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"THE PRODUCERS" (2005) (Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild *None *Moderate None Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor None Heavy Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor None Moderate *Mild QUICK TAKE: Musical: Realizing they can make more money from a flop than a success, two men try to create the worst musical ever. PLOT: It's 1959 and Broadway producer Max Bialystock (NATHAN LANE) hasn't had a hit in years, meaning he has to finance his latest offerings through little old ladies with big libidos. Leo Blooms (MATTHEW BRODERICK) is the mousy accountant sent to work on his books who's always dreamed of being a Broadway producer. When Leo figures out that one could actually make more money -- from a tax viewpoint -- by staging a flop rather than a success, the unlikeliest of partnerships is born. Of course, they need a musical that's truly awful, something that has no chance of ever succeeding on the stage. Accordingly, they choose former Nazi turned aspiring playwright Franz Liebkind (WILL FERRELL) and his script for "Springtime With Hitler." Certain it's a colossal flop in the making, they set out to get it on the stage. After hiring the Swedish amazon Ulla (UMA THURMAN) to work as their secretary and assistant, they hire gay director Roger De Bris (GARY BEACH) and his common-law assistant Carmen Ghia (ROGER BART) to get the ball rolling. From that point on, as they audition performers and then rehearse the musical numbers, Max and Leo do everything in their power to make sure the show flops, unaware of what fate has in store for them. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the Broadway show (or any Broadway musical), the original movie or anyone in the cast, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual humor and references. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: NATHAN LANE plays a down-and-out Broadway producer who hasn't had a hit in years and finances his plays by sexually servicing little old ladies. He jumps on Leo's statement that a flop could make them rich and then sets out to make sure their latest endeavor is just that. MATTHEW BRODERICK plays the mousy accountant who quits his job to pursue his dream of being a Broadway producer after he figures out they could make more money with a flop than a success. He uses some profanity and has sex or fools around with Ulla. UMA THURMAN plays the leggy and sultry Swede who takes a job as the guys' secretary and assistant, and has sex or fools around with Leo. WILL FERRELL plays the former Nazi turned playwright who still worships Der Führer and has written a Broadway musical about him. When it doesn't turn out like he wanted, he comes looking for Max and Leo with revenge on his mind. GARY BEACH plays the gay director that Max convinces to direct their play. ROGER BART plays his snide, common-law assistant who's also gay (or at least acts that way). JON LOVITZ plays Leo's mean and demanding boss who smokes a cigar. 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 musical that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "s" word and a slang term for breasts, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. All sorts of sexually related dialogue and innuendo (both spoken and sung in various songs and covering a variety of topics) are present throughout the film, while sex or fooling apparently occurs behind a sofa (played in an exaggerated, comedy fashion), other sex is implied and other comedy-based sexual material occurs. Scantly clad women are seen as are others in tight/revealing attire, and some gay-related material is present. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes (all played for laughs), while slapstick style material and some gun-wielding is present. Some characters drink and/or smoke, while some potentially imitative behavior occurs. 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 We see a cocktails sign in a window where bottles of liquor are also seen. A song has a lyric about drinking champagne "till I puke" (which is then repeated), while we see some champagne poured for Leo. A song has a line about drinking schnapps. Carmen calls some man on the phone a "broken down old queen," and says that Roger was drunk and that this man got lucky. Various people have champagne. We see tropical drinks by Leo and Ulla. Some chorus girls have champagne. BLOOD/GORE None, but a song has a lyric about drinking champagne "till I puke" (which is then repeated), and a sign for a play shows its title as "The Breaking Wind." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the following is played for over-the-top laughs. Max yells down to a pretty lady on the street, "When you got it, flaunt it." We hear that Max used $2,000 from a previous show to go to a Turkish bath. After some thinking, Leo then agrees to hide the expenditure from the IRS. Leo's CPA boss is demanding of and demeaning to Leo and his other employees. Franz is a Nazi who's written the supportive Hitler play "Springtime for Hitler." Some viewers might not like the Nazi-related humor, including most everything Franz does, as well as his pigeons, once of which puts its wing up in the "Heil Hitler" fashion, and Franz having Max and Leo put on swastika armbands (which they later continue to wear by accident), and then the play "Springtime for Hitler." Franz tells Max and Leo that if they break their Nazi oath with him, that means death. Some viewers might not like a song saying "Whether it's murder, mayhem or rage...Don't complain, it's a pain...Keep it gay!" Trying to elicit bad luck (to make sure their play flops), Max breaks a mirror and throws a black cat under a ladder (we don't see where it lands/hits and some might not like the humor stemming from the latter). Upset about how the play turned out, Franz enters on crutches carrying a luger that he fires wildly all over the place (played for comedy and no one is hit). He then tries to commit