Sex Ed

Plot synopsis:
Ed Cole (Haley Joel Osment) feels like he is letting his life go by without him. He leaves his job at a bagel shop and works as an after-school detention teacher after impressing the principal (Matt Walsh). He moves out of his apartment, allowing his roommate JT (Glen Powell) to engage in kinky sex with his girlfriend Ally (Castille Landon). While working with his students, Ed realizes most of the troubled youths are sexually confused, and begins an after school sex ed program. At the same time JT convinces Ed to have sex with someone to end his dry spell, leading to a disastrous blind date with Trish (Abby Elliott), a former co-ed.
Ed seeks counsel from his landlord Sydney (Retta), who also owns a bar in the apartment building. He meets Pilar (Lorenza Izzo), the adult sister of his student Tito (Kevin Hernandez). He and Pilar hit it off, and she invites Ed to her house for dinner after Tito tells her Ed is his favorite teacher. Pilar's boyfriend Hector (Ray Santiago) belittles Ed and threatens him, leading to the two competing by taking shots of rum. Ed gets sick and vomits on Pilar and Tito's mother, Lupe (Laura Harring). Later Ed apologizes to Pilar, who tells him she and Hector are taking a break. Ed asks her on a date, which she accepts. With the help of JT and Ally, Ed gets his students interested in learning, to the point that other children attend the after school class out of interest.
At the same time Ed's student Leon (Isaac White) gets sent to the principal's office for his behavior, leading to his father Reverend Marcus Hamilton (Chris Williams) challenging Ed's qualifications and reasoning to teach sexual education to the children. Ed asks the Reverend to sit in on a class, but the Reverend is not impressed and decides to shut down the program. Tito tells Ed he wants to have sex with his girlfriend and asks for a condom. Ed tells Tito it's not a good idea, but Tito says he'll do it anyways, forcing Ed to give him a condom. Pilar finds out about this during her date with Ed, and goes home to stop Tito. Ed angrily leaves, but is confronted and beat up by Hector. He then attempts to hire a prostitute, but is caught by the police.
Ed admits to JT that he is a virgin, a fact JT previously knew but chose not to call Ed out on. Ed returns to work at the bagel shop, but then with Sydney's help decides to make a grand gesture to win Pilar back. He plays the oboe for her, despite not being very good at it. Ed and Pilar make up and go on a second date. Pilar decides to visit her favorite club, but Ed is not allowed in by the bouncer (Lamorne Morris). Pilar tells him she'll be right back, but the bouncer assures him she won't be. Hector, in line for the club, confronts Ed, and Ed punches Hector, resulting in the police arresting Ed again. Motivated by his anger, Ed forces his way into Reverend Hamilton's support group with his class, insisting the importance of sex education, which the children support. Ed goes as far as admitting he is a virgin in front of everyone. For his demonstration, Reverend Hamilton is impressed and decides to allow the class.
Pilar shows up at Ed's apartment and tells him she wants to be his first sexual partner, but bitter that she abandoned him at the club, Ed turns her down. She leaves angrily, but passes JT in her underwear, impressing him. Ed is upset that he still has not had sex, but Sydney tells him he is a man now because he is in control of his life, and it has nothing to do with his virginity. A year later, Ed is shown to have one of the most popular classes at the school, and the respect of his students.

Tags: boring, adult comedy

Review:
Let's get this out of the way first: yes, Haley Joel Osment looks-wise isn't the kid who sees dead people or even his 16-year old self in the wonderful "Secondhand Lions".
is he a really good actor.He carries this movie, he makes what could be a one-note or creepy character come alive.
It helps that he has a terrific script to work with, it could easily have turned preachy fast but except for a scene near the end, it's more about Ed, HJO's character, and his lack of self- esteem, awkwardness around women, career frustrations and so on.The rest of the cast is really good as well, especially Lorrenza Izzo as Pilar, Retta as bar owner/landlord Sydney, Matt Walsh as the school administrator Washout and young Isaac White as Leon.
Special note should be made of the band that plays in Sydney's bar, what terrific musicians.If you take this movie for what it is --a low-key, low budget comedy with some points to make-- it's a nice way to spend 90 minutes..
