NIGHT SCHOOL
US, 2018, 111 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam, Keith David, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Ben Schwartz, Anne Winters, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Jakob Batalon, Fat Joe, Al Madrigal.
Directed by Malcolm Lee.
In recent years, Kevin Hart’s star has been in quite an ascendant. He makes several films a year and has his own company Hartbeat. At times Hart can be entertaining. At times Hart can be quite irritating. And, at many times, he can be both.
This is the case with Night School.
Once again, he plays a little (literally) man, Teddy (Theodore), a hustler, cheeky, presumptuous, flexible with the truth, but able to be a plausible salesman along with his good friend Marv (comedian Ben Schwartz). But, in a flashback, we see that he was hopeless at school, dropping out, clashing with the tall white student, Stewart (Saturday Night Live comedian Taran Killam), continually being criticised at home by his demanding father (Keith David). But, that was back at the turn-of-the-century.
But, present day, Teddy is in love with a high-powered executive, Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke), is offered the chance of promotion if only he could get his high school qualifications. With his patter, he thinks they can put it over the authorities and get the certificate without any work.
But, this description of the film omits the powerhouse presence of Tiffany Haddish, sparring with Teddy as they stop at red lights, only for him to discover that she is the night school teacher – and, worse, that Stewart is the principal of the school.
In many ways, what happens is predictable enough but also entertaining enough as a group of eccentric characters form part of the class, a Hispanic waiter that Teddy had caused to be fired and who wants to be a singer, an outspoken Muslim character, the put upon housewife and mother, a young girl with a dropout mentality, and unimaginative 50 year old who wants to move up from driving to something executive – and a prisoner in prison who studies via Skype.
When she comes into the film, Tiffany Haddish certainly dominates everything and everyone, including Teddy, challenging him at every moment, diagnosing his disabilities, literally using martial arts to force him to focus, trying to teach and deal with the group, even when they break into the principal’s office and steal the mid-term test questions.
For those who liked Tiffany Haddish in her forceful performance in Girls Night, there may be some disappointment insofar as that film was exceedingly raunchy, many moments of crass. Night School is not particularly raunchy at all (it does have, as the Office of Classification indicates, some sexual references/crude humour), but in terms of coarse language, it is generally absent, giving the audience a bit of a rest.
In fact, ultimately, this is a highly moralising film, the value of night school, older people reassessing their lives, regretting the waste of time in the past, ambitious for better things and better relationships, culminating in graduation, speeches, reconciliation all round, including the principal apologising, but Teddy getting in some public pokes in the eye, pokes in the conscience of his authoritarian father.
Night School will appeal to a more general audience than many of the African-American? comedyies – but, it could well find its place in the curriculum for the motivation and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
1. The title? The role of the school? Students and teacher? Hopes? The moralising tone about the benefit of night school and thoughts recovering their ambitions?
2. The turn-of-the-century, the family home, Ted, young, his parents, school, bullied by Stewart? His dropping out? The later discovery of dyslexia and other disabilities? Their effect?
3. 2018, his working with Marvin, his skill with smooth talk and sales, smart, his life, the relationship with Lisa, proposing to her, not telling the truth? The scene in the restaurant, not having any money, the pubic hair, the sacking of the waiter? The waiter calling him out?
4. Marv and his advice, to graduate, his thinking he could smooth-talk the teacher and get his degree easily? Discovering Stewart was the school principal? Stewart ousting him? The initial encounter with Carrie at the red light, the arguments, discovering her as the teacher?
5. The members of the group, Bob in prison, doing the course by Skype? The 50-year-old, unimaginative, lacking humour, his relationship with his son, wanting to move from driving to executive? The protester, his antagonism towards robots taking jobs? The mother, her brutal partner, her children, her fears, yet saying she was blessed? The girl, wanting to dropout? The interactions during the class? Ted and his leadership? The escapade and climbing the building, stealing the exam questions?
6. Carrie, strong personality, her classes, supporting disabled children, her diagnosis of Ted? Taking on night school, the clashes with Stewart? Handling the situations, her disappointment with their stealing the questions? The diagnosis, and the encounters with Ted and the martial arts focus on concentration?
7. Ted, going out of the school, getting the job with Christian Chicken, his experience and interviews, the workers, prayer moments, serving the meals, in the chicken suit?
8. Ted giving up, with his parents, his father’s criticisms?
9. His return, the group working together, the exams, the visuals of the figures and symbols floating before Ted’s eyes? Success, the graduation?
10. Stewart, his arranging for Lisa to discover the truth about Ted? Carrie and her pressure on Stewart to apologise to Ted? His explanation of envying Ted when they were at school?
11. Ted’s graduation speech, the criticisms of his father and his father listening? The joy of the rest of the group? The mother and her reconciliation with her husband?
12. The future for all of them? The film is a morale booster for some kind of rehabilitation of life and succeeding?