suicide and pulls the trigger twice, but the gun doesn't fire (also played for laughs, although some might not find that funny either). Realizing their plan is doomed, Max says they should kill all of the actors (played for laughs). A cop is demeaning to Max. Leo takes the money (and Ulla) and runs off to Rio, leaving Max to face the consequences. Max refers to Roger (who's gay) as a "lousy fruit." A comment is made about Max and Leo bringing joy and laughter to all of the murderers, rapists and sex maniacs in Sing Sing (some viewers might not like that). FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS We hear gunshot and explosion sounds in a play where prop tanks and machine guns are seen. Upset about how the play turned out, Franz enters on crutches carrying a luger that he fires wildly all over the place (played for comedy and no one is hit). He then tries to commit suicide and pulls the trigger twice, but the gun doesn't fire (also played for laughs, although some might not find that funny either). Cops hold their guns on Franz. A cop holds a gun on Max when the latter nonchalantly tries to walk out of his own trial. Max has to take a knife away from someone. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Hold me, touch me," "Dummy," "You dirty old buzzard," "You pervert," "Shut up," "Assume away," "You bloody little genius," "I'm a loser," "Where the hell have you been?" "What the hell /is going on in here/was going on/is that about?" "A certified public asshole," "It's the mother lode," "AQAP" (as quick as possible), "You broken down old queen," "Yessss," "When mounting a play...keep it gay," "He's having a stroke...of genius," "We might have a position for you...We might have several positions for you," "You two are busy eschewing each other," "Give me those freaking books," "Fatso," You neo-Nazi nitwit," "You Teutonic twit," "This crazy kraut is crackers," "Wow, wow, wowie," "Lousy fruit," "What a schmuck" and "Everybody was always out to screw me" (nonsexual). Some kids might repeat the lyrics to any of the songs in the movie. Max throws water into Leo's face and then slaps him, trying to make him stop being hysterical. Leo and Max dance in a large park fountain. Carmen makes a popping sound with his hand and mouth. Trying to elicit bad luck (to make sure their play flops), Max breaks a mirror and throws a black cat under a ladder (we don't see where it lands/hits). A miscellaneous person in prison has tattoos. JUMP SCENES Max suddenly moves from under some newspapers on him (with a sudden sound that startles Leo). MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Various songs contain sexually related lyrics and/or innuendo (see "Sex/Nudity), as well as various instances of profanity (including but not limited to an "s" word, a slang term for breasts ("t*ts"), references to drinking, Nazi/Hitler based lyrics (all played for laughs) and more. PROFANITY At least 1 "s" word (and another possible German version of that "scheissen"), 4 slang terms for sex ("schtup," "laid" and "do it"), 1 for breasts ("t*ts"), 4 hells, 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 1 damn, 5 uses of "Oh my God," 3 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "By God" and "Jesus." SEX/NUDITY We see some miscellaneous cleavage. A poster has the title "King Leer" (rather than "Lear"). Max refers to one of his older female financial backers as "Hold Me, Touch Me." He then goes through a list of others with similar nicknames, including "Like Me" and he starts to say one starting with the "f" word, but stops before completing it. One of Max's older financial backers, "Hold Me, Touch Me" wants to play a dirty role-playing game with him that she calls the virgin milkmaid and the well-hung stable boy. Max calls her some sort of sexual name, grabs his clothed crotch and then reluctantly does the play acting with her, saying "First your milk, then your virginity" (which gets the older woman all excited/flustered, causing her to say "Yes, yes. Give it to me, well-hung stable boy!" and "Send me to the moon, you animal"). In response he refers to her as "You dirty old buzzard." During that visit and role-playing, Leo has been hiding out of sight, and once the women leaves, he apologizes to Max, saying he's sorry for having "caught you feeling up the old lady." In response, Max asks why Leo is looking up little old ladies' dresses and calls him a pervert (all played for laughs). Other such sexually related dialogue and innuendo is also present. Max yells down to a pretty lady on the street, "When you got it, flaunt it." A song has a lyric about "Beautiful girls, wearing nothing but pearls. Caressing you, undressing you. And driving you mad." Various chorus girls show cleavage, lots of thigh and part of the side of their bottoms in their high-cut leotard type outfits. During the musical number they're in, we see various male accountants staring at them (some of them leering). Lyrics in a song talk about a man pinching women's cheeks (presumably their butts) and it's implied that Leo does that as various chorus girls pass by (we don't see the contact, but we their reaction). Another line is about having a "casting couch." Carmen calls some man on the phone a "broken down old queen," and says that Roger was drunk and that this man got lucky. Classical style statues show female full frontal nudity. A song "Keep it Gay" has many repeated uses of the title in it, referring to keeping plays lively and happy, but the obvious reference also regards many gay people working in the theater (and this scene shows many stereotypical ones singing the upbeat song). The song also has the lyric "Oedipus won't bomb...If he winds up with Mom," another has something about the rule being "when mounting...a play, keep it gay," and a third has something about played by chorus boys in very tight pants. Meanwhile, the lone woman in it is stereotypically "butch," and a male choreographer has a large bulge in the front of his pants. During the musical