Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“Sex Ed” (7 out of 10) – Written by Bill Kennedy; Directed by Isaac Feder; Starring Haley Joel Osment, Glen Powell, Castille Landon, Retta, Lorenza Izzo, and Matt Walsh; 92 minutes; Release date: November 7, 2014; Rated R.
“Sex Ed” stars Haley Joel Osment as Ed Cole, a young aspiring teacher, who works at a bagel shop with no real prospects either professionally or romantically. After receiving yet another rejection letter for a teaching position Cole decides to go to the school and demand an interview.
Once at the school, Cole meets the principal (Walsh) who is all but checked out but impressed by Cole’s ambition offers him a job teaching a mandatory after school program for troubled kids.
After accepting the job Cole leaves his apartment and finds a place closer to the school. His new landlord (Retta) helps Cole to find out what kind of man he wants to be and gives him the push he needs to take control of his life.
Cole soon realizes that the kids in his program are at the cusp of sexual activity, confused, and horribly ignorant on the subject of their own bodies. In response to this information Cole begins teaching them Sex Ed during their class time despite his lack of experience both in teaching and in the bedroom.
Despite his lack of qualifications Cole endears himself to his students with his honest and forthcoming nature concerning their questions and they soon grow to trust him. Cole befriends a student named Tito and sits with him after class one afternoon while he waits for his sister, Pilar, to pick him up. Cole and Pilar begin to build a relationship, despite her being involved with another man which threatens both to end his sexual dry spell and puts him at risk of serious physical harm at the hands of her boyfriend Hector.
Despite Hector’s threats, Cole begins to develop a sense of self-confidence making him a better teacher and more attractive to those he would pursue, but all is not well in the world of sexual enlightenment.
One of the most vocal and disruptive students is sent to the Principal for his behavior triggering a visit from his father, a reverend who works closely with the school. Upon learning of Mr. Cole’s teaching curriculum he starts working toward having the program shut down and Mr. Cole is eventually let go from his position, finding himself back at the bagel shop.
Cue the appearance of Retta, the voice of unfettered reason. She pep talks Cole into reclaiming his job and his relationship with Pilar. After a particularly inspiring oh captain, my captain moment, the reverend sees that what Mr. Cole is offering the students is actually of value and supports his program. Cole makes a grand romantic gesture that, while only moderately accomplished, succeeds in winning back the favor of Pilar.
SPOILERS AHEAD
However, this movie doesn’t go down the expected path of the protagonist winning the day and the girl. That’s one of the reasons this film was so endearing, it felt not only real but right. Cole ends up pushing Pilar away just moments before he would have finally lost his virginity when he realizes that they aren’t compatible and she doesn’t appreciate him for who he is. Despite not ever losing his virginity during the course of the movie, one of the obvious goals set out at the beginning of the story, what Cole finds instead is a sense of self-worth and comfort with who he is, flaws and all, as well as the respect of his friends, students, and peers.
The movie is notable for its ability to tread the road less travelled in terms of tropes and the performances from both Osment and Retta, the later offering my favorite line in the movie, “Would you want to be with a woman that you wouldn’t drink half a handle of rum and eat an eyeball for?”
And the answer, my friends, is a resounding no.
Osment will return to the screen next as a fictionalized version of real life Canadian Nazi sympathizer Adrien Arcand in Kevin Smith’s “Yoga Hosers,” the followup to “Tusk” and second of three planned films in the “True North Trilogy.”