Bad Education

(2019)

Synopsis

HBO Films presents Bad Education, a dark comedy based on the unbelievable true story of the Roslyn, NY school district financial scandal that grabbed headlines in the early 2000s. Directed by Cory Finley and written by Mike Makowsky, the film stars Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney as the superintendent and business manager, respectively, of the Roslyn School District, who between them racked up over $11.2 million dollars in extravagant personal expenses – the biggest public-school embezzlement in American history. A charismatic and respected school veteran, Dr. Frank Tassone (Jackman) is initially shocked to learn that Pam Gluckin (Janney), his colleague and friend, has charged thousands of dollars to a school credit card for her home improvement projects. Though Tassone and school board president Bob Spicer (Ray Romano) quickly take action to minimize the fallout for the top- ranked district, an enterprising student journalist, Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan), investigates the story for the high school paper – eventually uncovering that Tassone misappropriated millions of dollars over a number of years to finance a double life. With razor-sharp wit and a dose of social commentary, Bad Education shows how the compulsion to keep up appearances can lead ordinary people to corruption and lies.

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano