Mr. Woodcock

An amiable toss-off that traffics equally in crude slapstick and the comedy of embarrassment, filmmaker Craig Gillespie's Mr. Woodcock won't win any laurels for stars Billy Bob Thornton or Seann William Scott. John Farley (Scott), author of a bestselling self-help book about letting go of the past, returns to his small hometown to receive the community's highest honor. Upon arriving he learns (to his horror) that his widowed mom Beverly (Susan Sarandon) has been dating Mr. Woodcock (Thornton), the sadistic gym teacher who made his middle-school years so traumatic. With the help of his old pal Nedderman (Ethan Suplee), John attempts to break up the relationship—just as Woodcock becomes engaged to his mother—and the comedy derives from the ensuing battle of wits and wills, with the former pupil attempting to outgame his old teacher. Scott, who attained a measure of success playing cocky, impetuous extroverts, seems improbably cast as the former fat kid whose adult success masks deep-rooted feelings of inadequacy. Thornton seems more comfortable in his role, although Woodcock's frozen-faced ripostes grow stale before the film is half over. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include a 16-minute “making-of” featurette, 10 deleted/alternate scenes (13 min.), 12 minutes of “P.E. Trauma Tales” from the cast and crew, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a so-so comedy.] (E. Hulse)