Rated PG-13 for language, crude and sex-related humor, and some drug references.
Directed by Frank Coraci (The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer)
Starring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Haselhoff…
Let me be clear. Don't let your teenagers see this film.
This film could have been so much—a creative “A Christmas Carol” of sorts. Unfortunately, the film sold out to typical Sandler-of-late crassness. So creativity took back seat to vulgarity.
Was it funny? I guess. There are some funny gags… you saw the really funny ones in the previews.
Good overall message? Sure… just like Wedding Crashers (cynicism implied). There might be a lesson underneath all the filth (and the ending of the film was actually pretty well written).
But…
WOW! PG-13 progressively amazes me. Let me be crystal clear: Do NOT let the kids see this film. Actually… don’t let the adults see this film.
Why?
Glad you asked.
1. Is it okay to have a couple dirty jokes in a film? Maybe just a crude scene or two?
How many?
How about 5? What about 10? Is there a limit? Is 20 too many? What about double that?
I don’t want to start sounding like some whiny preacher with big hair… but I actually started counting the crude humor and raunchy jokes in this film. (I’m not talking about an occasional fart joke- although there were several of those… I’m talking penis jokes, vagina jokes, boob jokes, implied sex, the shadow of two people having sex and a dog jumping on them and beginning to hump the guy… need I go on?) The movie averaged one of these raunchy elements every two and a half minutes. That doesn’t include the language.
2. Have you ever wondered if a bad attitude is contagious? Think about it for a second. If we sit our kids down in front of one of their favorite comedians (Adam Sandler has been one of the biggest regular Teen Choice Award winners) and let them soak in his attitude for 107 minutes… do you think it will effect them? How many times do you think it will take our kids watching Adam Sandler solve his problems with vulgarity and insults before our kids start adopting this attitude themselves?
I think the sad fact is that most kids are numb to this and probably don’t even think twice about it.
Parents… don’t sell out. Don’t let your kids watch this, or the “Scary Movies” or “The Date Movie” or any of the other R rated trash hiding under the masquerade of PG-13.
Skip this one.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
