"SERVING SARA" (2002) (Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Mild Heavy *Mild Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None Minor Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Mild Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A process server accepts his mark's counteroffer to serve her wealthy husband with divorce papers before he can do the same to her. PLOT: Joe Tyler (MATTHEW PERRY) is a process server whose job entails tracking down various people and delivering less than desirable official papers to them. Working for Ray Harris (CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER) and having to compete with co-worker Tony (VINCENT PASTORE) for such assignments, Joe hates his dead-end job. Even so, he agrees to serve divorce papers to Sara Moore (ELIZABETH HURLEY) from her husband, Gordon (BRUCE CAMPBELL), due to the $5,000 payout upon completion. It seems that the wealthy cattle rancher has found a new woman in the form of Kate (AMY ADAMS) and wants to make sure that his divorce proceedings take place in Texas where he's more likely to receive a favorable settlement and thus keep most of his money. After some difficulty in reaching Sara - due to Tony tipping her off and telling her to flee - Joe finally serves her the papers. Upon hearing of those settlement odds, Sara makes Joe a proposition. If he turns around and serves Gordon with her divorce papers instead, she'll give him a cut of her earnings in the form of one million dollars. He, of course, accepts the offer. When Ray gets wind of this, he sends Tony to deliver Sara her papers first, while Gordon calls in his henchman, Vernon (TERRY CREWS), to watch for Joe and prevent him from delivering his. With both process servers heading for Texas, it's a race to see who will be the first to complete their task. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Fans of Perry, Hurley or others in the cast might be enticed to see it, as might anyone looking for a goofy, action-oriented romantic comedy. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For crude humor, sexual content and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MATTHEW PERRY plays a process server who uses some profanity, occasionally smokes and goes to various extremes to serve people with their papers. He also makes his own wine and spouts various put-downs aimed at Tony. ELIZABETH HURLEY plays a woman who discovers that her husband wants to divorce her and keep as much settlement money away from her as possible. She then decides to turn the tables and serve him with such papers first. She also uses some profanity and flashes her bare breasts to a motel clerk in exchange for getting a free room. BRUCE CAMPBELL plays Sara's husband who's cheating on her, serves her with divorce papers and hopes to reduce how much money he'll have to pay her in settlement. CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER plays Joe's flamboyant boss who wants him or Tony to get the job done. He uses profanity. VINCENT PASTORE plays Joe's gruff coworker who actively attempts to sabotage his assignments so that he'll get more of them from Ray. He uses profanity. AMY ADAMS plays the young woman who's having an affair with Gordon. TERRY CREWS plays Gordon's scowling bodyguard who attempts to find and even kill Joe and Sara. JERRY STILLER plays a cop who takes a bribe from Joe for location information regarding Gordon. 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 comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 3 "s" words and other expletives. Various colorful phrases and sexually related dialogue are also present. Several women show cleavage and/or appear in revealing attire, some making out occurs, a man and woman end up in a sexual position played for laughs, and a woman flashes her bare breasts (we see her bare back) to a motel clerk to receive a free room. A bit of crude animal husbandry has a bull mounting an expressive fake cow and includes a man having his arm up that bull's rectum during that. Other crude humor is present as well, as is some blood from a beating and separate, brief dog attack. Other violence includes some hitting or pushing of others, some slapstick style material, some property damage, and several instances of people shooting at others (with one man being hit off-screen and then having to have shotgun pellets removed from his back). A married couple tries to serve each other with divorce papers, various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, and some imitative behavior is present as is some smoking and drinking. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Various people have drinks. A cop mentions needing a file regarding an Uzi and two vials of crack. Joe pours himself some of his own homemade wine and tastes it, but then spits it out due to its bad taste. Later, Tony finds that same glass, drinks some and states that it's good. Gordon's lawyer drinks. Joe spots many bottles of wine in Gordon's home and then asks Kate if she's ever had some wine, drank it and then poured it "on your privates." People drink in a bar where Kate orders a beer. Tony has champagne on a plane. Not believing something Joe has said, Sara asks him, "Are you high?" (he's not). Some people have wine in a restaurant. Joe and Sara taste some wine and then spit it out from the bad taste. BLOOD/GORE We hear what sounds like a farting sound from a man. Joe has some blood from his nose after being punched several times. After a dog attacks him (not seen in full), Tony has some bloody cuts on his hands and some scrapes on his face. Tony steps in a large pile of fresh cow manure. A painting in a motel room shows a matador with several banderillas in a bull's back and some resultant blood. Joe is mistaken as a veterinarian on a cattle ranch and has to go along with the ruse to stay hidden from Vernon and others. The ranchers state that they can't get a bull to mate with a fake cow to collect its semen and that Joe needs to manipulate the bull's prostate like one did in the past. Thus, Joe reluctantly dons a large hand to shoulder glove, has it lubricated and approaches the bull (that lets out a loud farting sound). He then sticks his arm inside the bull's rectum (we don't see the actual insertion, but do hear the squishy sounds). Sara then suddenly pushes Joe at the bull, resulting in his arm going all of the way in up to his shoulder. Joe, acting like someone else, asks Kate if he can use Gordon's bathroom and tells her not to worry since it's just for "number one." