School for Scoundrels

Roger Waddell is a shy New York parking officer whose lack of self-confidence keeps him from approaching Amanda, the woman he wants to date. He signs up for a secret course run by the charismatic Dr. P, who claims he can turn timid men into self-assured ones. With help from his assistant Lesher, the doctor puts his students through unconventional methods, and Roger begins to make progress, eventually finding the courage to ask Amanda out. His success brings him into conflict with Dr. P, who has his own interest in Amanda, and the two men turn their competition into an escalating series of retaliatory stunts.

Todd Phillips directed and co-wrote the film with Scot Armstrong, following Starsky & Hutch in his filmography and preceding The Hangover. Jon Heder plays Roger, with Billy Bob Thornton as Dr. P, Jacinda Barrett as Amanda, and supporting turns from Sarah Silverman, Michael Clarke Duncan and David Cross. The production had a budget of 35 million US dollars and took in about 22 million worldwide.

Audience scores sit close to the middle, at 5.9 out of 10 on IMDb from roughly 32,000 votes and 5.5 out of 10 on TMDB from far fewer voters. A critics' rating of 4.7 out of 10 across 138 reviews places professional reception below the IMDb audience figure, though both point to a modest overall response. The film runs 100 minutes.