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"FUN WITH DICK & JANE" (2005) (Jim Carrey, Téa Leoni) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Minor Heavy Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None None Minor Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Minor Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: After losing their jobs, a married couple turns to crime to make ends meet. PLOT: It's the year 2000 and things are looking good for Dick Harper (JIM CARREY). Not only does he have a beautiful wife in Jane (TÉA LEONI) and a well-adjusted son in Billy (AARON MICHAEL DROZIN) who's learning Spanish with their housekeeper Blanca (GLORIA GARAYUA), but he's also just been promoted to a vice president of communications spot at Globodyne. A media properties consolidator, the wealthy company is run by the high flying Jack McCallister (ALEC BALDWIN) who wants Dick to do a TV news interview explaining their position. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to Dick or anyone else, Jack has embezzled all of the company's money and put the blame on CFO Frank Bascombe (RICHARD JENKINS). With the company bankrupt and its stock now worthless, everyone is laid off, including Dick who had earlier convinced Jane that it would be a good time for her to quit her unfulfilling travel agency job and spend more time with their son. When neither can find a job and with their finances dwindling, the couple starts selling their belongings, but when their newly sodded lawn is repossessed, that's the final straw for Dick. On a whim, he decides to go out and take what he needs, eventually leading him and then Jane to go on a robbery spree that soon returns them to the lifestyle to which they were previously accustomed. But when they run into Frank and later Jack, they decide to take their criminal enterprise to a higher level by getting revenge on Dick's former boss. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Carrey or someone else in the cast they might, but beyond some teens who might otherwise be interested in it, it's doubtful preteens will be. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For brief language, some sexual humor and occasional humorous drug references. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JIM CARREY plays a family man whose promotion at Globodyne is short-lived when he learns that the company is bankrupt and that his boss has taken all of the money and run. After failing at getting a new job, he turns to robbery to make ends meet, eventually becoming quite good at it with Jane as his partner in crime. He uses some profanity, briefly smokes a cigar and then decides to get revenge on Jack. TÉA LEONI plays his wife who unwisely quits her job at a travel agency just when he loses his job. She reluctantly joins his robbery spree but then gets into it. She briefly uses strong profanity. ALEC BALDWIN plays the head of Globodyne who runs his company into bankruptcy but not before making himself unbelievably wealthy (and without a trace of guilt). RICHARD JENKINS plays the company's CFO who's reportedly the main corporate villain (although we later learn that's not true) who takes to drinking (a lot) and conspires to help Dick and Jane get back at 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: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, including a wife telling her husband they should have sex as they fool around on a bed (we later see a dirty handprint over her clothed chest in bed in a different scene). A woman implies she sees a man's penis while waiting for a urine sample, and a woman is seen in a bikini top and otherwise shows cleavage. Comedy style violence (people hitting or otherwise striking others, some slapstick style material including people and a dog being shocked by an electric dog collar, etc.) is present, while various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Various bits of potentially imitative behavior are present, while some people use fake and real guns during robberies. Some crude humor is present, as are instances of people drinking (one has become an alcoholic and is drunk, while another pretends to be drunk), while some drug references (spoken and visual, including a woman holding a joint) are made and a man briefly smokes a cigar. 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 Jack, Dick and Frank have mimosas. Dick finds Frank drunk and sitting on the floor where he drinks booze straight from the bottle. Dick and Jane have wine with dinner. Dick wears a T-shirt that shows a mug of beer with the words "Starting pitcher" on it. Dick asks another unemployed worker if he wants to get a drink, with that man asking if Dick's buying and he says he is, but that never happens. A woman tells Dick that she's "been off the pipe for two years" (referring to drug use). We see liquor on a shelf in convenience store. Dick and Jane rob a "head shop" where the clerk or owner appears to be stoned and doesn't take them seriously. Miscellaneous people drink at a party where Dick and others have beer in front of them. We see pot plants being taken out of a house where a former worker was growing them for money. Dick has a beer in a bar where others drink (including Frank). He acts drunk and gets up on a table where he acts like a puppet, but the bartender swears that Dick has only had half a beer. We see that Frank has taken to drinking (a lot), Dick and Jane react to his breath and Dick comments on him and a fifth of scotch, and we see him drinking booze from a brown paper bag in a parking lot. Later, and while drunk, but mainly to serve as a distraction so that Dick and Jane can pull off their heist, he drives backwards and crashes into a bank worker's car (knowing he'll get arrested for DWI). An older woman opens the door, holding out a joint that Dick flicks away. BLOOD/GORE Dick applies for a job at a huge discount store, with the woman there telling him and other applicants, "I need you all to piss in one of these cups." Moments later, we see Dick standing at a urinal (we only see his face), having a problem going. We then see that the same lady is standing next to him, waiting, adding that she's been married for 20 years and "I know what it looks like" (referring to his unseen penis). After being punched in the face, Dick's face is swollen, as is Jane's after she participated in an experimental drug test (all played for visual laughs). We briefly see a dog urinating. