‘Bad Education': Upcoming HBO Movie Deserves Theatrical Release [Trailer]

Cory Finley’s “Bad Education” starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, one of the best films I saw at TIFF last year, had been struggling to find a buyer ever since its premiere. Most were blaming a volatile and unpredictable movie market dominated by franchises, especially after all those Sundance Box-Office duds happened this past summer. However,

Finley’s film was finally bought by HBO for an astounding $16.5million [via Deadline]. This officially made it ineligible for Oscar contention since it would be premiering on television. A real shame if you ask me since Jackman gives the performance of his career. Is this how dour the state of the industry is now? One of the best movies of the Spring, maybe even the year, will not see the light of day in theaters? It’s an embarrassment of the highest order. As you can tell, I'm positively irked this isn't getting a theatrical release, mostly due to the fact that HBO movies just always fall off the radar for many people (The Tale, You Don’t Know Jack), chances are it’ll happen here as well.

“Bad Education” is based on the true story of a Long Island school superintendent (Jackman), his “assistant superintendent for business” (Janney) and the embezzlement scheme they concocted as they stole millions of dollars from school funds. All of this happened under the watch of a clueless school board.

Here’s a snippet from my review:

“Jackman and Janney are the perfect match to carry “Bad Education” forward, both delivering darkly comedic performances. In fact, this could very well be a career peak for Jackman, an Aussie actor who has had plenty of commercial hits in his career, but has not always had his talents taken seriously by critics. His Frank is a man who can be liable one second and repugnant the next. “

The unadorned greed on display is nothing new for Finley, who tackled similar themes in his debut feature “Thoroughbreds”, but unlike that movie, the characters here feel richer and more humane. Count this as another taut, tense and terrific drama from Finley. He’s made another scathing indictment on the way money can corrupt and darken the soul.

Here’s the synopsis:

Long Island school superintendent Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and his assistant superintendent for business, Pam Gluckin (Academy Award winner Allison Janney), are credited with bringing Roslyn School District unprecedented prestige. Frank, always immaculately groomed and tailored, is a master of positive messaging, whether before an audience of community leaders or in an office with a concerned student or parent. In short, it seems Frank can do no wrong. That is, until a plucky student reporter (Geraldine Viswanathan) decides to dig deep into some expense reports and begins to uncover an embezzlement scheme of epic proportions, prompting Frank to devise an elaborate cover-up — by any means necessary.

“Bad Education” hits HBO on April 25th. You can watch the teaser below.