
Fatherless John Farley's youth frustration, even trauma, like many his school kids' in his Nebraska small town home, was the constant abuse and humiliation in sadistic Jasper Woodcock's gym class. After college, doting son John became a motivational bestseller author and returns during a book signing tour to receive the backwater's highest honor. To John's horror, his devoted mother Beverly announces her plans to marry the hated coach and he's to be celebrated on the same eve... (Full plot summary below)
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Fatherless John Farley's youth frustration, even trauma, like many his school kids' in his Nebraska small town home, was the constant abuse and humiliation in sadistic Jasper Woodcock's gym class. After college, doting son John became a motivational bestseller author and returns during a book signing tour to receive the backwater's highest honor. To John's horror, his devoted mother Beverly announces her plans to marry the hated coach and he's to be celebrated on the same event as John. Only ridiculous fatso Nedderman and his strange brother try to help Farley stop Woodcock, but that keeps backfiring.
Leave your thoughts about Mr. Woodcock.
| Detroit NewsAdam GrahamThornton and Sarandon should have their Oscars repossessed, or at least temporarily revoked, for appearing in this insipid comedy. |
| Entertainment WeeklyMarc BernardinUninspired, sure, but sporadically, spasmodically funny. |
| Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberAs Mr. Woodcock demonstrates, a great premise can generate a lot of goodwill and almost overcome an uneven script. So too can expert performances. |
| Globe and MailStephen ColeWho wants to watch any film where Sarandon, the sexiest 60-year-old woman alive, is first prize in a corn-eating contest? |
| Seattle TimesJohn HartlWhile two novice screenwriters are officially credited with the script, the movie lurches around like something assembled by committee. |
| San Diego Union-TribuneDavid ElliottFinally even Thornton finds his inner softie, at which point the film, after some OK gags, dies with a mechanical squish. |
| Orlando SentinelRoger MooreFor Woodcock to deliver, the leads needed to amp things up, to bring their A-game, or at least match the effort they've thrown at previous versions of these characters. |
| Reeling ReviewsLaura CliffordWatch out when the best thing to say about a movie is that director Craig Gillespie has staged one of the better 'getting catapulted off of a treadmill' scenes. |
| Detroit Free PressTerry LawsonPoehler, perversely, is so hilarious and has such terrific dialogue that she seems to have been flown in from another, funny movie. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertTo laugh at parts of this film would indicate one has a streak of Woodcockism in oneself. But to gaze in stupefied fascination is perfectly understandable. That's what makes Thornton such a complex actor. |