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"BEWITCHED" (2005) (Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate None Heavy None Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Mild Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Comedy: While remaking the 1960s TV sitcom "Bewitched," an actor unknowingly casts a real-life witch to play the role of his wife, who's also a witch, in the show. PLOT: Jack Wyatt (WILL FERRELL) is a mostly washed up actor who's appeared in a string of critical and financial disasters. He gets a last shot at redemption, however, when his manager, Ritchie (JASON SCHWARTZMAN), gets him cast to play Darren in a contemporary update of the popular 1960s TV sitcom, "Bewitched." Recognizing that the original show changed actors playing his part with no one seeming to notice, Jack wants the producers to cast an unknown actress to play the part of the witch Samantha. He thinks he finds her when he spots attractive Isabel Bigelow (NICOLE KIDMAN) in a bookstore and notes that she even has the ability to wiggle her nose as needed in the show. Isabel doesn't know much about the world of TV production, or the regular world for that matter, as it turns out she's actually a real witch. Having led a sheltered life under her carefree, playboy father Nigel (MICHAEL CAINE), Isabel now wants to experience reality, sans any sort of magic, although she has a hard time going cold turkey. Thus, when she's offered the part in the series, she agrees, much to the delight of her new best friend and neighbor Maria Kelly (KRISTIN CHENOWETH). With the aid of her assistant Nina (HEATHER BURNS), she joins Jack and actress Iris Smythson (SHIRLEY MacLAINE) -- who will play her character's witch mother, Endora -- on the set. While she's not terribly upset that she can't convince Jack that she's a real witch, she isn't happy that most everyone treats her in a condescending fashion and that Jack has rigged everything so that he gets most of the speaking lines and screen time. With her relatives -- klutzy witch Aunt Clara (CAROLE SHELLEY) and sarcastic warlock Uncle Arthur (STEVE CARELL) -- showing up and complicating matters, Isabel decides to lift her ban on magic, but doesn't expect that she'll start falling for Jack as they continue shooting the show. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Kidman, Ferrell or anyone else in the cast, or of the original TV show, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some language, including sex and drug references, and partial nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: NICOLE KIDMAN plays an initially ditzy witch who wants to live a real, magic free life and enjoys the most mundane of things. When she's cast to play a lead in a remake of an old TV sitcom, she must deal with others being demeaning to her as well as her romantic attraction to Jack despite the way he initially treats her. She drinks some. WILL FERRELL plays a washed up but conceited actor who's the one who finds Isabel for the part, but then makes sure she has no chance of stealing his limelight. He does, however, eventually fall for her, and he uses some profanity and drinks some. SHIRLEY MacLAINE plays the actress brought in to play the mother of Isabel's TV character. She loves the live audience's adulation for her, finds herself falling for Nigel, and turns out to be a real witch. MICHAEL CAINE plays Isabel's roguish father who enjoys possessing magical powers as well as chasing the ladies (including Iris). He drinks some. JASON SCHWARTZMAN plays Jack's manager who pushes him to get the acting gig on the show and uses some profanity while doing so. He also sees Isabel as a sexual object that he looks down upon. KRISTIN CHENOWETH plays Isabel's hyper neighbor and new best friend who's overjoyed that Isabel has landed the TV part. HEATHER BURNS plays Isabel's assistant on the show who wants her to get revenge on Jack. CAROLE SHELLEY plays Isabel's slightly scatterbrained aunt who can cast hexes, but can't reverse them. STEVE CARELL plays Isabel's sardonic uncle who enjoys being an irritant to Jack. 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 PG-13 rated comedy. Profanity consists of several slang terms using female and male genitals along with various mild expletives, while some colorful phrases are also uttered. Various instances of sexually related dialogue are present, a man under a spell shows up on a TV show completely nude (his crotch and butt are blurred out), and some women show cleavage. For those opposed to witchcraft and other magic, the film is filled with that, while some characters have bad attitudes (mostly in a comedic fashion. although some sexist ones are present). Various characters drink, there's a brief drug reference (for comedy), and some brief comedic violence is present as is some potentially imitative behavior. 