Bad Education Review: 5 Ups & 1 Down

2. The Sharp, Pointed Script

This is screenwriter Mike Makowsky's highest-profile project to date, but it's also his sharpest and most defined yet. It finds places for comedy, but never trivializes the clear wrongdoing by Tassone and Gluckin. This was a serious situation in which corrupt leaders took advantage of everyone's willful ignorance and he captures that quality very well without making the wronged parties look dumb (outside of Ray Romano's bumbling but hilarious character).

Once again, the fact that this scandal was an actual situation he experienced with him even knowing Tassone personally gives him the chance to make everything feel more authentic. In addition, he avoids making any person in the film one-note or shallow. Everyone is a real person with their own needs and wants, which helps establish the gravity of this situation.

In between all the always-purposeful character-building/story progressing scenes are moments of excellent dialogue that serve as either pointed commentary on society's common mistreatment of educational staff or the unfair nature of anyone's ability to get ahead (in this case, Roslyn school) when dealing with the clear economic disparity that seemingly dooms anyone with fewer resources than their competitors.