Rated PG-13 for sexual and crude content throughout, language, some violence and a drug reference
Directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum and Pink Panther)
Starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey
Steve Carell and Tina Fey…yeah it’s Theater Worthy.
Phil and Claire Foster have been married for several years. Their days now consists of taking care of their children, going to work, coming home and going to bed. But when they go out on a much needed date night, Phil decides to do something different. So they go into the city and try to get into the most popular restaurant. But without reservations they don’t have a chance. That’s when Phil decides to take the reservation of a couple who doesn't show up. That’s when everything unravels and they have a night they will never forget.
I love Steve Carell and Tina Fey. In fact my Thursday nights during the summer without The Office and 30 Rock are sad and empty. Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration, but they are two of the funniest people on the planet. And they are hilarious in Date Night.
The story is very funny…especially if you are married. Sure they take everything to the extreme, but there is a lot of truth in those jokes. What married couple hasn’t had the “What do you want to do?”, “I don’t care, what do you want to do?” conversation? But I know the next time my wife asks me that – I’m coming up with a good answer. Once you see this one, you’ll come up with a good answer too.
One of the biggest surprises is Mark Walberg. He’s involved in some of the film's funniest scenes. Like watching Steve Carell and Tina Fey react to him when he answers the door without his shirt. Funny stuff!
The whole thing is funny and there is the great “date your spouse” message which I completely loved…it’s a Theater Worthy date night movie!
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I hate that they went into a strip club – this could have been a hilarious PG movie. Instead they threw in too much language, crude sexual content and some violence.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What are the messages (or the message) of this movie?
A: The big point behind this movie is “making memories together because you love each other.” That’s definitely a great idea, but this movie also comes with a warning: some of the memories you make together aren’t all that awesome. Phil and Claire learn that lesson the hard way through lots of (comically) dangerous situations they got themselves into throughout the movie.
Q: How should we react as Christians?
A: There were a number of mistakes Phil and Claire made that we should avoid:
- Ummm…don’t take someone else’s reservations at a nice restaurant…cause they might be criminals!
- Don’t flirt with other people…especially in front of your spouse. On that note, don’t impersonate a pimp and a prostitute, either.
- Most importantly, don’t let your marriage or relationship fall into a rut.
But, there are several things they did right:
- We should make those we love a priority.
- We should try to give them our very best.
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: We should definitely do all we can to continually grow in love together. Phil and Claire new they had to make some changes when they realized their marriage had become mundane.
As people living in a God-centered family, we must always remember to put Him first. He absolutely has to be the center of our lives, together.
Further, we should do our best to love and enjoy one another. If that means we carve out one night a week, or one morning each week to focus on each other, then that’s what we must do. Perhaps we make it a routine to make waffles every Saturday morning. Or perhaps Thursdays are family adventure nights.
The point is not that we have to spend a lot of money – or get shot at – to renew our love for each other, it’s that we do all we can to protect our love from becoming dull.