I really enjoyed the transformation of the female lead, Lorenza Izzo, his love interest & found her acting to be seemingly effortless, like she wasn't even on camera.
I had a good time watching this movie, and appreciated the professionalism and craft of the cast.
As long as you are not uptight about hearing the scientific names of parts of the body & some slang equivalents, I know you will enjoy this movie as much or more than I.
If toilet jokes are OK to you, some gags will definitely make you burst out laughing.All in all, "Sex Ed" may not be the movie that the trailer shows, but it doesn't make it any worse.
Such kind, melodramatic comedy, in reality, is a good way to spend an evening with your friends and/or your fiancé, if toilet jokes and topics are OK to them..
Very good comedy if you like School of Rock........
The best way I can put this movie into perspective is that it is School of Rock with rock and roll replaced by sex education.
The kids were great, Hayley Joel Osmant was great, the supporting adults were great, just a great movie.
I rarely write reviews...mainly because I suck at writing them, but this is a good movie and don't believe the naysayers.
"Sex Ed" is a humorous story that earns a lot of laughter, and as a plus, it advocates sexual education in schools and open communication on the subject.
This element alone bumped up this comedy to a level that earns my respect.The best aspect of the film is Haley Joel Osment's character.
I also enjoyed seeing some performances from those young actors who portrayed middle school students, especially Isaac White.
Ed Cole (Haley Joel Osmont) is a former student teacher who falls on hard times and finds himself working at a bagel shop.
However, Ed is unable to find a position teaching in his specialist subjects and reluctantly takes on the role of taking an after school class of detention kids.
Ed quickly learns that the kids aren't currently learning Sex Ed and takes it upon himself to start teaching a course on Sex Ed much to the dismay of Reverend Marcus Hamilton (Chris Williams) who happens to be the strict father of one of the children in Ed's class.My first thoughts when watching this film is that it kind of reminded me of Dangerous Minds (albeit a watered down and much less gritty version of the same film).
I haven't seen Dangerous Minds for quite some time, but I don't recall feeling that it wasn't gearing itself to the wrong audience and ultimately that is what the biggest problem is with Sex Ed.For a start it makes teaching kids lessons in Sex Ed the focus of most of its plot; explaining to kids what all the various body parts are, how to put condoms on, what all the 'scientific' words are called etc - this is all fine and I can see that to older children or young teenagers that this may be of interest and educational.
I'm really not sure why the filmmakers chose this approach when it probably would have been funnier if it would have been a clean comedy focusing on a sexually inexperienced teacher struggling to teach children about Sex Ed (at least that way it might have been a film that a family could perhaps sit down and watch together and would have at least appealed more to its intended target audience).
The problem is that it doesn't play out like this and to be honest I thought that Ed got the kids onside a little too easily - I felt there were way more opportunities available to make the classrooms scenes funnier.Another problem for me is that even when I looked beyond the fact that as a man in my 30's I clearly wasn't the target audience the film just isn't that funny and just seemed full of clichés.
Haley Joel Osmont's character is a pathetic guy, but he's like this all the way through the film and to be honest it's mildly depressing.In all honesty, Sex Ed's confusing tone is its biggest enemy; it's central story is about Sex Ed and the film does a reasonable job of raising awareness of the importance of using condoms and in highlighting the possible consequences of not taking precautions whilst having sex (which is great).
A good movie to watch if you just want to relax and enjoy some jokes, hear some dirty language from young kids.
An easy to watch, not complicated comedy with very plain plot, but you can see that in 2014 sex is made to be a very open subject in society, even to young kids, that kind of is the goal of the movie, i feel.
I found that Joel Osment was really a great actor to play the leading role of this movie, since he looks so inexperienced and clumsy from the get go, you really can feel the character and don't have to doubt if he is well suited for the role.
The movie was short, no surprise, since it was a comedy, if you don't have anything to do and just want to enjoy an evening and chill, then it is a good watch..
At least the film has a good message behind it?.
Admittedly, I was a bit bowled over by the movie being made in my hometown, and the novelty of not only recognizing all of the locations they filmed, but then actually seeing those locations get their time to shine as part of the plot (especially The Hub, which is one of the coolest dive-bars in town - not remotely as 'bright' as the film portrayed it, but still fun, nonetheless).
