School of Life (2005)

Ryan Reynolds lights up the screen as the charismatic and hip Mr. D, a teacher whose lessons extend far beyond the classroom. A heartwarming tale of learning to appreciate every moment we're given, School of Life, is a funny and touching story about life in school, but more importantly, the human spirit.

My New Favorite movie...

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Even though it may predictable, as some reviewers have said, I love movies that cause me to think about my mortality and remind me to not take it or people around me for granted. That's what "School of Life" does for me. If you want a movie that has corny humor and depth then you'll enjoy this movie also.

April 18, 2007

"School of Life" is Charming, Witty, and Fun overall.

I had to say, I bought the movie for Ryan Reynolds; I love his work, and have seen some of his older things and quite enjoyed them. That being said, I didn't expect this level of depth from either Renolds's character or the movie in general, but you get more than you pay for. I loved it, and would suggest that everyone watch, and most will enjoy, this film.

-gary April 15, 2007

School of Predictability

Ryan Reynolds plays a smarmy, crowd pleasing new teacher who immediately bonds with all the angelic waifs in this fairytale of a school. He wins them over by being their buddy, finds the time (and money) to kit himself out as an indian chief, and even re-inacts a civil war in the playground (complete with black powder rifles). His destiny is clear from the moment he blurts out, "How much time do we have? Not much...". David Paymer is the comic relief, all that's missing is the floppy shoes and clown makeup. There is also the usual puppy love sub-plot with the not so awful young actor Andrew Robb, just a shame that the plot has nowhere to go.

The entire film reeks of trite, moralistic falseness. If this were just a comedy then it wouldn't matter how silly it was (accounting for your tastes), but it tries to aim too high and preach to us the meaning of life. I'm guessing this was targeted at younger audiences by the studio, but give the kids some credit, they can spot a stinker a mile away. We just need more people to be bothered leaving honest reviews (not just the fans) to lower the feedback to a realistic score, so people don't get suckered into buying such drivel.

If you want truly decent teacher/student heartwarming stories (without the shmaltz), try "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (the remake is good too), or "Mr Holland's Opus". For some good escapist fun I'd also recommend "School of Rock". March 6, 2007

I can't believe what they're saying...

I didn't think this movie was even worth commenting on, but after reading all the people that have been praising it, I just couldn't let it slide. Actually, I don't expect any good or bad votes on this comment because I don't think anyone knows this movie exist, which is probably not a bad thing. It went straight to DVD and sold for a couple bucks (not a good sign). My brother brought this movie over while we were with some friends. We have always had good movie experiences with Ryan Reynolds so we thought we would give it a shot. That was a mistake. Well, Reynolds had some funny moments that actually saved the movie from getting a one star ("I love bowling"). But my brother was able to predict the entire movie (in detail) within the first 10 minutes. I have never seen that done before! Honestly I don't see what genre this movie fits in with. It's cheesy enough to be played on the Disney channel, but there are some bad words tossed in that make it JUST too inappropriate for little kids. We sat through the entire movie just to see how bad it could get, and we were not disappointed. I guess it's a comedy because the acting was funnier than the jokes. Man, that was harsh. January 20, 2007

Excellent school film, as Ryan Reynolds grows up even more

SCHOOL OF LIFE is an original ABC Family television movie which aired in 2005, and, until I saw my brother's dvd copy, I had never heard of it. I popped it in, thinking that it might be an interesting movie, given that I get a kick out of watching the always entertaining Ryan Reynolds. But, like most of the reviewers here, I wasn't counting on this film reaching me on a richer, more emotional plane.

David Paymer is great as Matt Warner, the insecure, fussy middle school biology teacher who's forever lived in the shadow of his father, Stormin' Norman Warner (John Astin), himself a teacher at the same school and who had won the annual, student-voted Teacher of the Year Award for 43 years running. Now Matt has a teenage son named Dylan (Andrew Robb, who provides the film's voice-over narration) who frequents the same school, with whom Matt struggles to connect. Like most kids, Dylan is embarassed of his dad, who he thinks is a geek. When Stormin' Norman passes away, Matt promises Dylan that, this year, he'll win the Teacher of the Year trophy. That plan is immediately placed in jeopardy with the opening school day intro of new history instructor, Michael D'Angelo (Ryan Reynolds). The cool and funny D'Angelo, with his unorthodox teaching methods and a life philosophy that go beyond classroom restrictions, promptly wins over the students and earns him the honorific of "Mr. D," much to Matt Warner's dismay.

The film then adopts a sit-com plot at length as Matt, jealous of Mr. D's popularity and seeing his chances for the Teacher of the Year Award circling down the drain, manically attempts to gain some dirt on the guy. What he discovers about D'Angelo, instead, shocks him and sobers him up fairly quickly, forcing him to re-evaluate not only his feelings about Mr. D but also to reassess his own life.

SCHOOL OF LIFE is a humble, little film that has a lot to offer, including a message about living life to the fullest. It'll, for sure, make you smile and chuckle, but, then, as you go deeper into the movie, it'll also make you sad as events take a gut-wrenching turn. But the bittersweet elements definitely will make it resonate more strongly within you.

SCHOOL OF LIFE, much like FOOLPROOF (2003), showcases a Ryan Reynolds with more acting gravitas. Yes, he still provides his usual brand of humorous bits and, make no mistake, he is the heart of the funny, but his comedy is elevated by his strong, underlying dramatic performance, which then takes over in the film's latter half. This blend of humor and sensitivity is what really carries the movie, because you can't really commit to the story unless you buy into Reynolds' character. Paymer, as I've said, is great as the fastidious bio teacher, although, later on, his character does end up borrowing too much from the page of Mr. D. But, good job, Paymer and Van Wilder. A decent supporting turn, also, by Kate Vernon, who plays Paymer's supporting and understanding wife.

So, yes, this film is definitely worth your backing. I've said this before somewhere else: enough credit cannot be given to movies like SCHOOL OF LIFE, which reenforces the importance of teachers as educators, nurturers, and as inspiration for our kids. You just can't underestimate the value and the impact of a caring, innovative teacher who truly tries to make a difference. As a side note, if you like SCHOOL OF LIFE, check out THE RON CLARK STORY, another inspirational movie about a teacher.
December 2, 2006

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