Pathetic Teacher

Pathetic Teacher (哀れな先生) is a 2008 El Kadsreian independent comedy film directed by Hiroaki Machiyama from a screenplay by Sung Gim. Starring Kim Gonzalez, Aoi Hikaru, Mary Jenalay, Joseph Dee Romans and Russell Brown, the film tells the story of a lazy middle school teacher who hates her job, her students, and her co-workers who is forced to return to teaching to make enough money for breast implants after her wealthy fiancé dumps her.

Produced by Machiyama's production company Menokurage Pictures, Pathetic Teacher was released in El Kadsreian theaters by Troy-RC-Lenny Releasing on December 24, 2008, to positive reviews. Critics praised the performances, humor, tone, storyline and soundtrack. It grossed $337 million against a $25 million budget in the box office worldwide.

On the EACTA Awards, Pathetic Teacher was nominated for Best Comedy Film, Best Director for Machiyama, Best Actress for Gonzalez, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Sound.

Plot
Katherine Jones is a lazy, gold-digging El Kadsre City teacher at Waterlake High School who curses at her students, drinks heavily, smokes and shows movies to sleep through class. She plans to quit teaching and marry her wealthy fiancé, but he dumps her when his mother shows him that Jones is only after his money, so she resumes her job. She tries to win over wealthy substitute teacher Harvey Cheng. Her dedicated and enthusiastic colleague Shen Zhenya also pursues him while Jones rejects advances from the school's gym teacher, Cody Day.

Jones plans to have her breasts enlarged, and becomes more motivated to do so upon learning that Cheng's ex-girlfriend had large breasts. However, she cannot afford the $9,300 procedure. Jones attempts to raise money for the surgery through the 7th grade car wash, wearing provocative clothing and manipulating parents to give her money for more school supplies and tutoring, but her efforts are not enough. Shen informs principal Nathan Edwin about Jones' embezzlement, but he dismisses her claims when no evidence is provided. Cheng also admits that he is attracted to Shen and only views Jones as a friend.

Discovering that the teacher of the class with the highest state test scores will receive a $5,700 bonus, Jones decides to change her style of teaching, forcing the class to intensely study for the test. However, the change is too late. The students score low on the book quizzes, further frustrating her. Meanwhile, she befriends Day, as Shen and Cheng start dating.

Jones plans to steal the state test answers by impersonating a journalist and seducing Tommy Dawson, a state professor in charge of creating and distributing the exams. She convinces Dawson to go into his office to have sex, but drugs him and steals the answer key. A month later, Jones wins the bonus, completing her needed funds and books her breast enlargement.

When Jones learns that Shen and Cheng are chaperoning an upcoming field trip, she smears an apple with poison ivy and leaves it for Shen, who ends up with blisters covering her face and cannot go. On the trip, Jones seduces Cheng. They dry hump and Jones secretly leaves Shen a message through Cheng's phone, recording all the action. However, Cheng's ever-changing ideals disappoint Jones. After her student Caden Carpenter is taunted by his classmates for confessing to an unrequited attraction to a superficial girl in the class named Summer Benson, Jones consoles him, and this prompts her to begin reflecting on her own superficial ways.

Back at the school, Shen switches Jones' desk with her own to trick the janitor into unlocking the latter's sealed drawer. The evidence Shen finds leads her to suspect Jones cheated on the state exam. Shen informs the principal and gets Dawson to testify against her. However, Jones took embarrassing photos of Dawson while he was drugged and uses them to blackmail him to say she is innocent. Having been informed that her desk was switched, Jones states that teachers in the school use drugs. When the police bring a sniffer dog to search the school, they find Jones' mini liquor bottles, marijuana and OxyContin pills in Shen's classroom, in Jones' desk. Shen is transferred to another school by the superintendent. Cheng asks Jones to start over, but she rejects him in favor of Day, having learned they have a lot in common.

When the new school year starts, Jones has reformed. She is kinder to her co-workers, has started a relationship with Day, and did not get her breasts enlarged because she feels that it is unnecessary. Jones also has a new position as the new guidance counselor.

Cast

 * Kim Gonzalez as Katherine Jones, a lazy, gold-digging and drug-abusing teacher
 * Aoi Hikaru as Harvey Cheng, a wealthy substitute teacher whom Jones likes
 * Mary Jenalay as Shen Zhenya, a spiteful and neurotic YinYangian teacher who wants Jones fired and arrested
 * Russell Brown as Cody Day, a gym teacher who is smitten with Jones
 * Sarah Rainer as Adrianna Crosby, Jones' best friend, co-worker and fellow teacher
 * Joseph Dee Romans as Principal Nathan Edwin, the principal
 * Akira Yamaguchi as Tomomichi Yokoyama, a teacher and singer
 * Ben Gia Tran as Mr. Trần Gia Nghị
 * Jedidiah Cudby as Caden Carpenter, a lovestruck boy
 * Kaylyn Phelps as Mia Hill, a student who seems to idolize Jones
 * Deborah Burgess as Summer Benson, a popular, superficial student and the object of Garrett's affection
 * Virginia Gutierrez as Courtney Carpenter, Caden's mother who invites Jones to spend Christmas with her family
 * Halil Endrit Pjetër Behar Gumar as Nicolas, Jones' roommate
 * Kjartan Salberg as Kristofer, one of Jones' students who frequently bullies Caden
 * JoJoJo as Denise, one of Jones' students
 * Świętopełk Wrzesiński as Tommy Dawson, an educator who gets seduced and blackmailed by Elizabeth
 * Giada Torres Kaufman as janitor at the school
 * Quinten Smithee as Corey Poole III, Jones' wealthy fiancé who dumps her at the beginning of the film
 * Tomoko Berger as Mrs. Poole, Poole's mother who convinces him to dump Jones
 * Eric V. James as Doctor Simpson, plastic surgeon
 * Kelly Sanchez as Ashley, a patient of Doctor Simpson with augmented breasts
 * Christopher Berger as father at carwash
 * Sienna Simpson as Mia's mother
 * Andrew Andrews as Gordon's father