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"CONNIE AND CARLA"
(2004) (Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette) (PG-13)

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


QUICK TAKE:
Comedy: Two female lounge singers go on the run and pose as male drag queens after witnessing a murder.
PLOT:
Connie (NIA VARDALOS) and Carla (TONI COLLETTE) are two life-long friends who've always shared their love of performing old show tunes. They've persevered doing so despite earlier peer criticism and having few fans, such is what they now get playing the waiting lounge at their local airport.

When they witness a local businessman, Rudy (ROBERT JOHN BURKE), kill their boss over a drug deal gone bad, however, the two women leave their boyfriends -- Al (NICK SANDOW) and Mikey (DASH MIHOK) -- and literally take their show on the road, unaware that they're carrying a kilo of Rudy's cocaine. Realizing that Rudy and his goon, Tibor (BORIS MCGIVER), will likely look for them in dinner theaters and other such venues, the two decide to travel to the place they think that's lacking in culture, Los Angeles.

Once there, they stumble across an audition for a drag queen show and figure they can kill two birds with one stone if they get the job. Not only will they be incognito as women masquerading as men dressed like cross-dressers, but they'll also get to perform on stage. When the two sing during their audition, they impress club owner Stanley (IAN GOMEZ) enough that he immediately hires them.

The two slowly but surely become popular among the gay and cross-dressing population, eventually drawing the attention of fellow cross-dressers Robert (STEPHEN SPINELLA), Lee (ALEC MAPA), Brian (CHRISTOPHER LOGAN) and Paul (ROBERT KAISER) who all want in on Connie and Carla's show.

Despite the latter worrying that their growing fame might be drawing too much attention to themselves, especially when they use their real names for their act, the two begin to enjoy their new lives. Yet, as Rudy and Tibor eventually close in on them, and Connie falls for Michael's estranged brother, Jeff (DAVID DUCHOVNY), who thinks she's really a he playing a she, the two are unsure how long they can carry on their ruse.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or the cross-dressing/drag queen set, it doesn't seem too likely.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For thematic elements, sexual humor and drug references.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • NIA VARDALOS plays a lounge singer who goes on the run with her best friend after witnessing a murder and then poses and hides as a male drag queen. While in that state, she falls for Jeff. She also drinks with him and others.
  • TONI COLLETTE plays her best friend who ends up in the same boat and worries that their growing fame will eventually lead the villains to them. She drinks some.
  • DAVID DUCHOVNY plays Robert's financial advisor brother who's trying to get back in touch with him, but is uncomfortable about the overall drag queen scene. He drinks some and appears tipsy.
  • STEPHEN SPINELLA plays a bartender who joins Connie and Carla's drag queen group who isn't sure what to do when his brother comes looking for him.
  • ALEC MAPA plays his flamboyant roommate who also becomes part of the performing group.
  • CHRISTOPHER LOGAN and ROBERT KAISER play other drag queens in the group.
  • DASH MIHOK plays Carla's boyfriend who's drunk in one scene.
  • NICK SANDOW plays his friend who likes Connie but thinks she's too much of a dreamer.
  • ROBERT JOHN BURKE plays a coke dealer who wants to find Connie and Carla after they see him murder their boss.
  • BORIS MCGIVER plays Rudy's henchman who roughs up the women's boss, but becomes a big fan of dinner clubs and their performances while searching for them.
  • IAN GOMEZ plays the club's owner who hires Connie and Carla and benefits from their success.
  • 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 quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of some slang terms for female body parts along with other expletives and colorful phrases. Some sexually related dialogue (comedy style) is present, a scantly clad cross-dresser is seen, some brief (comedy style) groping of a woman's breast occurs, and two women flash their breasts (we don't see them) to an audience to prove they're really women. Various characters are presented as being gay and/or cross-dressers.

    Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including a drug dealer who murders a man and tries to kill the two protagonists. Other fighting and struggling is present (some of it played for comedy). Some drugs are present and exposed, but not used, while various characters drink (some to the point of being tipsy) and other imitative behavior is also present.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else 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 film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Miscellaneous people have drinks in an airport lounge.
  • The women's boss hides a kilo of cocaine (that's Rudy's) in Connie and Carla's stuff. We later hear him say that Rudy is a big time coke dealer.
  • Carla finds the wrapped kilo of cocaine in her stuff and doesn't know what it is. As she tries to open the package, it suddenly bursts open, sending a cloud of cocaine inside the car and on them.
  • Connie tells Carla, "We need to get drunk." We then see them dancing and drinking shots in a club.
  • Miscellaneous people drink in the club during the many performance scenes (more than 5 times).
  • A guy asks another, "Are you drunk?" and the other replies, "A little."
  • Connie and Carla have drinks.
  • Some miscellaneous people have wine.
  • People drink in a dinner club.
  • Connie and Jeff have drinks in a bar (as do others) and appear a bit tipsy (especially him).
  • Mikey drinks from a brown paper bag on the street and appears to be drunk.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • None.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Rudy is a drug dealer who kills a person and then wants Connie and Carla dead for witnessing that. Tibor is his enforcer who roughs up some people.
  • Some students heckle and boo young Connie and Carla as they perform in the school cafeteria.
  • The women's boss hides a kilo of cocaine (that's Rudy's) in Connie and Carla's stuff.
  • A cop is in cahoots with Rudy and gives him his gun to shoot the women's boss.
  • About Connie and Carla, Rudy says (to Tibor), "You can't find two stupid women?"
  • We see various gay men in the club, and some may be offended by the stereotypical portrayal of them (all effeminate and loving show tunes, etc.).
  • Some viewers might not like jokes arising from the fact that people can't understand Lee's foreign-sounding accent.
  • Commenting about cross dressers, Jeff states, "It's not normal" and he refuses to go to the drag show. Later, Jeff's girlfriend says about them, "They're freaks."
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling or suspenseful for some viewers, but most of the material (beyond a murder and some roughing up) is played for comedy and/or in a lighthearted fashion.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns: Carried and/or used to threaten, shoot at and kill one person.
  • The women hear what they think are gunshots, but then see that it's just lumber being dropped to the street.
  • Rudy makes a gun gesture toward Connie and Carla with his hand.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Look at those two losers," "Shut it," "Chins up, boobs out," "She makes me want to puke," "No more time for losers," "Where the hell did you queens come from?" "You idiot," "Broads" (women), "You're a freak," "God no," "You suck," "Follow that idiot," "Shut up," "Freaks," "What the hell/is going on/was that all about?" "I'm an ass," "On a tear to kick your ass," "Bastard" and "You fool."
  • It's possible the film could inspire some kids to experiment with cross-dressing.
  • Some students heckle and boo young Connie and Carla as they perform in the school cafeteria.
  • A motto heard several times in the film is "Chins up, boobs out."
  • The two women stuff their chests (despite having breasts) so that they look like drag queens.
  • Both some drag queens and Connie & Carla hold their hands under their imagined and real (clothed) breasts during a pledge of sorts.
  • Connie purposefully runs into Jeff (since she likes him), knocking him down. She later does this again, resulting in both ending up on the floor.
  • A miscellaneous person (a woman or a man in drag) wears a midriff revealing top.
  • A wordplay joke is made about "Ophelia up."
  • To prove that they're really women, Connie and Carla flash their breasts at the club patrons, shocking them (we only see their still covered backs).
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A little bit of comedically suspenseful music plays in a few scenes.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 1 slang term for female genitals ("cootchie"), 3 for breasts ("boobs"), 4 hells, 2 asses, 1 crap, 5 uses of "Oh my God," 3 of "Oh God," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "Christ," "For God's sakes" and "Swear to God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • A motto heard several times in the film is "Chins up, boobs out."
  • As Connie and Carla race to flee their homes, an older woman asks if they're prostitutes (a similar comment is made later on the phone).
  • After getting tired of Connie and Carla continually interrupting his presentation, a male tour bus guide responds to their question of "Any place we can sit for dinner and a show?" with "Yeah, my face."
  • Connie shows a little cleavage.
  • Connie and Carla see two men kiss in a club and then see various drag queens perform there.
  • The two women stuff their chests (despite having breasts) so that they look like drag queens.
  • We briefly see a drag queen wearing a tight and short leather outfit with garters, etc.
  • We see a person (a woman or a man in drag) wearing just a bra-like top.
  • Connie jokes that in Los Angeles, the bulge in men's pants is a cell phone.
  • After the comment "If you can't lick 'em, join 'em" is made, a gay man asks, "Who's getting licked?"
  • Both some drag queens and Connie & Carla hold their hands under their imagined and real (clothed) breasts during a pledge of sorts.
  • Lee wonders why Connie wears a bra while not on stage and she lies to keep her cover. He then lifts her clothed breasts (thinking they're fake), prompting Carla to tell the other men that Connie's breasts are good and that they should all have a feel. They then all do (played for laughs).
  • Jeff tells Connie, "I'm not gay," prompting her to respond, "Neither am I."
  • Connie suddenly kisses Jeff in a bar, prompting him to think that a guy in drag has just done so.
  • As Connie and Carla struggle, the former tells the latter, "Your knee is in my cootchie."
  • A wordplay joke is made about "Ophelia up."
  • A joke is made about needing to change one's panties as an intro to lyrics in a sung song that starts, "I'm a girl who just can't say no" (butt those lyrics aren't sexual).
  • To prove that they're really women, Connie and Carla flash their breasts at the club patrons, shocking them (we only see their still covered backs).
  • Connie and Jeff kiss.
  • SMOKING
  • None
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Robert states that he hasn't had any contact with his family for a long time. He's thus uncomfortable when his brother, Jeff, keeps showing up and trying to make contact with him.
  • Robert tells Jeff that their mom and dad kicked him out of the house when they learned that he was into cross dressing.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Cross dressers.
  • Accepting others as they are.
  • Jeff finds an unused tampon in Connie's stuff and she lies about its use.
  • Robert tells Jeff that their mom and dad kicked him out of the house when they learned that he was into cross dressing.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A villain grabs Connie and Carla and pushes both of their heads to a counter while looking for their boss.
  • The women see Tibor holding their boss by the back of the head while pinned against a car. A cop shows up and holds his gun on Tibor and Rudy, but then hands his gun to Rudy who shoots the previously pinned man dead (no impact or blood). The women scream in horror (played for comedy) and Rudy fires several shots at them there and then as they flee in their car.
  • A person is knocked down by a fleeing car.
  • One of the women hits the other in the throat to make her stop screaming.
  • Connie purposefully runs into Jeff (since she likes him), knocking him down. She later does this again, resulting in both ending up on the floor.
  • Carla whacks Connie in the neck as they struggle in a car during a fight (played for comedy).
  • Rudy and Tibor grab and hold Connie and Carla by their necks. Al tries to come to their rescue and throws a fire extinguisher at the thugs but it bounces off the wall and hits him on the head, knocking him out (played for comedy).
  • Various drag queens struggle with the villains, with one biting an arm and another punching one of the villains in the face. Rudy then fires a shot and holds his gun on Connie and Carla. Moments later, the two women throw stuff into the villains' faces, hit them in the crotches and then the faces. As they pile onto the villains and one of the women hits a villain in the throat, the cops show up and hold their guns on the villains (all played for light comedy).



  • Reviewed April 13, 2004 / Posted April 16, 2004

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