Mr. Baker

Mr. Baker (forename unknown) is a cameo character who appears in Scream 4 (2011 film). He was the English teacher of Jill Roberts, Olivia Morris, Kirby Reed, Robbie Mercer and Charlie Walker at Woodsboro High School.

In class, he gives an essay "due Tuesday" on why "Woodsboro is the best place..." before being cut off. The background reveals he has also asked his class to read Othello, Chapter III.

It is unknown whether he continued to teach amid the 2022 Legacy Murders.

He was portrayed by John Lepard.

Biography[]

The Woodsboro Massacre Remake (2011)[]

On the 15th anniversary of the original Woodsboro Murders, he complains of the students all having their mobile phones on. However, it is revealed that two Woodsboro High students, Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper, were murdered the previous night. He expresses shock over this. One of his students, Olivia Morris reports this information to him, who is killed later that night.

As soon as the information is reported, he looks outside the window of his classroom, to see the media commotion surrounding the murders. The events transpired are referred to as the Woodsboro Massacre Remake.

The killers are soon identified to be two of his other students, who sit next to each other in his English class, Charlie Walker and Jill Roberts.

It is unknown how Mr. Baker reacted to the information, or whether he still teaches at Woodsboro High during the 26th anniversary Woodsboro Legacy Murders (2022; continuity error).

Easter Eggs[]

• A poster for "The Tyger" featuring some lines from the poem appears. This is a sister poem to "The Lamb". The lamb and tiger are both are creations of God. Poet William Blake presents the former as the innocent side of God and the latter as God’s destructive side. So, to create a balanced picture of the world, William Blake penned down these poems.
  • The central image of this piece is that of a tiger roaming steadily and silently in the dark forests of the night. It remains constant throughout the poem. This is a metaphor for Jill Roberts, a tiger who acts as a lamb, roaming steadily and silently through her destruction.
• Another clue in the English classroom is lines from Macbeth appearing above the chalkboard: 'I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee: no way but this; Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. All is not what it seems", by the witches. This is the first indication that what we believe to be a conventional remake is to be subverted.
• The most obvious clue is the assignment to read Othello. Othello maintains that he was not someone who was easily made jealous, but when he was worked (‘wrought’, i.e., by Iago) into a state of jealousy, he became bewildered and distracted to an extreme degree (‘perplex’d’ here means not just ‘puzzled’, the modern sense, but also ‘distracted’). Othello became fixated on Desdemona’s possible infidelity. This is a literary reference to Jill and Trevor.
• Chapter III of Othello also focuses on Lago's manipulative ways, who is often regarded as a psychopath in disguise. He uses deception and manipulation in the chapter to convince Othello to be suspicious of his wife having an affair.
• The line "fair is foul and foul is fair" can be seen as a reference to Jill's "sick is the new sane". It technically means that all is not what it seems. What seems good and trustworthy is actually not; what might seem repugnant is actually good. The witches are foretelling the treachery of Macbeth, who will commit treason by killing the king.

Quotes[]

Official release[]

• "Anything with an 'Off' switch should be off."
• "What?" (In response to learning Jenny and Marnie were killed).

Screenplay/Drafts by Kevin Williamson (non-canon)[]

• "Look, I'm being framed. It's obvious." (To Sheriff Dewey Riley and Gale Riley)
• "I could make a list. I'm an asshole. Ask anyone of my students." (To Sheriff Riley)
• "This is crazy. Somebody put those things in my car."

About Mr. Baker (non-canon; from early drafts)[]

• By Gale: "He didn't do it."
• Dewey: "How can you tell? The evidence is overwhelming?"
• Gale in response: "Because the evidence is overwhelming. Would you leave three cell phones, a mask and a bloody knife in your trunk?"
• "I think I should speak to a lawyer before this gets any further."
• Could I play devil’s advocate for a moment? Maybe he never thought we’d look in the trunk. Maybe he didn’t have time to dispose of the evidence. Maybe he’s stupid." (By Judy)
• "We should have guessed Baker. He was too quiet. Repressed mommy issues." (By Kirby)

Trivia[]

• He is addressed as "Mr. Baker" in both the chalkboard behind him, as well as the credits.
• Described as "MR. BAKER, 30’s, studious, no-nonsense type, standing behind them (Jill and Trevor)." in an early script. He is much older in his casting.
• The subplot of Sidney Prescott being forced to stay in Woodsboro, after the murders of Jenny Randall and Olivia Morris was originally supposed to be Mr. Baker's arc. It occurs later in the film, somewhere in the screenplay's second act, as the kids discuss it at Kirby's house. It was cut for timing and pacing reasons.
  • In the early script, Sidney and Jill, while estranged, had somewhat of a closeness between them, and she immediately decided to stay with Kate Roberts at her home on principle of simply being family. In the final screenplay, Sidney is given Mr. Baker's framing subplot to explain why she is hemmed in with her estranged maternal family. It is unclear where her father, Neil is, though he has clearly left Woodsboro. (A deleted scene reveals he died, though this is non-canon).

Character Guide[]