The principal (Marcia Gay Harden) is being fired, and her faculty (Christina Hendricks, Blythe Danner, William Petersen, Lucy Liu, James Caan) look hollowed out and spent.
Amid the overkill, there are scenes of a sudden and startling beauty, and the impotent ranks of teachers are played by a cast of surprising (if underused) power, including Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, Blythe Danner, William Petersen, Lucy Liu, a tweedy Tim Blake Nelson, and, best of all, James Caan.