Mr. Woodcock

Mr. Woodcock is what it sets out to be: a low-brow comedy full of plenty of cock jokes. If you'd like to see Billy Bob Thorton once again playing a one-dimensional superjock who doesn't take crap from anyone, then Mr. Woodcock is for you, although the jokes run as low-brow as they come and do not stop coming. John Farley (Sean William Scott) has written a best-selling novel regarding getting over the past entitled 'Letting Go: How to Get Past Your Past.' One of the principle agents of Farley's vanquished depression is Jasper Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton), a callous gym teacher whose sarcastic wit has been lounging in Farley's subconscious for decades. When Farley's hometown of Forest Meadow decides to award him the coveted Corn-Cob-Kee at the town 'Cornivale,' Farley returns home to discover that his mother (Susan Sarandon) is marrying Woodcock. It takes Woodcock all of 10 minutes to drive Farley into a revenge ridden frenzy, as he quickly abandons all of his novel's advice and insanely attempts to break-up their engagement. What remains is like What About Bob? meets Dude Where's My Car?, a sloppy, predictable toilet bowl that's entertaining enough to not warrant a flush. Lines from Farley's book include, "the shortest distance between two people: communication," and "when you make a blame sandwich you've got to be prepared to eat it yourself," while Jasper Woodcock's best line is perhaps: "Farley, I'm just saying you showed some sack out there." Scott and Thornton work well together, fighting and insulting one another throughout, and Sarandon is convincing as Farley's lonely mom. But nothing can save Woodcock from its straight and narrow "Woodcock's having sex with your mom" focus, which encapsulates both the film's central dialogue and action.