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"JUDY BERLIN"
(1999) (Edie Falco, Aaron Harnick) (Not Rated)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
None None Mild None None
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor None None None Heavy
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Minor Minor Mild Mild Minor


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: The residents of a small town cope with their personal crises as a total solar eclipse engulfs them in complete midday darkness.
PLOT:
Judy Berlin (EDIE FALCO) is an aspiring actress who wants to make it in show business. The only problem is that she lives in Babylon, Long Island and the only acting gig she can find is that in a tourist-based, historical reenactment. Naturally, she's decided to move to Los Angeles.

On the other hand, 30-year-old David Gold (AARON HARNICK) has returned to Babylon after a failed attempt at filmmaking in California. Now living with his parents - Arthur (BOB DISHY), the local principal, and Alice (MADELINE KAHN), a bored and introspective housewife - David must not only deal with his failure, but also repeated encounters with former classmates, such as Eddie Dillon (MARCUS GIAMATTI) and eventually Judy, who believe he's still a filmmaker.

Meanwhile, Arthur must contend with one of his former and now senile teachers, Dolores Engler (BETTE HENRITZE), as well as a current one, Sue Berlin (BARBARA BARRIE), who's seemingly enamored with him, but emotionally distant with Judy, her daughter. As a prolonged total solar eclipse engulfs Babylon in eerie, midday darkness, the small town's residents cope with their various personal crises.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or of small, independent films, it's highly unlikely.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: Not Rated
As of this writing, the film had not been submitted to the MPAA for a rating review. If it had been, it would have received an R for profanity.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • EDIE FALCO plays an aspiring actress who uses some strong profanity.
  • AAARON HARNICK plays a disillusioned young man who's returned home a failure. As a result, he mopes around a bit and also briefly uses strong profanity.
  • BOB DISHY plays his father, the local principal, who nearly has an affair with one of his teachers (they kiss once, but that's it).
  • MADELINE KAHN plays his wife, a homemaker who's bored out of her mind and is thus fascinated by the prolonged, midday solar eclipse.
  • BARBARA BARRIE plays the schoolteacher who nearly has an affair with Arthur when not being upset about her class and/or her somewhat estranged daughter.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Here's a brief look at the content found in this non-rated drama. Profanity is rated as heavy due to at least 5 uses of the "f" word, while an assortment of other profanities and colorful phrases are also used. Beyond that, a few bad attitudes (including something approaching the beginning of an aborted affair), some brief family strife, and one non-explicit sexually related comment, the rest of the film is void of any other major objectionable content.

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • None.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • None.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • After thinking about it for a while, Arthur (who's married) returns to school and plants a kiss on Sue (she seemingly wanted him to do just that), but nothing else happens between them as they realize it's a mistake and/or won't work.
  • Although he's being truthful and accurate in his assessment, some may see David as having both for telling Judy that she doesn't have a chance at succeeding in the acting business in Hollywood.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • None.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • None.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "I don't give a sh*t," "Sh*tload," "Jeez," "Wise ass" and "Pissing."
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 5 "f" words, 12 "s" words, 5 asses (4 used with "hole"), 3 hells, 1 crap, 5 uses of "Oh my God," 4 of "God," 2 each of "Oh God," "Oh Jesus" and "Swear to God," and 1 incomplete use of "For Christ's sakes" are used as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Two women talk about a dream one of them had and one mentions that a horse that appeared in it "was sexual, right?"
  • SMOKING
  • Judy's co-worker briefly smokes once.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Judy and her mom have a strained relationship and Judy mentions that her parents divorced when she was five.
  • Arthur isn't too happy that David has returned home (at age 30) and has been moping around the place for a month.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Senility.
  • The symbolism of the elongated and total solar eclipse.
  • Life in the suburbs and how people react differently to the thought of that.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Not quite in her mind, Dolores smacks Sue in front of her students.



  • Reviewed February 14, 2000 / Posted February 25, 2000

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