Bad Education 2019

Movie · 108 min · English · September 8, 2019

Directed by Cory FinleyWritten by Mike Makowsky

Starring Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Alex Wolff, Rafael Casal

A 2019 American crime drama film, Bad Education was directed by Cory Finley and written by Mike Makowsky. The movie is adapted from the 2004 New York magazine article "The Bad Superintendent" by Robert Kolker, recounting the real-life case of the biggest public school financial fraud in U.S. history. Starring an ensemble cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Alex Wolff, Rafael Casal, Stephen Spinella, Annaleigh Ashford, and Ray Romano, it unfolds in the Long Island town of Roslyn during early 2000s.

The story centers on school district superintendent Dr. Frank Tassone, played by Jackman, and his assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin, portrayed by Janney. Together, they misappropriated millions from their affluent public school system and tried to conceal the theft. Screenwriter Makowsky had a brief encounter with Tassone as a youth prior to the scandal and graduated from Roslyn High School in the late 2000s.

Bad Education debuted worldwide on September 8, 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival, later airing on HBO on April 25, 2020. Critics responded positively, especially praising Makowsky’s screenplay, Finley's direction, and the acting of Jackman and Janney. The film earned the Outstanding Television Movie award at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, with Jackman also receiving a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.