it never bulks up the plot with comedic muscle and weighs in as a 98-pound weakling.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
09/14/07
Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens
E! Online

Thornton and Sarandon should have their Oscars repossessed, or at least temporarily revoked, for appearing in this insipid comedy.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
09/14/07
Adam Graham
Adam Graham
Detroit News

Poehler, perversely, is so hilarious and has such terrific dialogue that she seems to have been flown in from another, funny movie.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
09/14/07
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

Maybe the writers dwelled on some trite self-help mantra to delude themselves into thinking that the giggles that the title inspires would carry for 90 minutes.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
09/14/07
Robert Newton
Robert Newton
Christian Science Monitor

To laugh at parts of this film would indicate one has a streak of Woodcockism in oneself. But to gaze in stupefied fascination is perfectly understandable.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 2 Comments
09/14/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Under Craig Gillespie's uninspired direction, the humor eventually settles into stale, familiar pratfalls.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
09/14/07
Joshua Katzman
Joshua Katzman
Chicago Reader

The finished product feels like the unloved child of a bad marriage where the only thing anyone remembers is the sharp edges.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
09/14/07
Janice Page
Janice Page
Boston Globe

Didn't Thornton go through many of these same tropes in that similar mediocrity School for Scoundrels?

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
09/14/07
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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Latest News for Mr. Woodcock

January 14, 2008: RT on DVD: Good Luck Chuck, Mr. Woodcock, Family Guy Goes Star Wars!
Instead of dwelling on the abysmally-reviewed home video offerings of the week - Billy Bob Thornton's Mr. Woodcock and Dane Cook's Good Luck Chuck -- we're thrilled to point out... More...

September 16, 2007: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Jodie Struggles But Still Hits #1
For the second straight weekend, a star-driven action drama aimed at adult audiences opened at number one with $14M in ticket sales from roughly 2,700 theaters. This time it was... More...

September 13, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Jodie's Got A Gun!
Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster returns to the big screen this weekend in the vigilante thriller The Brave One which has its sights set on an easy top spot debut. The frame's... More...

September 13, 2007: Critical Consensus: Brave One Isn't Tops, Mr. Woodcock is Flaccid, Hunting Party is Busted
This week at the movies, we've got vigilantes (The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster), gym teachers (Mr. Woodcock starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon), war... More...

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