It’s not easy escaping the typecasting that has haunted Jon Heder’s career since playing Napoleon Dynamite‘s title character two years ago. But Heder is trying, and his new film, School for Scoundrels, is a good step toward his cementing a comedy career in Hollywood.
Sure, Heder still has the odd squint, unmistakable voice and silly mannerisms that will forever remind our generation of Napoleon, but he has made strides – his character in Scoundrels, Roger, feels far more realistic and acceptable.
In a conference call with The Diamondback, Heder and costar Billy Bob Thornton discussed working on a film that pits them against one another.
“It was nice,” Heder says of the experience. “I was happy to get a film out there where I’m playing more natural instincts of what I would do and who I am.”
As soon as Scoundrels starts, we meet Roger – a lovable-loser type – and director Todd Phillips (Old School) makes sure to stress the loser part. Roger is pushed around as a meter maid, fired from an afternoon daycare center and ridiculed by his neighbors. But most embarrassing, Roger occasionally faints when he gets nervous or scared. Add all these elements together and it’s obvious: Roger has zero self-confidence.
Eventually, Roger gets fed up with stumbling through life and joins a confidence-building class taught by the mysterious Dr. P, played by Thornton, and his imposing assistant Lesher (Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile). Dr. P makes it very clear to his students that if they follow his unconventional lessons, he will unleash the inner lion in all of them.
In typical movie fashion, Roger immediately makes the transition from bashful to brash, and is seen as an alpha male by his classmates.
But if Roger and the other students are young lions, then Dr. P is a shark. Thornton’s acting style, even when he is well-groomed and dressed to the nines, allows him to exude a sly, sleazy side. Here, Thornton synthesizes the several traits to create an all-new, heartless character – a challenge he exalted in, he says.
“To play someone who is that calculating and everything, it was great,” Thornton says. “I hadn’t done that before. I mean, I’ve played a couple of [jerks], but this was a real challenge. It’s not easy.”
When Dr. P sees Roger performing ahead of the curve, the teacher cranks up the intensity and begins vying for Roger’s love interest, his neighbor Amanda (Jacinda Barrett, Poseidon). And so begins a ridiculous competition with no apparent end between student and master.
Although the movie is technically a romantic comedy, Scoundrels primarily focuses on the power struggle between the two leads. The romantic scenes between Roger and Amanda provide a good deal of outrageous comedy as well, relying on plenty of physical slapstick and a touch of mischief. Roger quickly discovers that following Dr. P’s corrupt guidelines can bring success with great ease. Lying, acting dangerously and declaring everything “lame” are key components of Dr. P’s formula, and Roger finds these tricks work wonders – after all, nice guys finish last. Not until the final scenes of the film does the story finally take a moral stance.
“Go for the girl and make a fool of yourself. It’s okay!” explains Heder. “Be comfortable with how you are, and stay true to yourself and everything will work out fine.”
“Essentially the message is that you should be yourself,” Thornton says. “Being nice and honest doesn’t necessarily mean weakness.”
As the lead character, Heder manages to keep command of the film amidst a sea of recognizable comedians. But while the supporting cast is jam-packed, many of the performances are hit-or-miss.
Among Roger’s 14 classmates, the most notable are played by Todd Louiso (High Fidelity), Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live) and Matt Walsh (Comedy Central’s Dog Bites Man). Their trifecta is a highlight of the film, a stark contrast to the disappointingly weak performances delivered by Ben Stiller (Meet the Fockers) and Sarah Silverman (Jesus is Magic).
Arrested Development‘s David Cross appears as Duncan, a Dr. P graduate. Duncan is a simple brute, and Barrett as his love interest is fine, but nothing special. The true pressure to carry the film is placed on Heder and Thornton, and together they manage to keep this film afloat.
But does Heder ever expect to escape the Napoleon prototype?
“No, ha … I mean, I think it’s great, I have no problem having that as kind of my starting point,” Heder says. “I’m interested in trying new things, but I don’t feel so much like I’m scrambling to get away from it.”
School for Scoundrels probably wasn’t much of a stretch for the up-and-coming actor, but adding a respectable movie – an entertaining partnership with Thornton – to his resume was a big step in the right direction for Heder.
“Heck yes!”
Movie: School for Scoundrels | Verdict: 2/4 stars
Contact reporter Adam Winer at winerdbk@gmail.com.
