toparchive I was a bit shocked to find out this was a made-for-TV movie! With that said, the movie had it's cheesy moments like most TV-movies do.Plot: 8.5/10 Writing: 6/10 Acting: 7/10 Film/Editing: 7/10Overall I feel like the acting wasn't bad - it's the cheesy script that they had to deal with.. I think they did the best job they could do with the script at hand. The movie is intended for 8-15 demographic, with parental supervision. If you're a 25 year old looking for a movie with laughs, you'll probably rate this movie lower. As a 30 year old parent of 3 toddlers, I gave the movie more applause. They hit on a lot of great life lessons and points, and it's a tear jerker for kids 8-12. If I were to rate the movie based on it's genre alone, I'd give it an 8.5/10, but comparing it to every movie ever made, I'd give it a 7/10, and that's probably a bit generous.

plazaliz When I saved School of Life in my Amazon app I thought it looked like a nice little film to watch while doing some tedious work from home that takes little concentration. I've always been a Ryan Reynolds fan and was surprised I had not heard of this one. It turned out that I could give more than a few movies my full attention when I had some unexpected recuperating time. Today I grabbed my iPad and decided to check out some lighter fare, expecting little when I started to watch School of Life. Oh my gosh. What a fabulously inspirational surprise this turned out to be. Every actor perfectly cast, Reynolds as terrific as usual. (Take note of the actor playing the assembly honoree as the movie opens and a comment made by his grandson about 3/4 into the move.) School of Life could have been on the really dorky side, and I guess if you consider yourself a super sophisticated intellect, above anything a little goofy and completely heartwarming, this may not be for you. (I personally think it would be difficult to imagine that anyone who doesn't find this move absolutely charming is very interesting.) However, it does not fall into the excruciating-to-watch, groan-worthy moron category like more than enough movies today. It was a delight to watch from the very beginning. So many great lessons for students of all ages as well as those who teach in a classroom, at home or in the office. For example...we're all students and we're all teachers whether we realize it or not; appearances aren't always what they seem; most of us could stand to relax a little - try not to take ourselves so seriously; we should all remind ourselves and each other daily that life is short so just go for it and "take your shot"; everyone has some sort of insecurity or peculiar idiosyncrasy, dealing with life the best they know how; attitude affects outcome; and every type of message can be delivered with kindness. As a former HR professional I'd have no problem showing this movie at orientation and would encourage everyone young and old to see it. I don't understand how I managed not hearing about it for 10 years. Watch School of Life and I guarantee you'll lighten up.

jimrin The average rating of 6.5 would have been what I would have guessed my review would be assuming it would be a decent movie. After watching the movie, I obviously felt differently. There are some areas which could have been improved... In some cases, some acting. The story (fate of Mr. D) was rather predictable. However, there were truly touching parts of the movie which makes the movie special. When you look at the reviews, you can see that the people who bothered to write a review all felt similarly about how they enjoyed the movie. In my case, I'm not a big Ryan Reynolds fan. I wasn't looking forward to some cool, smart-aleck character who all the students like, but he did a good job. In addition, I was impressed with Andrew Robb. Anyway, this movie is definitely worth a watch.

disdressed12 this isn't too bad a movie.yes it can get preachy but it never really crosses the line into sap and drivel.it's mostly a family friendly movie with few minor swears.at first it feels quite light and fluffy,but if you stick with it,there are some deeper things going on here.David Paymer and Ryan Reynolds are the two bigger names in this movie,but it is Kate Vernon who really impressed me.as a matter of fact,i didn't recognize her while watching the movie.i only saw her name as the end credits rolled. before this had only seen her in very dark movies dealing with violent crimes.anyway,i did like this movie.it has a message,but it doesn't beat you over the head too much with it.also the movie is really touching at times,but in a good way.the acting is also good.i give "School of Life" 7/10