David Paymer

(On TV, May 2021) I thought I was reasonably up-to-date on Ryan Reynolds movies, but I had managed to skip School of Life. It’s not an unforgivable oversight, considering that the film was originally made for TV (at a time when such distinctions mattered more than today) and only plays these days because Reynolds played in it during the ascendant phase of his career. The curious aspect of his role is that, despite it being from Reynold’s pre-fame days, it’s very much in-line with his persona. He plays an inspiring, sarcastic teacher who quickly charms students and faculty of a small private school through unusual teaching techniques and creates a rapport with everyone. What’s interesting, however, is that Reynolds is not the film’s main character, nor is the film built around him inspiring students. No, School of Life’s main character is another teacher (played by David Paymer), struggling to get away from his later father’s all-encompassing legacy over the school. Much of the film is spent chronicling our protagonist’s evolution from boring biology teacher to inspiring “life sciences” mentor, facilitated by the example set by Reynold’s character. The film itself would be merely fine if it wasn’t for Reynolds — a heartwarming kind of thing with an adult focus that does much to ensure that it’s watchable by the entire family. But Reynolds’ supporting performance is highlighted for a good reason — it brings the entire film up a notch with his ridiculously easy charm and quippy repartee. I suspect that much of his material was tailored for him, so clearly does it fit with the screen persona he developed over the next fifteen years. It does make School of Life worth a look if ever it pops up on the schedule: it’s not purely a comedy for spoilerish (but predictable) reasons, but it does remain interesting even despite some less-polished moments along the way.