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CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

WOODY ALLEN plays a middle-aged man who uses confidential psychiatric patient information to lie to and eventually bed a married woman.

DREW BARRYMORE plays a young upper-middle class engaged woman who falls for the animal qualities of an ex-con.

NATASHA LYONNE plays a young woman who falls for every attractive guy she meets week after week.

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

OUR TAKE: 7 out of 10

Viewers who long for the days of yesteryear when old-fashioned musicals dominated the scene will love this movie. Feeling and sounding like it was made in the 30's or 40's, this is a funny and enjoyable film. While it's always been amusing to see characters suddenly drop everything and start singing no matter what the occasion or emotion, here it's played to a full tilt. When it happens, the film not only pays homage to the genre, but it also makes fun of it at the same time. When characters drop into a song and superfluous extras dance and tap their way on screen, the audience is in on the joke and that makes it even that much funnier. While it's hard to say which actors or actresses are actually doing their own singing, the lip-synching is rough at times as are some of the paper-thin vocals. Still, the staging of the musical numbers is fun and sure to please the audience. Beyond the musical aspect, this is a standard Woody Allen movie with Allen playing his usual character and Norton getting to play a young version of him (complete with similar mannerisms and line delivery). The other performances are good, even though some of them are scattered about, and there are probably a few too many characters with subplots that never are developed enough or resolved. The production, however, will win over audiences looking for a modern movie with an old-fashioned appeal. We give it a 7 out of 10.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Beyond a song that contains one instance of both the "f" and "s" words, there isn't a great deal else to object to is this film. There are some sexually related discussions, but the "worst" of it is Ferry telling Sklar how he'd make love to her in various places, and while Joe and Von have sex, it happens off camera. There is some drinking, a little smoking, and a shootout between the police and some bad guys that's played out in a light hearted fashion. While younger kids probably won't want to see this production, we suggest that you read the category scene listings to determine if this movie is appropriate for you and your family.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

People drink wine and cocktails at one of Steffi’s receptions.

Steffi and Bob pour Joe some wine as he laments about his love life.

It’s mentioned that one of Joe’s former girlfriends was a heroin addict.

Skylar and Holden have wine with dinner.

People drink wine at a party.

DJ nervously jokes about being with the Colombian Cartel and dealing cocaine when she meets a stranger at the airport luggage carousel (she’s obviously joking).

Ferry has vodka at Steffi’s birthday party while others drink wine.

DJ drinks a beer at a rap concert.

Steffi and others drink champagne at a party.

BLOOD/GORE

None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Teenage girls look and listen through a hole in the wall and observe patients during one of their mother’s psychiatric sessions with patients.

It’s from the above that Joe is given information by daughter DJ about Von and he uses that to gain her affection (ie. he lies about who he is and what he likes to gain her affection).

Von has an affair with Joe, and he pursues and beds her even though she's married.

Ferry comes on to Skylar, kisses her and paws at her body.

Some viewers may be offended when Bob says that since "God’s done such a lousy job" (about how things have turned out), maybe there should be a class action lawsuit filed against Him.

Some viewers may be offended when Scott's Republican stances are attributed to a clogged artery that prevented enough blood from going to his brain and clouded his judgement.

Ferry and his two thug friends rob a corner grocery store.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

None.

GUNS/WEAPONS

It’s mentioned by Scott that Ferry used a gun during a crime.

Handguns: Fired by Ferry and his two thug friends at police who shoot back at them after they rob a store at gunpoint.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Idiot," "Twit," "Snook," and "Shut up."

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

A song contains the "f" word (used with "mother") along with 1 use of the "s" word. There is another song, "Making Whoopee" where nothing worse than the phrase "making whoopee" is said.

PROFANITY

1 "f" word (used with "mother"), 1 "s" word, 1 slang term for breast ("tit," but said referring to a man), 4 hells, 1 ass, and 11 uses of "Oh my God," 2 uses of "God," and 1 use each of "My God" and "Oh God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Von has fantasies about other men (although she's married).

Joe mentions that his current girlfriend uttered another man’s name during "the climax" while they "were making love."

It’s said that one of Joe’s previous girlfriends was a nymphomaniac.

DJ says she won’t marry as young as Skylar and will probably wait until she’s thirty- five. "Even then" she says "I'll probably move in with a woman."

There’s the song "making whoopee" performed during a hospital scene, but the worst is just the phrase "making whoopee."

Ferry tells Skylar that she has "very sensual lips" and somewhat paws at her body. He then tells her "If you were my girl, I’d make love to you in every room in the house. On every bed. On every rug. On every table top." He then says that the only kissing practice he got while in prison was with another guy.

Von tells her psychiatrist that in a dream she nearly "had an orgasm" in bed while a guy was kissing her ear lobes and stroking her back.

Von and Joe have sex (not seen) and Von is seen wrapped only in a sheet.

Steffi refers to a specific time in the past when she and Joe "made love."

SMOKING

People smoke at a party.

At a Groucho Marx party, Joe has an unlit cigar in his mouth and Steffi has a fake one.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Joe and Steffi are divorced with one daughter who’s in her late teens/early twenties.

Joe isn’t happy when DJ announces she’s marrying a gondolier that she’s only known for a week while in Europe.

Bob and Steffi have a fit when they learn that Skylar has dumped Holden for Ferry.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Whether the stars really did their own singing.

VIOLENCE

Ferry talks about how in prison you have to be ready to stick your blade (knife) into anyone who comes after you. Later he talks about "icing a guard," where one comes up and rips out the guard's carotid artery.

Ferry and his two thug friends rob a corner grocery store and one of them fires his gun back into the store. Later, the police are seen chasing them and shots are fired back and forth between the cars (presented in a light comic fashion), but no one is hurt.