Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney Are So Good In "Bad Education"

“A wise woman once said it’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.” The irony of this statement to district superintendent Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) from his assistant Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney) gradually becomes more evident in Bad Education as hard lessons in consequences and accountability fatefully play out.

Both Frank and Pam are highly regarded figureheads at the Roslyn School District. But a domino falls when Pam’s son is caught purchasing home improvement supplies with her school district’s credit card. While their close relationships and extended tenure keeps unwitting colleagues blind to the scope of this issue, one student’s investigative work for the school newspaper threatens to uncover years of ongoing embezzlement.

Jackman thrives as the hard-to-dislike district superintendent. This infectious charm just makes his story that much more devastating when the truth about him and his role in the scandal is revealed. It could’ve been easy to over dramatize how nefarious these actions were, but director Cory Finley carries over that low-key tone, steady pacing, and strong dialogue exhibited in his 2017 directorial debut with Thoroughbreds.

And while the primary subject matter is the embezzlement scandal, Bad Education doubles as a timely reminder of how valuable investigative journalism is for holding public figures and organizations accountable. This is a story that uncovers who the antagonists are while also remembers how human they are: people having what they want and not wanting what they’ve got. This helps make Bad Education such a good movie.

Watch It Now:

MoviesThomas Stoneham-JudgeJuly 10, 2020bad education, movie review, hugh jackman, allison janney, 11 out of 12Comment