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 Jack has a Bloody Mary. Jack has a drink. There's some champagne on stage in a scene for the show, while a bit has Jack's character saying he needs a drink and a prop person then brings one out to place in his hand as if it occurred by magic. We see some wine on the table in a scene from the show. We see some beer in the background of a grocery store scene. Isabel has a date with Jack and there's some wine present. Responding to the low test scores he's received about his performance in the show, Jack is upset and asks if the poll participants were high, asks if they drug tested them, then if they were high on crack and then repeats a variation of that last comment. A song has the lyric, "If you like Piņa Coladas." Miscellaneous people have drinks at a party where Isabel carries two martinis and drinks both. We later see even more drinking. Isabel and Nigel have champagne. Nigel and Iris have drinks. Nigel holds a drink. BLOOD/GORE None. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE For those opposed to witchcraft and other magic, the film is filled with that, with various characters using their powers as a means of getting what they want or just for entertainment purposes, such as Isabel using her powers to rent a house that was not for rent. Under the advice of Ritchie not to be a pushover, Jack ends up being a jerk in a meeting with the TV producers. That includes balling up a piece of paper and throwing it at one of them. Maria takes something from Isabel's gift basket without asking, simply telling Isabel that she (Isabel) has plenty of such stuff. Ritchie and Jack comment that Isabel looks "hot," and Ritchie adds that "she's got a cute little back-end on her" and that he wouldn't kick her out of bed. Jack has set up Isabel's part so that it's constantly in the shadow of his, and essentially leaves her nothing to do on the show. Various men on the set are demeaning to Isabel. Isabel uses her powers to make Jack overact in a scene, and to goof up another scene featuring a dog. Aunt Clara creates a hex to put on Jack to put him in his place. Ritchie tells Isabel to go to her trailer and take a Midol when she's upset. Jack's ex-wife shows up only because he's on a hit show. Isabel causes a large set light to fall on Jack's ex-wife (played for laughs), but Isabel then rewinds that scene so that it doesn't occur. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS We see clips from Jack's previous movies on TV, including a war flick where his and other characters hold military guns and we hear the sounds of gunfire. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You're being a p*ssy," "Mayor of p*ssyville," "Get in there and be the sheriff of ballsville," "What's a d*ck?" "Yes, he's a giant, male reproductive organ," "Get a grip," "What the hell /happened/is going on?" "Let's cut the chit-chat," "Screw" (nonsexual), "I've worked my ass off to the bone," "She's incredibly dialed in," "Moron," "Idiot," "Witch's honor," "You're crushing it," "She looks hot," "Always screwing up," "Jack Wyatt is a real tool," "That's freaky," "Puke," "You're a jerk," "You rancid fruit-bag" (or something like that), "What about captain underpants?" "You think I'm nuts," "Are you out of your mind?" "Don't freak out on us," "Don't dwell," "Whoopy-doodle" and "You idiot." Ritchie twice slaps Jack to motivate him, and then gets Jack to slap him back as part of the same. He then slaps Jack on his clothed butt. Some kids may try to wiggle their nose like Isabel does for the part. Some kids may want to imitate actor Will Ferrell and his character's various bits of hyper behavior. Jack and Isabel do some crazy eye and "yikes" reaction mugging, along with a funny walk and one slides down a stairwell handrail on the set while Jack jumps and lands on the set bed. Jack holds a shoe to his head like a phone and mouths for Isabel to call him. