The English Teacher [Blu-ray]

An Appealing A-List Cast Sells This Pleasant Experience, But The Movie Never Quite Figures Out What It Wants To Be
For its A-list cast alone, I'm surprised that "The English Teacher" didn't get a wider distribution or more notoriety. In my world, any time Julianne Moore headlines an indie film, it's time to take notice! Here, Moore is joined by Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Michael Angarano, and Lily Collins for a slight, but not unappealing, comedy about (you guessed it) an idealistic teacher. In looking at some of the other notices, I must admit I'm absolutely shocked by the moral outrage that this film seems to have engendered in certain viewers. The film is so lightweight, I'm just mystified that people have taken it so seriously. Let's just put it this way: if you find the content of "The English Teacher" horrifying, then you must not watch TV, movies, the news, or have any knowledge of the real world. The situations and plot lines in the film's screenplay are so far removed from reality, in fact, that I wonder what all the fuss is about. Are teachers in movies supposed to be saints...
Different Role for Ms. Moore
Wanted to like this movie more as I was looking for a strong comedy to lighten up a boring Saturday. Nathan Lane did not disappoint, and Julienne Moore was great as always. Just wasn't over the top funny.
There are some flaws...but I still liked it!
I give this movie 3.5 stars.

The good:
- Julianne Moore plays the awkward teacher perfectly
- Never boring
- Some funny moments
- Cute ending (altho predictable)

The bad:
- NONE of the characters are likeable
- A major lack of character development

Even with the flaws, I cannot help but like this movie. Would I recommend it? Yes.
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