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Ray uses various disparaging asides about Tony, such as calling him "Wop-along Cassidy," and "Mook." He also refers to Joe and Tony as "ladies" in a similar fashion (and Joe later refers to some thugs as "girls" and calls an overweight kid "pork chop"). Joe and Tony don't like each other and repeatedly attempt to foil the other's attempts at doing their job. Gordon is having an affair and has decided to serve Sara divorce papers, as well as liquidate his assets so that she doesn't receive any money. Joe steals Sara's mail and answering machine from her place for information about her. A cop accepts a bribe from Joe to get some information about Sara and Gordon. Some thugs beat up Joe and take his car (for serving papers to his boss). We see a couple passionately making out in an airport and Joe points out that they're probably having an affair (since the man is wearing a wedding ring and the woman is not). FRIGHTENING SCENES It's possible some viewers could find scenes listed under "Violence" as unsettling and perhaps suspenseful, but all are played for comedy and action rather than standard suspense. For those afraid of dogs: To allow Sara to escape from Tony, Joe slides an open dog cage at Tony and the dog inside then comes out and starts biting at him and tearing up the parka he's wearing (we later see him with bloody cuts on his hands and scrapes on his face). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Rifles/Shotguns: Carried and/or used to threaten, fire at, or wound others. See "Violence" for details. A cop mentions needing a file regarding an Uzi and two vials of crack. We see a pistol in Gordon's safe. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I froze my d*ck off," "Sucks," "What are you? Some kind of a wacko?" "I'm freezing my ass off out here," "Freakin,'" "Kiss my ass" (followed by a 2nd person replying, "My mouth's not big enough"), "Numb nuts," "Screw you," "Loser," "Screw ups," "Nostra-Dumb ass," "Eat me," "Blow me" (said sarcastically by a man to another man who replies, "Yeah, keep dreaming"), "Boo hyphen hoo," "Meathead," "You twit," "Screwed" (nonsexual), an incomplete "What the...?" "What the hell is going on?" "Moron," "Bitch" (several times for a woman), "Putz," "I'm gonna hang your ass out to dry," "You screwed this up, d*ckweed," "You little punk," "I could give a rat's ass," "Who the hell are you?" "Balls" (testicles), "You idiot," "Ass wipe," "Dumb ass," "Dirt bag," "You twinkie," "Bugger," "Jerk," "Get your butt back here," "Who's my bitch?" (what Ray tauntingly asks Joe), "Retardo Montalban," "We're screwed" and an incomplete "You mother..." Ray uses various disparaging asides about Tony, such as calling him "Wop-along Cassidy," and "Mook." He also refers to Joe and Tony as "ladies" in a similar fashion (and Joe later refers to some thugs as "girls" and calls an overweight kid "pork chop"). Joe uses a blanket to slide down an elevator cable inside an elevator shaft (the blanket is wrapped around the cable). A kid gives Joe "the finger" as he walks away. To create a diversion so that he can sneak into a building, Joe sends a flaming tire rolling into the lobby. While posing as someone else, Joe spits several times. To escape from Tony, Sara runs and jumps through a baggage opening in an airport. Both Sara and Kate wear midriff-revealing tops. Joe makes the male masturbation sign with his hand while talking with Ray on the phone. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has a lyric that has something to do about drinking until the singer's back is to the floor, while another mentions something about women with fake breasts. PROFANITY At least 3 "s" words, 2 slang terms for sex ("banging" and "doing"), 2 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck"), 1 slang term for breasts ("t*ts"), 20 asses (6 used with "hole"), 14 hells, 8 damns, 3 craps, 3 S.O.B.s, 1 bugger, 12 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "Jesus Christ," "My God," "Oh God," "Oh my God" and "Oh dear God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Various women, including Sara and Kate, show some cleavage, while another rather buxom woman wears a bikini top that also shows cleavage. A cop jokingly complains that he wishes he had a smaller prostate (gland). Joe refers to Sara as being "hot." After an athletic woman beats up Joe in a health club and Sara comments that he was beat up by a girl, he replies that she was no girl and that she had an Adam's apple and a bulge with which he was not comfortable. We see a couple passionately making out in an airport and Joe points out that they're probably having an affair (since the man is wearing a wedding ring and the woman is not). Sara ends up sliding down a luggage chute at an airport and Joe then falls down it as well as lands between her spread legs. Sara's pants leg then gets caught on a conveyor belt and so Joe unbuttons and starts to pull down her pants that then rip in half. We then see several brief views of Sara in her panties (halfway with the remaining pants partially covering them) and she says that she told him to save her, not undress her. We then see her in new clothes she stole from others' suitcases (she's wearing an extremely small/short shirt and a tight, midriff-revealing top). Needing a room for the night and having no money, Sara flashes her bare breasts at a motel clerk in exchange for the room. Seen from behind her, we see her bare back as well as the man's excited facial reaction as she stares at her breasts. As