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(About Our Ads) "THE COMPANY" (2003) (Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Moderate None None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Moderate Moderate Minor QUICK TAKE: Drama: Various dancers go through the day to day rigors of preparing for shows with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. PLOT: Loretta "Ry" Ryan (NEVE CAMPBELL) is an aspiring dancer with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. When the lead dancers, Maia (MAIA WILKINS) and Alec (DAVIS ROBERTSON), must step back due to injury, Ry and her partner, Domingo (DOMINGO RUBIO) are given the leads. Under the watchful eye of director Alberto Antonelli (MALCOLM McDOWELL), they and the rest of the various dancers - including veteran performer Harriet (BARBARA ROBERTSON) --go through rigorous, day to day preparations for various upcoming performances. At the same time, Ry starts seeing Josh (JAMES FRANCO), a local chef, and the two soon become lovers. With a big and expensive performance just around the corner, Ry tries to balance her personal, familial and professional lives, all while the other dancers hope to make the grade. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're into ballet or are fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For brief strong language, some nudity and sexual content (on appeal - meaning no cuts were made - from the original R rating). CAST AS ROLE MODELS: NEVE CAMPBELL plays a dancer with the ballet who gets her shot at the lead when another dancer has an injury. She drinks some, briefly smokes and apparently has sex with Josh. MALCOLM McDOWELL plays the demanding and perfectionistic director of the ballet. JAMES FRANCO plays a chef who becomes Ry's boyfriend and apparently sleeps with her. 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 drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 sexual use of the "f" word, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Other sexually related dialogue is present, as is off-camera sex (in one scene a young woman asks a roommate if he has a condom for her use with another man). Some scantily clad people of both sexes are seen (in underwear and tight-fitting dance costumes) as are some bare breasts in nonsexual situations. A realistic-looking dildo is briefly seen at a bachelorette party. Some characters drink and/or smoke, a few drug references are made, while some tense family material and thematic issues (talk of suicide, a reference to AIDS, etc.) are also present. 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. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some of occurs during the film's last ballet performance. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People have champagne and other drinks, including martinis at a party. Various female dancers have martinis at a wedding shower and/or bachelorette party. In explaining a dance they're rehearsing that's related to the 1960s, Alberto states that people turned to drugs back then. Later, in a roast sort of spoof, a dancer imitates Alberto's speech and says that people were smoking pot and dropping acid. People have champagne after another performance. Ry's mother has a glass of wine. Miscellaneous people have drinks in a club. Miscellaneous people have drinks in a bar where Ry and Josh separately have beer. Josh enters Ry's place carrying a bottle of wine. He finds her in the bathtub and says he's going to join her, but she playfully says she's getting out. She then asks if he wants a beer, he indicates he has his wine, and she then has a beer. Miscellaneous people have beer in a bowling alley. People have beer at a Christmas party. People have drinks in a club. Ry sees that Josh had champagne and wine waiting with dinner for her. BLOOD/GORE Alberto tells a dancer that they "look like you've got a load in your pants." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Alberto keeps changing his direction, frustrating and even infuriating some of his dancers. An older dancer behaves in a difficult fashion while being resistant to making a change in a performance. FRIGHTENING SCENES None GUNS/WEAPONS None IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Shut up," "You look like you've got a load in your pants," "Bloody," "Where the hell is he?" and "Geek." A miscellaneous person has various tattoos. The film could inspire some kids to try to imitate the various dance moves and jumps that occur in it. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word (used sexually), 1 "s" word, 2 craps, 1 ass (used with "hole"), 1 hell, 4 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "Jesus" and "My God." SEX/NUDITY After parting ways with Ry, one guy tells another he heard something about "How long have you been f*cking her?" We see various dancers' bare breasts and some women in panties in a dressing room. Dancers of both sexes wear tight, form-fitting and skin-colored outfits that show off every nook, cranny and bulge of their bodies and make them appear nude from a distance (particularly in the buttocks area). Ry and Domingo doing a slightly sensual dance together (a public performance) that includes him placing his hands on her clothed butt. Various female dancers have martinis at a wedding shower and/or bachelorette party where the bribe has a realistic-looking dildo with a straw out of the top in front of her. We then hear one ask, "Who threw this penis at me" and the bride-to-be holds up some lingerie, a leather bottom (that she says is better suited for Ry) and a small tassel-like whip. We see some men in their briefs and women in their bras (in their respective dressing rooms). A young woman comes out of a bedroom and asks another female dancer and then a male dancer staying in her place (on the floor) if either has a condom. The guy shows several, but she takes just one, saying that's all she needs. We get a momentary glimpse of Ry's bare breast from the side (and a distance) as she passes through a room. She then comes out in a small top and panties and we then see the motion of Josh putting on his jeans (he comes out wearing them, but shirtless). It's implied they had sex. Some miscellaneous women show some cleavage in several scenes. Josh enters Ry's place carrying a bottle of wine. He finds her in the bathtub and says he's going to join her, but she playfully says she's getting out (while covering her bare breasts). We see the silhouette of her bare breasts through a sheer door as she gets out of the tub. The two then briefly but passionately kiss on the sofa. In a roast sort of spoof, a dancer imitates Alberto's earlier speech and says that people were getting naked and mentions something about more sex on the weekends. We see a momentary glimpse of a woman's bare breast as she changes costumes. SMOKING Ry and her mother each smoke once. TENSE FAMILY SCENES A dancer states that his aunt (with whom he was staying) committed suicide via a pill overdose. We learn that Ry's parents are divorced and remarried to others, but all four come to her performances. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The life of a ballet dancer. A dancer states that his aunt (with whom he was staying) committed suicide via a pill overdose. Alberto makes a brief reference to a deadly disease that's taken many dancers (and presumably is AIDS). We learn that Ry's parents are divorced and remarried to others, but all four come to her performances. VIOLENCE As a dancer rehearses a number, we hear a loud snap, she collapses and we hear she blew out her Achilles tendon. Ry falls and hurts her arm during a performance. Reviewed December 1, 2003 / Posted January 23, 2004