Daily Dose: Could BAD TEACHER give Jake Kasdan his big hit?

The trailer for “Bad Teacher” is making the rounds on the Internet (I’ve embedded it below), and I’ve got to say that the movie looks like fun. From director Jake Kasdan (“Walk Hard”) and the writing team that’s been tapped to pen the third “Ghostbusters” film, “Teacher” follows slacker teacher Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) as she tries to snare a rich guy named Scott Delacorte (played by Justin Timberlake). Halsey’s girly whiles are tested when she realizes that Delacorte might have a thing for busty women.

The irreverent comedy features a good cast with “The Office’s” Phyllis Smith playing a fellow teacher. Jason Segel (“I Love You, Man”) is a hapless gym teacher smitten with Halsey in the film. And Lucy Punch (Anthony Hopkin’s character’s kicking girlfriend in “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger”) plays a rival teacher vying for an end of the year bonus. From the trailer we learn that Halsey thinks that the way to capture Delacorte’s heart is with larger breasts and the end of the year teacher bonus can help buy her a new rack.

A word of caution, “Bad Teacher” is not likely to be another “Bad Santa,” however, the trailer does look promising. Given the current political climate concerning teacher pay and benefits, there are plenty of edgy issues to skewer here with sharp satirical wit. The movie’s poster contains a crude but effective tagline: “She doesn’t give and ‘F.'” And I’m hoping that director Kasdan (son of the Oscar nominated writer/director Lawrence Kasdan) has a breakthrough hit with “Teacher.” While 2007’s “Walk Hard” has many funny moments, it failed at the box office and did not have a consistent enough story. My favorite Jake Kasdan film has to be 1998’s “Zero Effect” with Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller. Pullman’s never been better playing super-detective Daryl Zero and should have been given a chance to repeat that role in a series of Zero films.

“Bad Teacher,” with Cameron Diaz strutting everything she’s got, hits theaters in June.