Bad Education
HBO (2019), Carol Schweitzer
“HBO’s ‘Bad Education’ is one of the best movies of 2020 – with a perfect story for our times.”
— Ani Bundel, NBC News
Description
“The beloved superintendent of New York's Roslyn school district and his staff, friends and relatives become the prime suspects in the unfolding of the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in American history.”
Accolades
2020 Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie
2020 Gold Derby Awards Best TV movie
Hollywood Critics association Best Adapted Screenplay
On Bad Education - Interview with Stephanie Kurtzuba for Sound and Soul
“First, you worked on a film called Bad Education, reuniting with Hugh Jackman– who you had previously worked with on stage.”
“I had. Yeah, he’s an exceptionally lovely man. In fact, I hadn’t seen him in upwards of 15 years. And then we started the film. And I thought, “There’s no way… You know this man is a SUPERSTAR. He’s not going to remember who the heck I am!” And he came up to me, and of course, I was a blonde back then, and now I’m a redhead. So he came up to me said, “Hi, I’m Hugh.” And I said, Hi, “I’m Stephanie.” And he went, “KURTZUBA!” And he threw his arms around me! I mean, talk about feeling good. When Wolverine remembers your name. Yeah, that’s cool.”
“So what is your role in that film?”
“I play a sort of tiger mom. I have a couple of great scenes with Hugh and believe it or not with my actual biological son, who is not an actor, but ended up with a part in the film by the stroke of genius of the casting directors who know me from my Scorsese work. They said, “We’re having trouble casting this kid. Do you think either of your kids might want to audition because they’re age-appropriate?” And I’ll be damned if my son didn’t say, “Okay, I’ll try.” And of course, he was great, because he has no interest in doing it– so he doesn’t care as opposed to me who’s always trying to get it right. And I had this amazing experience with him on set. It was like a time capsule in our life and relationship because we shot it last November, it just debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, and was bought by HBO. So it’s gonna be on TV soon. But my kid doesn’t look the same. He looks completely different in less than a year.”
Stephanie’s Thoughts
“I knew this film was special from the moment I read the script. At my my audition, I felt it. Watching Cory Finley direct, I felt it. Filming scenes with Hugh Jackman and my actual, real life son, (playing my onscreen son!) I felt it.
But it was the very last day of filming, when I watched Hugh and Cory playing hackysack with my kid between takes, that I knew everyone else was going to feel it too.”