Hector was a very one- dimensional antagonist, and while I now love, and want to see more of, Lorenza Izzo, her character was one of the worst developed in the film.
Was no one bothering to keep any sort of continuity in this film?Overall, great acting in a bad story, but with a good underlying message.
Poor direction, stilted dialogue, and amateur camera work makes this feel very much like a college film you make before you go off to Hollywood..
This was a really awkward movie, but I liked it.
Sure some viewers might bash the heck out of this, pointing their fingers at how much of a loser the protagonist who is a sex ed teacher played by Haley Joel Osment is.
I am sure the viewers that were once a very very nice guy that wasn't getting any can relate to this movie to a degree (which is quite a lot).
This movie didn't seem to have a clear cut message, but that was one of the points it was trying to make and I kinda respect that.
Now I personally like Haley Joel Osment as an actor, he isn't the cute kid he was in his younger years but he knows how to utilize what he has now and I respect that as well.
I personally watched this movie because of Haley Joel Osment and actually enjoyed it.
Good premise but doesn't deliver on story or laughs..
'Sex Ed' has a solid comedic premise: Eddie, a sexually inexperienced 23-year-old teacher, struggles to teach a sex-ed class to middle school kids.
Fine direction from Isaac Feder and good performances from the whole cast, especially Haley Joel Osment, whose boyish charm carries the movie.
Retta's character exists only to offer Eddie corny motivational speeches from behind the bar, and Lorenza Izzo is used exclusively as a prop for Eddie's sexual desires - why she is immediately attracted to his awkward speech and creepy stares, I have no idea.
These characters - along with Eddie's roommate and his girlfriend - flit in and out of the movie when the plot requires them and have no depth or stories of their own.While there is a lot of potential and talent involved in the film, it just isn't funny or interesting enough to hold your attention for 90 minutes..
Osment has done a lot better films, so his acting really isn't to blame here.
I don't really like these kind of movies anyway, so I guess I'm bias..
It's not super original or overly well done, but it is entertaining and the cast do a pretty good job with their roles.
But I love the guy as an adult underdog.Look, in the secular world this character is a loser.
But this guy seems to have been secular.We see this large black lady giving him excellent life advice throughout, but we never hear her back story.
Also, guys don't want advice about how to be a man, from a woman.I'm sorry, but I don't want to hear underage kids talking about sex in a movie.
Were those kids on "detention" throughout the movie, because he had the same kids in the class all the way through.
They originally said they were on detention.The best part of the movie was the main character's male best friend.
It fell flat.The real message here was that alpha-males get the girls, because confidence is the main thing that attracts women to men.
Story: Sex Ed starts by seeing our protagonist Ed (Osment) struggling to find a teaching job.
Upon learning that there is no sex education in the school he decides to teach the students.
Ed has to overcome a Reverend who wants no sex education in the school but the student have fast started calling Ed their favourite student this leads to Ed trying his luck with Pilar a student's sister.Sex Ed comes off mixing two types of films, the first is the teacher who starts off unpopular by both student and parents, while the second is a romantic comedy about finding yourself.
Both stories in Sex Ed play next to each other and work with nice balance.
Sex Ed looks at the importance of teaching young people about sex one way or another and without the proper education they will end up unaware of the side effects.
While on the romantic comedy side we look at how one man's problem are over analysed by both him and his friends when it comes to mixing up sex and love.
Sex Ed is a good comedy and easily one of the better ones out this year.
(8/10)Actor ReviewHaley Joel Osment: Ed Cole the teacher who can't find a job, but by taking the chance he gets a job looking at after school activity co- ordinator and starts teaching them about sex education.
Haley does give a good performance here showing he might have overcome his personal problems and getting his career back on track.
Glen gives a good performance in the supporting role and usually has extra laughs.
(6/10)Support Cast: Sex Ed support cast includes the students, family members of the students and a very wise landlady who each learn and/or give advice to Ed as the story unfolds.Director Review: Isaac Feder – Isaac does a good job to create a good romantic comedy that balance to focused stories very well.
(7/10)Settings: Sex Ed only uses a couple of settings but each one gives us good identity to which story we are following.
