Rated PG-13
Directed by Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Anna and the King, Ever After, Fools Rush In)
Starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes
Hitch is currently my favorite “date flick” of 2005.
The synopsis is this: Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith) is a legendary—and deliberately anonymous—New Your City “date doctor” who, for a fee, has helped countless men woo the women of their dreams.
While coaching Albert (Kevin James), a meek accountant who is smitten with a glamorous celebrity, Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta), Hitch finally meets his match in the person of the gorgeous, whip-smart Sara Melas (Eva Mendes), a gossip columnist who follows Allegra’s every move.
The ultimate professional bachelor, Hitch suddenly finds himself falling deliriously in love with Sara, a reporter whose biggest scoop could very well be the unmasking of Manhattan’s most famous date doctor.
Most of you have seen the previews by now, and no, they don’t ruin the film. There’s plenty more. Actors Kevin James and Will Smith both have plenty of good moments. The film is packed with humor, enough to keep you laughing all the way home.
One thing audiences like to see every once in a while is a likable character. Realism is good, but so many movies that reach for realism just become dark. Hitch provides a fun lead character that Will Smith pulls off as fun, likable, real . . . and, if you believe this, a good guy!
The film also delivers a few deep moments, combining humor and heart. You won’t be disappointed.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Little kids won’t get much of the humor. And a lot of the content is about dating and sexuality. There is a scene or two in a “pick up” atmosphere where characters talk about “taking someone home” with them. Profanity- it didn’t seem like a lot, but I wasn’t in the theatre with my kids. The film has 1 “F” word, 2 “Sh” words, a variety of sexual terms . . . I wouldn’t have wanted my kids to see it.
There is no sex or nudity, but several scenes where sex was implied: couples waking up in the morning kissing, comments from guys about “banging her” and “grabbing ass,” and comments from a girl like “I haven’t been ridden in months.”
So was the film raunchy? No—especially compared to the films it shared theatre time with such as Meet the Fockers. Most of Hitch centers around how to “woo” the girl of your dreams. Hitch even refuses to work with a potential client who just wants to “get a girl in bed.” I remember nodding my head in one scene and thinking, “this is what the world thinks dating is all about: the sex!” I thought the film might head that direction. But I was wrong. The film’s message isn’t that at all. The film preaches “being yourself” and meeting the other person’s felt needs. You’ll laugh at how simple some of the “date-doctors” concepts are: “Actually LISTEN to her. Don’t just look at her body!”
So if you’ve got a significant other . . . watch this film together on “date night.” If you don’t have someone . . . watch it and take notes during the entire film.
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?
