BAD EDUCATION
US, 2020, 108 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Jackman, Alison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano, Annaleigh Ashford, Stephen Spinella, Raphael Casal, Alex Wolfe.
Directed by Corey Finley.
Decades ago, Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko on Wall Street gave a speech affirming that “greed is good�. Here is a true story, from an affluent community on Long Island at the beginning of the2000s, where public figures in education not only gave the thumbs up to Gordon Gecko’s theory but, extravagantly, put it into practice.
This is also a showcase for the acting talents of Hugh Jackman. He brings his extraordinary charm to the role of Frank Tassone, a local superintendent of schools, beloved by his community, applauded by everyone, ambitious to develop the prestige of the school where he is based, the status of the local community, the property values of homes in the area.
He is supported in his work by the local school principal, played by Ray Romano, and his associate in the office and in the ambitions, played by Alison Janney. But, it is all a facade. The building begins to crumble when the associate, competent in managing accounts, competent in fabricating accounts, is exposed to the horror of the school board, a compromise being found for her dismissal in that she has resigned for health reasons. She is not supported by Tassone as she had expected – and leaves him a dire note, responding to her being branded as a sociopath, accusing him of being a greater sociopath.
And, she is not wrong. In fact, the film could be viewed as the portrait of a narcissist, a sociopath, full of charm concerning his own well-being and success, conscienceless in his exploitation. Frank Tassone a looks in the mirror quite often, sees wrinkles of ageing, undergoes some plastic surgery, but always smiling, no matter what.
His facade takes a lot longer to crumble. He is an arch manipulator, pressurising the school accountant to interpret the books in his favour. And, there is the greater revelation about his private life, his assertion that his wife is long dead, the discovery that has been living with a partner for over 30 years, that has been come infatuated with a young dancer in Las Vegas.
Audiences will be somewhat aghast at his self-indulgence, $20,000 spent on a first-class return flight to London with the dancer, the amount of money he has fraudulently covered, he and his assistant embezzling millions of dollars from the community.
While the attention is on Frank Tassone, the interesting character who leads to his unmasking is a young student at the school, studying journalism, working on the student paper, doing some investigative work (and, when interviewed by Frank, his urging her not just a write puff pieces). She does her research with documents, discovers Frank’s apartment and his partner, is instrumental in his unmasking. She is played convincingly by Australian actress, Geraldine Viswanathan.
This is a moral fable, a warning that while greed has its many moments of good, it is intrinsically evil and leads to downfall.
1. The title? Education, teachers, administration, students, learning, affirmation? Qualities of education? The undermining of education?
2. The long island settings, the early 2000’s, the school, exteriors and interiors, offices, the backgrounds of families, Rachel’s home, the student paper, visits to Las Vegas, New York apartments? The variety of the musical score?
3. Based on a true story? The school and its prestige? The principal, the board, the administration? Frank Tassone? School superintendent? Charm with people? The revelation of his lifestyle? Pam, her role in administration? The revelations about her and her family?
4. The credibility of the plot, the extents of the misappropriation of money, fraud in accountancy, the selfish use of money? The effect on the community? The plans for the Skyline, the costs, the value of housing in the area?
5. The portrait of Frank Tassone? Hugh Jackman’s presence and performance? Age, experience, teaching, testing his knowledge of students in their careers, his strong memories? Smiling, coping with difficulties, Chad and his pushy manner mother, their attending in his crisis moment, handling the situation? His relationship with Pam, with his secretary, other members of the staff? The opening with his being welcomed on stage? Yet the indication of his vanity, his looking in the mirror, his clothes and suits, style, his surgery on his face? His continual attention to lines on his face? Seeing him in action, charming everyone?
6. Pam, her role in the school, tough, the other staff, liaison with Frank? At home, the party, lavish style, and marriages, relationship with Howard, with her children, with her son? Her niece and letting her spend the money and fixing it? Her son, the house renewal, his lavish buying, people querying it? The opening up of the accounts, her fraud, the board confronting her, talking about her illness, her resignation?
7. Pam’s note about who is the sociopath? Interpreting Frank as a sociopath? Charm, but everything revolving around himself? The touches of narcissism?
8. The principal, the running of the school, the big bluff man, his enthusiasm? His shock about Pam? The gradual revelations about Frank? His shock? Talking frankly to him?
9. Frank’s private life, talk about his dead wife, his partner of over 30 years, the apartment in New York? The visit to Las Vegas? His past student, his memories, the dancer, the beginning of the liaison? The house in Las Vegas? His visits? The final visit, dancing, leaving him the money? The character of the young man, his shock at the revelation? And Frank’s partner getting a greater shock with the news about the young man?
10. Rachel, young, studying journalism, the background of her father and his being caught up in inside trading and losing his job? Her article, interviewing Frank, his encouraging her beyond puff pieces, her interview with Pam, the quotes? Investigating documentation further, everything public, getting the key to the basement? Accumulating the material? The discussions with the editor, his hesitations? The continued pursuit? The addresses, the false companies, the false contracts? Her father helping with the funding? Pam’s husband and his company? Rachel going to the apartment, meeting Frank’s companion, seeing Frank? His talk with her the next day – and the warnings?
11. Frank, the accountant, encouraging him in the administration, his discovering and exposing the truth?
12. The authorities, the interrogations, Pam and the rest, her family? Frank, his escape, track down, arrested? In jail, a dapper presence in jail? And remembering when he was acclaimed by the school?
13. Pam, the threats to her family, her niece and spending more money, Frank relegating her to the basement? Pam and the interrogation, her agreeing to testify against Frank?
14. The final information, the amount of money misappropriated, the prison sentences, Frank still getting his pension in jail? Successful Rachel and her investigative work? The necessary exposing of such social scandals?
