Tim
Daly stars as Mr. Gibb, a shy, lonely, sexually repressed teacher who has a
crush on his prize student, a perky blond cheerleader named Ally, played by
Hayden Panettiere. After Ally has a
fight with her boyfriend, Mr. Gibb agrees to give her a lift home, even though
he knows it goes against professional ethics. When she vanishes without a trace, he quickly
becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.
Mr. Gibb then takes it upon himself to look for her, which only makes
him appear guiltier than before.
The
Good Student was produced by Kevin Spacey (which explains A LOT, actually), and
it’s anchored by a solid cast. Daly delivers
a fine performance and makes his sad sack character likeable, even if he’s tempted
by questionable desires. The supporting players
are equally good. Panettiere is ideally
cast as the object of his affection, even though she doesn’t stick around for
very long. I also enjoyed seeing Dan
Hedaya as a nosy janitor. It’s William Sadler
who steals the show though as Panettiere’s sketchy father who uses his daughter’s
disappearance as a marketing ploy to drum up business for his used car lot. If you’re like me and believe the world needs
more movies in which William Sadler plays a sleazeball, then this one has you
covered, even if it isn’t completely successful. Also, speaking as a huge Wings fan, it was
fun to see Daly once again in a leading role.
Sure,
the story itself is rather thin, and the tone is a little funky too. (It often plays like a cross between a Lifetime
Movie and a Coen Brothers knockoff.) The
cheap production values don’t do it any favors either. However, the cast alone makes The Good
Student is an agreeable, if a tad forgettable comic thriller.
AKA: Mr. Gibb.
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