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) The Sinatra song "Witchcraft" has lyrics about witchcraft, but they're more symbolic than about the real thing. A song has the lyrics, "If you like Piņa Coladas" and "If you like making love at midnight." PROFANITY At least 6 nonsexual slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 4 using male genitals ("tool" and "d*ck"), 3 hells, 2 craps, 1 ass, 6 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY While talking to her father about wanting to be loved for who she is rather than what she can do (with her magic), she equates it to women who sleep with rich men, but Nigel sees no problem with that arrangement, saying that they do sleep with them (meaning that's a good thing for the men). Jack's ex-wife, Sheila, shows some cleavage. Ritchie and Jack comment that Isabel looks "hot," and Ritchie adds that "she's got a cute little back-end on her" and that he wouldn't kick her out of bed. Maria states that when her husband left her, she wanted to cut his brake cables, but they ended up having sex on the elliptical machine. Isabel worries about her father liking Iris, stating that he'll likely sleep with her and then leave her. Isabel gets a call from Nina about how Jack is acting and then asks on the phone, "What's a d*ck?" and then says "Oh" when Nina explains it (not heard). Later, when we rewind back to this scene, we hear Isabel stating, "Yes, he's a giant male reproductive organ." Nina states they could get even with Jack by doctoring nude pics of him with farm animals. Jack says something about setting up something in Isabel's "promised land" (presumably innuendo) and then sings "Let's make love" in various places, such as a hot air balloon, a petting zoo and on the back of a killer whale at Sea World. A song has the lyric, "If you like making love at midnight." There's a scene from the show where it's stated that marriage can lead to passion. Isabel and Jack then kiss on the set in bed while filming a scene and then continue to do so after the "cut" call (they're clothed and there's nothing else sexual occurring). Jack stares at Isabel's clothed butt as she dances during a montage. Jack's ex-wife, who shows some cleavage, tells Isabel that the do not disturb sign will be on her and Jack's doorknob that night. Moments later, Jack asks his ex-wife, "What about captain underpants?" (meaning the guy she ran off with). Maria shows some cleavage. A witch causes a young woman to tell Nigel (who the witch likes) that yes, she'll sleep with him because she has a thing for father figures. She later makes another woman tell him that she has Hepatitis C. Jack tells Isabel that they should go make out in the closet. After Isabel tells Jack that she's a witch, he's concerned and asks if he's going to get pregnant. Jack shows up on the Conan O'Brien talk show completely nude. His crotch and butt sections are pixilated out so that no details can be seen, but he's otherwise obviously completely nude. This may or may not be a dream, as he then wakes up in bed with Uncle Arthur (both are clothed and nothing sexual is occurring, and Uncle Arthur is obviously having fun messing with his mind). There's a passionate, clothed kiss between Jack and Isabel. SMOKING Jack wants to smoke and has a cigarette in his mouth, but Ritchie holds the lighter just inches away and doesn't let him light up. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Jack's wife dumped him in the past for another man. She then returns, but only because he's on a TV show. Maria states that when her husband left her, she wanted to cut his brake cables, but they ended up having sex on the elliptical machine. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Witches, witchcraft and such magic. Making TV shows. Isabel wanting to lead a normal, magic-free life. The concept of total, instant gratification. Jack's comment that if you're a star, you snap your fingers and whatever you want materializes. Various men on the set are demeaning to Isabel. VIOLENCE Ritchie twice slaps Jack to motivate him, and then gets Jack to slap him back as part of the same. He then slaps Jack on his clothed butt. Under the advice of Ritchie not to be a pushover, Jack ends up being a jerk in a meeting with the TV producers. That includes balling up a piece of paper and throwing it at one of them. Mad at Jack for the way he's treating her, Isabel causes his cappuccino machine to catch on fire (played for laughs). Isabel causes a large set light to fall on Jack's ex-wife (played for laughs), but Isabel then rewinds that scene so that it doesn't occur. We see clips from Jack's previous movies on TV, including a war flick where his and other characters hold military guns and we hear the sounds of gunfire, and a boxing movie where he's punched in the face and falls to the mat (all played for comedy). Uncle Arthur drives through a wooden, drop-down security gate. Reviewed June 9, 2005 / Posted June 24, 2005

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