Mr Woodcock

Went to see the rather odd comedy, Mr Woodcock, today. It’s a little offensive in spots, but never pushes the boundaries in any real way.

It concerns a young man who’s made good by writing a popular self-help book. When he arrives home to accept the town’s honorary award, he discovers that his mother is dating his former – and very unpleasant – PE teacher. The rest of the film is dedicated to the young man’s attempts to get rid of this potential step-father, and the latter’s ability to stop him in his tracks every time.

I found it funny enough, occasionally laugh-out-loud. It probably would have been better if we’d watched in on DVD, since it has that sort of quality, really. But we saw it on the big screen because it was the only movie that was showing in the next period of time. In fact the session had already started, but English cinemas being what they are, we only missed about a quarter of an hour of ads.

Billy Bob Thornton does his usual grumpy, morose character – with a suspicious twinkle in his eye; Sarah Sarandon shows that comedy can be found in any character, and Sean William Scott is a likeable and energetic character who pushes the thing along.

Not a world-shattering piece, but it was better than sitting outside reading in the cold.