Rated PG-13 for sexual content
Directed by Gary David Goldberg
Starring John Cusack, Diane Lane, and Elizabeth Perkins
Pretty good for a chick flick. But no, it’s not a film about animals; it’s about the “divorced” dating scene.
Meet Sarah (Diane Lane), 40 year old DWF (divorced white female) seeking love . . . and having one heck of a tough time finding it.
Meet Jake (John Cusack), 39 year old DWM, also hurt, also seeking love.
Both try an internet dating service and finally stumble on each other . . . and so the story begins.
My wife and I saw this together on a date and had a good laugh. Very enjoyable date flick—a good love story.
THE GOOD:
- Diane Lane and John Cusack are great. Very believable—they play their own age.
- Romance lovers will enjoy the film in the same way they loved When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle.
- Sarah’s “loser” dates are very funny; great montages.
- Amusing and deep simultaneously. Not every film can pull it off. It’s no James L. Brooks film (Spanglish, As Good as it Gets) but it pulls it off.
THE BAD:
- Typical modern day ethics. People sleep together on first or second dates (implied), sex is okay if you use a condom, gay is okay, people can fall out of love . . . a lot implied that our kids definitely pick up on.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT:First, read “THE BAD” above. I think your answer will be “no” after reading that. But, in addition, kids would be bored. This film is about relationships. It’s a talking film. Kids wouldn’t understand most of it.
Cussing consists of 1 “s***”, 6 slang terms for sex (“nailed,” “closing the sale,” etc.), 3 for breasts, 4 asses, then a few other mild words.
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?