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Most of the following is played for laughs. We hear that Globodyne cooked the books and is now bankrupt, with the blame going on Frank. Later, however, we learn that Jack was responsible and is trying to get away with his millions while the stockholders and employees are left with nothing. Dick purposefully drives through a red light (trying to beat it). For those opposed to humor based on violence against animals, Dick puts an electric dog collar on their pooch (to try to control its barking) and the dog gets zapped when it barks (played for exaggerated laughs). Later, however, and thinking it can't be that bad, Dick holds the dog's electric shock collar to his own neck and receives a strong shock (played for laughs). We hear a customer being abusive to Jane on the phone. Dick finds the company's employees shredding sensitive documents/evidence. A manager and his associates and/or employees make fun of Dick and his previous failure of being Globodyne's TV front man (after Dick thinks the manager is going to interview him for a job). With Blanca's accent and lisp, when she says "Richard" (for Dick), it comes out sounding like "Retard" (played for laughs and done several times, but some viewers might not find it funny). Some viewers may be offended by the portrayal of certain ethnic groups (Latinos as illegal immigrants or the nanny/housekeeper, blacks as drug users, Asians working in a stereotypical restaurant with stereotypical accents, etc.). Trying to get a day labor job, Dick hops on the back of a truck, but so does another man who punches Dick in the face, knocking him off the truck. Having been mistakenly deported as an illegal immigrant, Dick helps real illegal immigrants back across the border (and they all catch a ride in Jane's car). After their sod-based lawn has been repossessed, Dick takes a large knife and cuts strips of turf from a golf green, the neighbor's yard and even a cemetery (although he puts that back) and returns those lawn pieces to his yard. Dick uses his son's somewhat realistic squirt gun to hold up various places and people, and Jane then joins him, with them then returning to their former level of living thanks to their ill-gotten gains. We hear that a former employee took to illegal cock fights to make money (we see the roosters being carried out, but no such fighting is seen), while another apparently sold pot. FRIGHTENING SCENES After parking in a garage, Dick sees several men in suits walking his way and he runs to get away from them. But what seems like something that might be suspenseful turns out to be all comedy as they're other men vying for the same lone job. Real robbers enter a bank and one fires a shotgun into the air to get everyone's attention. Police carrying handguns and automatic weapons soon swarm the place and capture the robbers. GUNS/WEAPONS Working as a greeter at a huge discount store, Dick is supposed to tell people where to go. While doing so, he mentions the gun aisle to one man, but we never see it. Dick uses his son's somewhat realistic squirt gun to hold up various places. He also holds it on Jack to try to coerce him to pay him back for his troubles. Real robbers enter a bank and one fires a shotgun into the air to get everyone's attention. Police carrying handguns and automatic weapons soon swarm the place and capture the robbers. We see Jack firing a hunting rifle, but don't see what he or his assistant is shooting at. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "That f*cker," "Oh sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Pulling a Dick" (making a mistake or flubbing something, named after Dick doing just that), "We might be in a little bit of a pickle, Dick," "Damn glad," "What the hell?" "Shut up," "Oh jeez," "Spaz out," "I'm screwed," "Holy hell," "We got screwed," "Maybe you're not a bad ass," "Cut the crap," "Bastards," what sounded like "Poppycocker," "Cajones" (testicles) and "Go to hell." Some kids may be enticed to try to rob places at gunpoint like Dick and Jane (especially since it's played for laughs and success here). Dick purposefully drives through a red light (trying to beat it). All of Jim Carrey's usual, comically exaggerated mannerisms, moves, voices and more might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Some miscellaneous people (in separate scenes) have varying styles of tattoos. We see the Harper's rushing around a neighbor's yard, all soaped up and trying to get into the spray of the lawn sprinkler (that's how they're bathing). While doing so, Jane is a bikini top and cloth, boxer style shorts, while Dick is shirtless. With Blanca's accent and lisp, when she says "Richard" (for Dick), it comes out sounding like "Retard" (played for laughs and done several times). After robbing a place, Jane drives fast through the rain, and swerves and slides all over the road. Dick and Jane wear masks and use some sort of voice synthesizers that distort their voices, with Dick then making all sorts of weird noises with it and generally acting up. Jane acts like she's fainted to serve as a distraction for Dick. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has a lyric about lighting up a cigarette. