Rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity.
Directed by Peyton Reed (The Break-Up)
Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper
Just say yes…especially to Yes Man.
Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a bank loan manager, who gets lots of practice at saying no. When someone comes in asking for money, he says no. When his elderly neighbor asks him if he'd like some breakfast, it’s a no again. And when his boss invites him to a “funny hat and/or wig party,” you guessed it… NO. He never goes out, he avoids his friends and he is certainly not living life. All that changes when he is invited to the “Just Say Yes” self-help seminar and is “forced” into a covenant with himself. He must answer yes to every opportunity that presents itself, no matter what it is.
Not since Tommy Boy have I laughed so hard that I actually had to pause the movie to catch my breath… now that’s funny!! Jim Carrey is “Liar, Liar” funny with some great lines and the perfect amount of physical comedy. Allison (Zooey Deschanel) provides a great balance to the film, and to Carl, as well.
I really enjoyed the story too. “When you say yes, you embrace the possible.” That’s the line from motivation speaker and it’s so true. We see Carl do some very fun and exciting things like: bungee jumping, learning how to fly a plane and taking spontaneous vacations to wherever the next plane is flying to. We also see him do self sacrificing things like: giving a homeless man a ride and money, installing shelves for his elderly neighbor and volunteering at a soup kitchen, all through the magic of yes.
Of course, there is the moral downside. Carl realizes that saying yes to everything can lead to just as many problems as saying no. At one point his friend Peter tells him, “There is a middle ground here, Carl,” and by the end he seems to have gotten closer to creating a few healthy boundaries. Everything in moderation… sound familiar?
Yes Man is all about living our lives to the fullest. And that is, in some respects, a great message. I understand that we live in a culture of over-indulgence and the last thing we need is everyone running around saying yes to everything. When it was all said and done I walked away thinking that the makers of this film are warning us about dangers of not living life AND about the dangers of living life without thought of consequences.
In the beginning of the film, Carl barely was living life and then goes to the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. Once there, he realizes that thoughtless actions have pretty serve consequences as well. Hopefully by the time the credits roll you will be inspired to thoughtfully say yes and try something new.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
It’s a definite NO for younger kids and I agree with the PG-13 rating. There are a few scenes that I wish weren’t there. The sex scene between Carl and his elderly neighbor was disgusting on several levels–too bad because the rest of the film’s not that bad.
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?