she and Joe then head for the room, the clerk says that they have suites available (implying him offering that in exchange for more skin). We see Sara wrapped in just a towel after taking a shower (she shows some cleavage). After making Joe attempt to sleep on two chairs, she finally lets him get into bed with her (he's clothed and she's still wearing just that towel), but it doesn't appear that anything sexual happens between them (although both seem pleased by being in the same bed). Joe is mistaken as a veterinarian on a cattle ranch and has to go along with the ruse to stay hidden from Vernon and others. The ranchers state that they can't get a bull to mate with a fake cow to collect its semen (there's talk of "milking" it and getting "the pump primed" and we see a man whose arms are tired from previously trying - although we don't see that actual act). Joe then takes Sara aside and asks her if they're talking about what he's thinking they're talking about which is masturbating the bull. One of the ranchers then says that he needs to manipulate the bull's prostate like one did in the past, so Joe reluctantly dons a large hand to shoulder glove, has it lubricated and then sticks his arm inside the bull's rectum (we don't see the actual insertion, but do hear the squishy sounds). Sara then suddenly pushes Joe at the bull, resulting in his arm going all of the way in up to his shoulder. The bull then becomes excited and mounts the fake cow. While we don't see the actual penetration, we do see the fake cow "reacting" to each thrust (with a loud "moo" and eyes opening wide) as well as some shots of the bull moving (but again nothing explicit is seen). A man comments, "That thing looks like a fire hose" and this all occurs with Joe's arm still inside the bull. Afterwards, Joe comments that the bull is lighting up a cigarette because of him. Joe spots many bottles of wine in Gordon's home and then asks Kate if she's ever had some wine, drank it and then poured it "on your privates." Sarah states that Kate is "banging my husband." She later states that her husband was "doing Kate in Mexico." Referring to Sara flashing her bare breasts to a motel clerk (above), Joe says that they're great but he doesn't think they'll get them into a five-star hotel. Joe and Sara passionately make out, but are interrupted and nothing else happens. We see Sara through thickly frosted doors (thus no details are available and nothing explicit is seen) as she undresses to bath. The camera (like Joe) focuses on Kate's abundant cleavage and we then see her use her pectoral muscles to the cleavage quiver. Later, Sara comments that one look at a girl (Kate) in tight pants and "big t*ts" made Joe stupid. There's a poster image of a woman in a small bikini in the background of a shot. After sitting on a porch for a moment, Sara asks Joe, "Do you want to have sex again? He says, "Yeah" and the two then rush back inside (but we don't see anything else). SMOKING Joe smokes twice while some miscellaneous people also smoke. After unavoidably being involved in helping a bull mount and mate with a fake cow (to collect its semen), Joe comments that the bull is lighting up a cigarette because of him. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Sara learns that her husband is serving her divorce papers when Joe delivers them to her and then briefly reacts accordingly (crying, etc.), but most of the material regarding that is not played realistically and instead is present for comedy. She then figures out that he's been having an affair with Kate and wants Joe to serve him with divorce papers. No kids are involved. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Process servers. Divorce. Affairs. Animal husbandry. VIOLENCE Joe breaks a window to gain entry to a building so that he can serve someone their papers. Joe runs into someone on the street (both on their feet) while chasing Sara. A man punches Joe in the face and we then hear sounds of him and another man beating him up. We then see that they have Joe on the hood of his car and the first then drags him off it and to the ground. Both men then punch Joe (we don't see the impact, but do see his bloody nose). Joe slams his already bleeding nose into the back of a seat when the bus he's on comes to a sudden stop. An athletic woman in a health club punches Joe several times and then kicks him to the floor (during this he tries to punch her, but she blocks that). She then gets him in a headlock, knees him, and then throws him aside. She then punches him several more times. We see that Gordon's bodyguard, Vernon, has a man hanging from a horizontal pole with his arms tied behind his back. To allow Sara to escape from Tony, Joe slides an open dog cage at Tony and the dog inside then comes out and starts biting at him and tearing up the parka he's wearing (we later see him with bloody cuts on his hands and scrapes on his face). Tony pushes a man out of the way at an airport counter. A cowboy shoots at Tony several times for trespassing on his land and apparently hits him with one blast from the shotgun (we don't see the impact, but later see a nurse removing some pellets). Vernon drives his truck at high speed backwards toward Joe and Sara's car and then smashes into it just as they get out. He then opens fire on them with his handgun as they flee in another truck. Gordon bangs his head on a statue while fleeing from Joe (but is okay). Various people hold guns on Gordon when they think he's infected with a deadly virus. Vernon clotheslines a motorcyclist with his arm and sends the rider falling to the ground. Tony tries to drive over Joe in a huge monster truck (and nearly hits him with its huge tire) but it overturns and ends up falling on Vernon (slightly injuring him). As the two men are then carried out on stretchers, they try to hit each other from them. Sara drops several attached beers down onto Gordon's head to knock him to the ground. Reviewed August 20, 2002 / Posted August 23, 2002

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