"CROSSROADS" (2002) (Britney Spears, Anson Mount) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None Moderate Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy None Moderate Heavy Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: A high school graduate and her estranged childhood friends travel across the country with a stranger, all hoping to find a certain form of happiness in their lives. PLOT: Lucy (BRITNEY SPEARS), Kit (ZOË SALDANA), and Mimi (TARYN MANNING) were once close childhood friends, but have since drifted apart, and are barely able to be civil to one another. Lucy is their class' valedictorian who thinks she missed out on social aspects of her high school life and wants to know more about her mother, Caroline (KIM CATTRALL), who left her and her hardworking father, Pete (DAN AYKROYD), long ago. Mimi, on the other hand, is self-proclaimed trailer trash who's now found herself pregnant, while Kit is a popular but self-absorbed girl who wants nothing to do with the other two. Despite that, and after Lucy aborts losing her virginity with her lab partner, Henry (JUSTIN LONG), on graduation night, the three meet out in a field where they buried a box containing their dreams back when they were ten. Its contents bring back fond memories and partially reunite the girls, but Mimi then announces that she's headed out to L.A. to audition for a singing contract. Lucy and Kit think that's a bad idea - particularly in her pregnant state - but nevertheless decide to go with her so that Kit can see her fiancée and Lucy can be dropped off in Arizona to track down her estranged mom. They're getting a ride from Ben (ANSON MOUNT), a mysterious hunk whom Kit and Mimi have heard reportedly spent time in prison for murdering someone. From that point on, the foursome departs Georgia for California on a cross country road trip where they learn about each other and themselves, become fast friends once again, and encounter some romance and heartache along the way. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Spears, they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual content and brief teen drinking. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BRITNEY SPEARS plays the valedictorian of her high school class who sets off, after nearly losing her virginity to her lab partner, on a cross-country trip with her former childhood friends and a stranger who's driving them. She sort of runs away from home, drinks to the point of being tipsy and believing she'll be sick, and eventually loses her virginity to a person she's only known a few days. ANSON MOUNT plays the stranger in the girls' lives who agrees to drive them across the country. He eventually sleeps with Lucy. ZOË SALDANA plays Lucy's self-absorbed former childhood friend who's now rather catty toward others (although she eventually comes around). TARYN MANNING plays their other former childhood friend who's self-proclaimed trailer trash and is pregnant from a guy who raped her after she had too much to drink. KIM CATTRALL plays Lucy's mom who abandoned her and Pete when Lucy was three and wants nothing to do with her. DAN AYKROYD plays Lucy's hardworking, single father who wants the best for his daughter. JUSTIN LONG plays Lucy's lab partner with whom she nearly loses her virginity. 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: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this teen drama that's been rated PG-13. An 18-year-old nearly loses her virginity to her lab partner (not for love, but just to get that out of the way) and is in bed with him (he in just his boxers, she in a skimpy bra and panties), but nothing ultimately happens. She does later have sex, however, with a guy she barely knows (the encounter takes place off camera). She's also seen in revealing attire in various other scenes where the camera also focuses on her shapely body more than once. Some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, as is some profanity consisting of various mild words and some colorful phrases (many of which also occur in various songs on the soundtrack). Some impressionable, young girls may be enticed to imitate what Britney Spears' character does in the film, which includes appearing scantily clad, losing her virginity and apparently drinking all night as she and another girl do in one scene (and then comment about possibly being sick later). Thematic issues include one of the teens being pregnant and partially recounting a story of being raped while drunk, a teen going to see her estranged mother who wants nothing to do with her, and a miscarriage. Meanwhile, various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while various characters throw a few punches at others, and a young, pregnant woman falls down a flight of stairs, resulting in miscarriage. Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the content contained within it. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People drink in a karaoke bar. Kit is happy to see that there's a mini-bar in their hotel room and she and Lucy then proceed to drink (apparently all night, as both are tipsy the next morning and Lucy makes some comments about her going to be sick later). Mimi recounts that the one time she got drunk, a guy offered to drive her home and then raped her. Kit's boyfriend and some woman have beer. BLOOD/GORE Mimi loudly belches. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The three girls initially don't get along with each other and have some bad attitudes toward each other as the story begins. Some guy Mimi went out with asks how her fetus is (she's pregnant), and she then complains that she's tired of being called a "ho." He then says he heard she let some guy "do you" in the backseat of a car over Christmas break. Lucy's mom (who ran off when Lucy was 3) wants nothing to do with her. Lucy essentially runs away from home at night (just leaving her father a note), and then hangs up on him on the phone when he's mad at what she's done. A guy begins pawing Lucy on the dance floor and won't stop when she objects. He then tries to throw a punch at Ben who intervenes. It turns out Kit's boyfriend is cheating on her and that he was the one who raped Mimi back when she was drunk one night. FRIGHTENING SCENES Some viewers might find a scene where Mimi recounts being drunk, accepting a ride from a stranger and then being raped as unsettling (but we don't see any of it). Mimi accidentally falls down a flight of stairs (and we then hear that she's lost her baby). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Hottie" (how Kit and others initially describe Ben), "Drop dead," "Ho" (whore), "Jerk," "Crappy," "Skank," "Loser," "Where the hell am I?" "Butt-hole," "Trailer trash," "Bitching," "Chicks" (women), "Jeez," "What the hell are you thinking?" "Nothing's biting my ass" and "Sucked." Some young girls may be enticed to imitate everything Britney's character does, such as singing, dancing around in her underwear, appearing with little clothing, etc. Mimi gives "the finger" to a guy after he asks, "Don't you want me?" In response, he suggestively flicks his tongue at her. Lucy wears various revealing outfits/clothing throughout the movie, some of which accentuate her bosom and/or show off various amounts of her bare midriff. Mimi loudly belches. We see that Ben has a large tattoo spanning his back. Lucy initially attempts to and later finally succeeds at losing her virginity. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A Madonna song has lyrics about the "burning desire in me," while a classic song played during a "lose our virginity" scene has the lyrics, "Let's get it on." A heavy metal song has lyrics about how you don't understand how I can just kill a man (played on the soundtrack as a joke based on the girls initially thinking Ben served time in prison for killing a man, which he didn't). Later, another song has the lyrics, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?" Another song has the repeated lyrics, "Shake your ass." PROFANITY There are several slang terms for sex (such as "do it" and "did you"), as well as at least 10 asses (some in songs), 6 damns, 5 hells (some in songs), 1 crap, 7 uses of "God," 4 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "My God" and "Oh Jesus" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY We see Lucy dancing around in her bedroom in what look like a small pair of men's briefs as well as a small camisole/halter top (both of which show off her figure). Mimi gives "the finger" to a guy after he asks, "Don't you want me?" In response, he suggestively flicks his tongue at her. Kit complains that Lucy is too much of a good girl and virginal. Lucy says she's not (a virgin) and Kit replies that she is (meaning Lucy). A friend of Kit's jokingly states that Kit's fiancée is in Los Angles "doing God knows what with God knows who." Lucy and Henry head up to a room after graduation and we then see him nervously sitting on the bed in just his boxers. As he starts a tape of a song that has the lyrics, "Let's get it on," she then comes out wearing a blazer that she then opens, briefly flashing her very small bra (which shows cleavage) and panties to him. She then takes off that top and he stares at her chest as she starts to take off her bra, but stops. She then states that this isn't how she hoped it would be and adds that maybe it would help if they got into bed. So, they partially get under the covers (with more views of her scantily clad body). She then has him read her the reasons they've decided to lose their virginity together (including that they've been lab partners for three years, that they're both 18 and have never "done it," and that they both want to "do it"). He then pleads for them just to "do it." They then awkwardly kiss, she giggles, he complains that she's ruining the mood, and she asks if he wants to spend the rest of his life thinking he did it for the first time with his lab partner (he says he does). He then asks if she knows what it's like for a guy to go to college as a virgin (that they're ostracized and treated like lepers). In the end, they don't have sex. Some guy Mimi went out with asks how her fetus is (she's pregnant), and she then complains that she's tired of being called a "ho." He then says he heard she let some guy "do you" in the backseat of a car over Christmas break. Kit shows some cleavage and complains about a motel they're staying in, saying it's a rent by the hour type place. We see Lucy in the shower (nothing explicit) and then see her out of it with just a towel around her. Lucy does somewhat of a sexy dance (and the camera occasionally focuses just on her body) as she sings a song on stage in front of others. The camera occasionally focuses on Lucy's clothed/partially clothed body. After Lucy and Kit have been drinking, we see them and Mimi giggling and Lucy saying that she has "seen one" (referring to a penis). Kit then asks her if she's ever touched one and Lucy embarrassedly giggles and hides her face and Kit then loudly exclaims that Lucy has. We see a fleshy part of Mimi's rear or leg (but can't tell which), as she claims something bit her on the butt and pulls her clothing part of the way down to show it to the others. Ben and Lucy briefly make out while seated at a piano. We see Lucy in a bikini top and small cut-off shorts at the beach. Back in their motel room, Ben and Lucy tell Kit and Mimi that they're too tired to go sightseeing, but do so to be alone. We then see them standing in front of the window where he removes his shirt and tank top. He then asks if she's sure and she says yes, and so removes her top (revealing her in a camisole) and the two passionately kiss (and he nuzzles her neck) as the camera then pans over to the sunset. Although we don't see anything else, it's implied that they have sex, and we do later see them in bed together at night under the sheets (with her in his shirt). A woman with Kit's boyfriend shows some cleavage. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Lucy's mom ran off when her daughter was just three and has had no contact with her or Pete since then. Lucy then sets off to find and meet her mom. When she does, the mother wants nothing to do with her and Lucy is briefly shattered (and thinks she was just a mistake). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Losing one's virginity (Lucy attempts to do that with Henry just to get it out of the way, and eventually does so with Ben). How childhood friends can grow apart. Teen pregnancy (Mimi is pregnant). Rape (we hear that Mimi was raped while drunk, and she later tries to blow it off by saying that it's no big deal and that it happens to girls all of the time). Accepting a ride with a stranger (that's what the 3 girls do with Ben) and staying in a seedy motel with him (Mimi sleeps in the same bed with him, but nothing sexual happens). Lucy's choice about what to do with her life. VIOLENCE Mimi punches a guy in the face for making a disparaging comment about her. Mimi and Kit get into a brief pushing match and Lucy must separate them. A guy begins pawing Lucy on the dance floor and won't stop when she objects. He then tries to throw a punch at Ben who intervenes, but Ben avoids that and then hits the guy, knocking him to the floor. Kit punches her boyfriend for cheating on her. Mimi accidentally falls down a flight of stairs (and we then hear that she's lost her baby). Reviewed February 12, 2002 / Posted February 15, 2002

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