(8/10)Suggestion: Sex Ed is a romantic comedy that is worth a watch, I will suggest this to any who asks.
(Try It)Best Part: Haley Joel Osment shines.Worst Part: Not enough people will see this when it is clearly better than other comedies out there.Funniest Scene: Ed walks in on JT for a second time.Believability: Sex Ed tackles very real issues and looks at the challenging issue that could stop the issues getting solved.
I've had times within my life where I just feel lonely and desperate similar to the main character, Cole.
I've had times where my life felt great and where finding someone to get to know wasn't difficult.
This stage of life or feeling is referred to in the movie as a "dry spell" which is something that I, a 17 year old teenager just graduating high school, am fairly aware of.
While watching his movie that scene within the bar really inspired me to try and go out to find some girls and to hopefully end my 'dry spell'.
Cole eventually realized that it wasn't important whether he got girls or had sex and that all that truly mattered was that he had to be true to himself.
The film attempts to use humor to demonstrate the need for real sex education in the classroom especially in the day and age of the uncontrolled, uncensored Internet.
(Enjoy it while you can.) Edward Cole (Haley Joel Osment) is trained as a math teacher and can't get a job in Florida as one, believe it or not in world that screams for math teachers.
He discovers there is a real need to teach the kids sex education, against the wishes of Rev. Hamilton (Chris Williams).
Hamilton claims the kids should learn sex ed at home, although this is not getting done.The film tries to be funny by creating quirky characters who give us advice like, "Never do two illegal things at one time." The dialogue left something to be desired.
"The Internet will teach you the wrong things about sex".
Yes. The Internet will teach you many wrong things about sex.
A movie that - oh, the irony - will teach you many wrong things about dating and courting.
Haley Joel Osment plays a loser who can't get the teaching job of his dreams.
He decides to teach sex ed during detention.
Yes, let's have one of the kids' parents be a reverend, opposed to sexual education in school.
Cue bar woman/landlady who knows all the ins and outs of life, love, sex, and being a man, and muscular "bro" former flatmate with a good heart.
Let's have the hottie sister of one of the students develop an interest in a guy that, erm, stutters and makes awkward, borderline creepy, talk the first time he sees her, gets invited to dinner at her family's house, and pukes on her mom's breast, invites her out the second after she says she and her cartoonish latino low-rider driving bad boy boyfriend are giving it time, plays her the oboe (yes, the oboe) badly to apologize for giving her brother condoms, and...you get the idea.I know, we have seen it many times in movies.
But the interaction between Haley Joel Osment and Lorena Izzo had me shouting at the screen.
The only saving grace is that he did not have sex with the bar woman/landlady, as the "do it with an ugly woman" first.Seriously, one of the worst films I have ever seen.
Because I pity the kids, or even young adults, who see it, and think this is the way to go about courting a woman.
This movie tried to make lessons on sex education funny, entertaining, and yet meaningful.
And if a teacher is still a virgin then he should be a student of sex ed himself.To top it off he has an opportunity to have sex with a really hot Latina towards the end, and while it is not required that he does, the ended of "Im cool just as I am" comes off extremely cheesy.I had a hard time deciding if this film was for adults or trouble-some children.
I saw this off Netflix over the weekend, and, having seen Haley Joel Osment ("The Sixth Sense") in a few "grown-up" supporting roles in the past few years, I think this was the perfect first grown-up starring role for him.
He stars as a new teacher at an inner-city school who decides the students need a more realistic take on sexuality, and hence starts a sex-ed course.
I will say I liked HJO in this role, and there were things about this movie I liked, especially that rascal student "Leon" (I think was his name-??
Some of that is necessary in a story titled "Sex Ed", but just like using too much seasoning to spoil a good meal, this script overdoes its dirty language.If you had to cast a character who is nerdy and still a virgin it would be hard to make a better pick than Haley Joel Osment.
But that sparked his desire to begin a sex education class.Much of the story is Ed trying to come to grips with his virginity and find his own way with the women, while convincing parents that having sex education is a good thing, to let the kids learn the real science behind reproduction and STDs instead of learning the wrong things on the street.Anyone sensitive to lots of dirty dialog and description of sex acts should not watch this movie.
But for those who actually seek out that type of movie this one is probably very funny.