Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence
Directed by David Gordon Green (Snow Angels, George Washington)
Starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny R. McBride, Gary Cole, and Rosie Perez
Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a lazy court-process clerk who is a complete loser and stoner. He has only one reason to visit his equally lazy dealer Saul Silver (James Franco): to purchase marijuana, and more specifically, a rare new strain called Pineapple Express. But when Dale becomes the only witness to a murder by a crooked cop and the city's most dangerous drug lord, he panics and dumps his roach of Pineapple Express at the scene. Dale now has another reason to visit Saul: to find out if the marijuana is so rare that it can be traced back to him–and it is. As Dale and Saul run for their lives, they quickly discover that they're not suffering from weed-fueled paranoia: incredibly, the bad guys really are hot on their trail and trying to figure out the fastest way to kill them both.
If after reading that synopsis you have any questions, let me be real clear: there is nothing about this movie that would ever allow me to recommend it. It is complete crap. Do not waste your time or brain cells.
The saddest thing for me is hearing many of my students saying that they either have or want to see this one. Other than being more aware of what teenagers have seen, I can not think of any value is watching Pineapple Express.
It’s a “Coaster” for sure.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Not at all.
Side Note:
As said above, we recommend you skip this film–it’s a “coaster.” But on the occasion that your teen actually has 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?