number, we see a shirtless man, while Leo is reluctantly dancing, not realizing he's thrusting his clothed butt backwards in the direction of a gay man's clothed crotch. Referring to Ulla and his casting couch, Max says that just once he'd like to see someone under 85 on it. As Ulla does a musical number about sticking out her chest and shaking her tush, Leo and Max stare at her wiggling butt and her abundant cleavage. She also shows a lot of stocking-covered leg and sings a line about showing the boys your birthday suit and something about a g-string. She then shakes her chest and we see a few quick crotch shots (clothed) as she dances about the office in her short/tight outfit. Following this, Max says that although he and Leo are sitting down, "we're giving you a standing ovation." Both then look down at their clothed crotches and gingerly cross their own legs (both erection jokes). Leo then says they might have a position for her (meaning a job), with Max jokingly adding "We might have several positions for you" (a sexual reference). Max then hugs her with his head near her cleavage-baring chest. He pulls away for a moment, looks there, and then hugs her again just as before. While telling them her daily schedule, Ulla refers to herself in the third person stating, "At 11, Ulla likes to have sex." She then asks them what time she should show up for work and both quickly state "Eleven." After she leaves, Leo asks what that feeling is, and Max jokes that it's either an erection or malaria. Max sings about his older financial backers, saying he'll give them one last thrill on their way to the cemetery. He also sings about putting his backers on their backs and thrilling them with amazing acts, referring to them as "aging nymphomaniacs." There's a line about them yelling "Fire down below" and something about ejaculation. During this number, one such old lady raises her dress and does a pelvic thrust in her slip. We see Ulla up on a ladder painting in a tight, sexy and low-cut dress that shows cleavage. She then shows a lot of leg as she slides down Leo's body as he helps her down off a table. She then goes down behind the sofa with Leo, with a comical bit implying sex or fooling around (we see their legs and faces pop up from behind the sofa that's then rocking, and then both look exhausted when they're done). Ulla comments on Max having to "schtup" every little old lay in New York (to finance his play), with Max jokingly replying that he still has the denture bites to prove it. A song has lyrics about the "urge to merge" and the "need to breed." Ulla shows more cleavage. During an audition, a man says he'd like to sing the little wooden boy song as he holds his hands in his pants pocket, accidentally or knowingly simulating an erection there. Ulla and Leo passionately kiss in an exaggerated fashion. Leo tells Ulla to have the audience rolling in the aisles (from her performance) but she says there are so many of them (possibly meant sexually on her part, but perhaps just referring to the number of people and limited space in the aisles). We see some cleavage in a play where women, including Ulla, wear very small bikini-type tops. Following the play, Leo and Max struggle over the books, with Max saying "Give it to me" and Leo responding "No!" As that occurs, they're in a front to back position (Max behind Leo), with Roger and Carmen seeing them that way and one comments "That's what I call celebrating" (a gay joke). The two gay men then go back in the closet (literally). Ulla passionately kisses Leo. Leo oils up Ulla as she lies face down in a bikini. A song has lyrics about Leo saying it's almost eleven o'clock (meaning sex with Ulla), and "You're in Rio getting laid." Max says "Wow, wow, wowie" while flicking his hands in front of his chest (representing Ulla). The lady known as "Hold Me, Touch Me" says just that to Max during his trial, with him saying he's a little busy. When a judge acts shocked that Ulla is married to Leo, she tells him that Leo wouldn't "do it" (have sex) unless they were married. We see women in a play wearing small, leotard type outfits that are high-cut on the bottom. A title of a play seen on the screen has the sexual term "Schtup" in it. SMOKING Some miscellaneous smoking occurs, while Leo's CPA boss smokes a cigar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The ploy that Max and Leo try to pull off and whether it would actually work (about making more money from a flop than a success). Nazis. Broadway musicals. Homosexuality. We see Roger (who's gay) dressed in drag. VIOLENCE All of the following is played for over-the-top laughs. Two female ushers are knocked down by a crowd rushing out of a theater. Max throws water into Leo's face and then slaps him, trying to make him stop being hysterical. Franz slaps Leo twice in a song. That continues, with seemingly accidental physical contact with both Max and Leo where Franz slaps them, backhands Leo to the roof's surface, and hits both in the gut or crotch (all played for laughs). Max whacks Leo to make him be quiet and not tip-off Franz about how they really feel (since they need his play). Trying to elicit bad luck (to make sure their play flops), Max breaks a mirror and throws a black cat under a ladder (we don't see where it lands/hits). We hear sounds of a person falling and crashing into things, with Franz's voice then saying that he broke his leg. Carmen slaps Roger to make him regain his composure. Upset about how the play turned out, Franz enters on crutches carrying a luger that he fires wildly all over the place (played for comedy and no one is hit). He then tries to commit suicide and pulls the trigger twice, but the gun doesn't fire (also played for laughs, although some might not find that funny either). We hear more sounds of falling violence, with the sound of Franz saying he broke his other leg. A swinging light hits Max on the head. Reviewed December 5, 2005 / Posted December 25, 2005

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