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 2 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("d*ck"), 1 for breasts ("goodies"), 4 hells, 4 S.O.B.s, 2 asses, 2 damns, 1 crap, 15 uses of "Oh my God," 4 of "God," 2 of "My God" and 1 use each of "Jesus" and "Oh God." Several instances of profanity are bleeped out on the news as Frank is being escorted by authorities. SEX/NUDITY Jane sits on their bed in a flannel top and panties (that are partially seen in a few fleeting glimpses), excited about Dick's new position at work. He playfully gets on top of her on the bed between her bare spread legs, kissing and nuzzling her, with her saying, "We should have sex...on Saturday." Both seem fine with that, he gets off her and both get under the covers and go to sleep. When Jack asks if Dick ever had a nickname, Dick says it was "squirt" and adds that it had something to do with how he was conceived. Dick applies for a job at a huge discount store, with the woman there telling him and other applicants, "I need you all to piss in one of these cups." Moments later, we see Dick standing at a urinal (we only see his face), having a problem going. We then see that the same lady is standing next to him, waiting, adding that she's been married for 20 years and "I know what it looks like" (referring to his unseen penis). A customer throws what looks like detergent powder into Dick's eyes in a store (thinking he's following her, which he was, but as customer support and not a stalker -- and it's all played for laughs). That large woman then holds her clothed breasts and says that he was "all up in my goodies." We see the Harper's rushing around a neighbor's yard, all soaped up and trying to get into the spray of the lawn sprinkler (that's how they're bathing). While doing so, Jane is a bikini top and cloth, boxer style shorts, while Dick is shirtless. Trying to find a way to make money, Dick tells Jane "There's always prostitution." When she reacts surprised by that, he says "I mean me." Jane wakes up to find Dick covered in dirt and asleep in bed, with a dirty handprint across her jammies over her breast (meaning his hand was there). A poster on a convenience store wall shows a woman in a bikini, while the clerk there reads a magazine or comic entitled "Slumber Party Massacre" (but we don't see anything else or know the content of that). Excited about having pulled off their first real robbery, Dick and Jane passionately make out in their car (played for exaggerated laughs). We see Dick and Jane in various costumes, including Jane wearing what looks like a metal bra (of the cone shaped variety) over her clothes. Jane adjusts her clothed breasts. Jane shows a little cleavage in bed. Jane is excited by Dick's criminal mind, saying that it's a turn on and Dick playfully replies that he's a "hardened criminal." SMOKING Dick smokes a cigar in one scene. Working as a greeter at a huge discount store, Dick is supposed to tell people where to go. During this, a woman wants to know where the cigarettes are (we don't see them). TENSE FAMILY SCENES Billy is upset when his parents carry out the TV that they must sell to make ends meet. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Corporate fraud and recent real-life cases of that (with companies such as Enron and Worldcom, etc.). Dick finds the company's employees shredding sensitive documents/evidence. Some viewers may be offended by the portrayal of certain ethnic groups (Latinos as illegal immigrants or the nanny/housekeeper, blacks as drug users, Asians working in a stereotypical restaurant with stereotypical accents, etc.). Alcoholism. Dick and Jane take to armed robbery to make ends meet, return to their lifestyle and to try to get revenge on Jack. VIOLENCE All of the following is played for laughs. Dick playfully kicks a ball that's on his front lawn and we then hear it accidentally crash through glass (he sheepishly gets into his car). Dick puts an electric dog collar on their pooch (to try to control its barking) and the dog gets zapped when it barks (played for exaggerated laughs). A drunken Frank slaps Dick on the face and grabs him by his jacket. Thinking it can't be that bad, Dick holds the dog's electric shock collar to his own neck and receives a strong shock (played for laughs). After parking in a garage, Dick sees several men in suits walking his way and he runs to get away from them. But what seems like something that might be suspenseful turns out to be all comedy as they're other men vying for the same lone job. One such man sends many empty water bottles tumbling down the steps and knees Dick in the crotch or gut (briefly doubling him over in pain), while Dick ends up spraying that guy with a fire extinguisher. A customer throws what looks like detergent powder into Dick's eyes in a store (thinking he's following her, which he was, but as customer support and not a stalker -- and it's all played for laughs). Working as an exercise class instructor, Jane accidentally kicks an adult student. Trying to get a day labor job, Dick hops on the back of a truck, but so does another man who punches Dick in the face, knocking him off the truck. Thinking he's an illegal immigrant, an INS agent pushes Dick up against a wall. Jane falls over a counter in a coffee shop and hits the floor, but is okay (played for laughs). Having stolen the neighbor's car, Dick and Jane crash it through a plate glass window to rob the place. We see that Dick and Jane have tied up a man who previously made fun of Dick's misfortune. They also put the electric dog collar on the man's neck and when he later yells out, it zaps him (played for laughs). We see TV footage of a cop chasing and tackling a bank robber into some bushes. Spotting Frank in bar, Dick chases after him and tackles him into some shrubs where he punches him. Frank then tries to escape, but Dick tackles him on a plaza and has his arm around Frank's neck before throttling him about, shaking him in his clothes. Dick and Frank briefly struggle and have to be separated by Jane. Dick falls from a ceiling (where he was briefly hanging/hiding) and lands hard on the floor, but is okay (played for laughs). While drunk, but mainly to serve as a distraction so that Dick and Jane can pull off their heist, Frank drives backwards and crashes into a bank worker's car. Jane purposefully trips a man in a bank as part of their ruse. She then slaps a man twice, acting like he's coming on to her. Dick holds his fake gun on Jack, wanting money from him. A prison guard whacks on an inmate (a former coworker with Dick) with his night stick (played for laughs). Reviewed December 13, 2005 / Posted December 21, 2005

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