Bad Teacher

Cameron Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, a middle school teacher who hates her job, her students, and pretty much everyone around her. When her wealthy fiancé dumps her after discovering her gold-digging ways, she's forced to keep teaching at John Adams Middle School in suburban Chicago. Her new plan: land another rich husband, specifically Justin Timberlake's naive substitute teacher Scott Delacorte. The catch is Scott has a thing for large breasts, so Elizabeth sets out to raise $10,000 for augmentation surgery through increasingly unethical schemes. Directed by Jake Kasdan and written by the team behind The Office, this R-rated comedy co-stars Jason Segel as a laid-back gym teacher who sees through Elizabeth's act and Lucy Punch as an annoyingly cheerful rival teacher. Made for $20 million, the film grossed over $216 million worldwide, making it a surprise commercial hit despite mixed reviews.

The movie arrived in summer 2011, just weeks after Bridesmaids proved R-rated female comedies could be blockbusters. But where Bridesmaids offered warmth and relatable humor, Bad Teacher went for pure, unapologetic nastiness. Diaz throws herself into the role with fearless commitment, playing a character who lies, cheats, steals, and never learns a lesson. The supporting cast is stacked with comedy veterans including John Michael Higgins as the oblivious principal, Phyllis Smith as the long-suffering secretary, and Thomas Lennon as a creepy fellow teacher. The film's soundtrack leans heavily on ironic pop songs, from Alicia Keys' "No One" in the opening scene to Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" during a car wash fundraiser.[edit]

Elizabeth Halsey is a teacher at John Adams Middle School who has zero interest in educating anyone. She shows movies instead of teaching, grades papers by their physical size, and spends most of her day hungover or planning her escape. Her engagement to wealthy Mark provides the lifestyle she wants, but when he discovers she's only after his money, he calls off the wedding. Suddenly broke and stuck in a job she despises, Elizabeth decides her only way out is to marry another rich man.

Enter Scott Delacorte, a handsome, sweet-natured substitute teacher who comes from a family that owns a watch company. Elizabeth immediately targets him, but she faces competition from other women at school and discovers Scott's weakness for women with large chests. Convinced her modest bust is holding her back, she sets a goal: raise $10,000 for breast augmentation surgery. Her methods are ruthless. She steals the answer key for the state standardized test from the school's computer system and sells it to students. She organizes a car wash where students pay with graded assignments. She manipulates everyone around her without a hint of guilt.

Elizabeth's primary obstacle is Amy Squirrel, an overly enthusiastic teacher who sees through her schemes and becomes obsessed with exposing her. Their rivalry escalates throughout the school year, with Amy documenting Elizabeth's every misstep. Meanwhile, gym teacher Russell Gettis watches from the sidelines, calling Elizabeth out on her behavior but also showing a strange interest in her. While Scott represents the wealthy future Elizabeth craves, Russell offers something else entirely, genuine connection, though Elizabeth dismisses him as a loser.

The school year builds toward the state standardized testing period, which becomes the backdrop for Elizabeth's most audacious plan. She discovers the teacher whose class scores highest gets a $5,700 bonus. Combined with other schemes, that could get her to the $10,000 mark. She feeds her students the stolen answers through a rap song and other elaborate methods, boosting their scores dramatically. But Amy Squirrel has been building a case, gathering testimony from students who admit Elizabeth sold them answers. The confrontation between Elizabeth and Amy reaches its peak during the testing period, with Elizabeth's job and future hanging in the balance.[edit]