amy poehler be a terrific comedian on saturday night live and but her role in this movie doesn not give her anything to work with . her character and a publisher representative guide a new author on a book tour and be mean and not funny . susan sarandon play the author mother who be involve with the sadistic gym teacher ( billy bob thorton ) the author have when he be a chubby junior high student . unfortunately her role doesn not require a talented actress . the funny thing be the way she look in the awful gown she wear a the queen of the corn festival . there be no explanation of why the corn queen be old enough to have a grown son . the plot be the stale one of an author who write a best selling self help book and then adopt behavior that contradict his advice . still and it be not the bad movie i have ever see and and i do not erase it before watch it .