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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "IN THE LAND OF WOMEN" (2007) (Adam Brody, Meg Ryan) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Moderate Mild None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None Minor Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Moderate Heavy Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: A young, aspiring screenwriter finds admirable women in his mother's Michigan hometown, from whom he learns important lessons about life, death, and dignity. PLOT: Carter (ADAM BRODY) is an aspiring screenwriter living in L.A. When his beautiful, famous actress and Gap model girlfriend Sophia (ELENA ANAYA) drops him, he seeks solace in suburban Michigan, where he goes to look after his aging grandmother Phyllis (OLYMPIA DUKAKIS). Here he meets her neighbors, a beautiful wife and mother named Sarah (MEG RYAN), currently struggling with her typically resentful and rebellious teenage daughter Lucy (KRISTEN STEWART). Soon after Carter arrives, Sarah learns she has breast cancer, which makes her feel more urgent about repairing the relationship with Lucy and ensuring that her younger daughter, Paige (MAKENZIE VEGA) feels secure. Sarah has her own reason to feel insecure, as her husband, Nelson (CLARK GREGG), has been having an affair. He believes she doesn't know, and she believes Lucy doesn't know, but they all know. Worse, Sarah and Lucy each confide in Carter, swearing him to secrecy concerning their deepest worries and desires. He accommodates them, because he believes himself to be a "great listener." Eventually, Carter comes to terms with his own insecurities as well. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? They might if they're fans of Kristen Stewart or Adam Brody (he starred on "The O.C."). They might also want to see the part about Lucy's dating dilemmas, but most of the film is about Carter's twenty-something crises. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual content, thematic elements and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ADAM BRODY plays Carter, a young writer whose current job -- scripting soft-core porn -- is only a stepping-stone to his greater ambition, to write a Hollywood screenplay. He smokes some. MEG RYAN plays Sarah, a mother and wife facing breast cancer with courage and, occasionally, a sense of humor. KRISTEN STEWART plays high school student Lucy, trying to figure out her budding sexuality, as well as her anger at her mother. She smokes some. OLYMPIA DUKAKIS plays Carter's grandmother, worried about her imminent death even as he insists she's making it up. She is wiser than he thinks. MAKENZIE VEGA plays Lucy's younger sister, precocious and sweet like kids are in the movies. ELENA ANAYA plays Carter's ex-girlfriend, a beautiful actress who treats him callously. CLARK GREGG plays Sarah's husband, cheating on her and not exactly supportive during her struggle with cancer. DUSTIN MULLIGAN plays a nice boy at school who likes Lucy. 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 quick look at the content found in this PG-13 dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, including that related to the protagonist who writes soft-core porn. A flashback shows a couple in bed, presumably completely naked, while other kissing occurs. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while tense family and thematic material includes family illnesses (including cancer), death, and strained relationships. Some characters smoke or drink, with some inebriation being present on and off-camera. Finally, an intoxicated guy punches a young man. 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. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there is some handheld camerawork in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Carter helps his grandmother take her medication (prescription pills). Sarah's medicine cabinet is filled with prescription pill bottles (no names visible). At a high school party, the kids are drinking beer and some kind of punch. Gabe appears to be drunk when he punches Carter. During her chemo, Sarah sits with an assortment of pills in front of her in the living room. Carter calls Sophie on her cell phone. Her end of the conversation (off screen) suggests she is extremely drunk and she tells him, "Everybody's wasted." BLOOD/GORE Phyllis tells Carter, "It's possible maybe my toilet may be stopped up." He makes a face, but we don't see anything. Gabe's attack on Carter leaves Carter with a slightly bloody face. Sarah's hair is falling out (a clump in her hand). Sarah vomits and falls to the floor. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Carter's girlfriend dumps him. Lucy laughs when she sees Carter drop his grandmother's garbage on the sidewalk, then she runs away to hide. Lucy hides outside to smoke a cigarette. Sarah's husband cheats on her and isn't exactly supportive during her struggle with cancer. Lucy argues with her mother about inviting Carter to a movie. Lucy is embarrassed ("It would redefine 'lame'"). Lucy tells Carter that Gabe "hooked up with my best friend," and now the scene at school is "awkward." Gabe acts like a jerk and appears to be drunk when he confronts and punches Carter. Characters use the terms: "You pathetic faggot" and "It's too retarded." FRIGHTENING SCENES Sarah collapses in her kitchen. Lucy has to help her and looks frightened (handheld camera views suggest their matching fears). Lucy sees her mother in the hospital bed and worries. It's not "frightening," so much as startling: Carter finds his grandmother dead in her chair in front of the TV. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You pathetic faggot," "My [cell phone] service sucks," "It's too retarded," "I am totally kissing your ass" and "You step into my hood?" Paige sings loudly with the radio, to a rock song. Lucy smokes behind her mother's back. Lucy and Sarah both ask Carter to keep secrets for them. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) In her first scene, Paige is singing along to "Hot Blooded," a scene that is coded as comedy: "I got a fever of 103!" PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word and another incomplete one, 7 "s" words, 4 asses (all used with "hole"), 1 "hell" and 1 use of "Jesus." SEX/NUDITY Carter discusses his work -- writing "soft-core porn" several times. One of Carter's characters has a [missed the mumbled word] "so hot and tight you could fry an egg on it." Carter tells his director that a soft-core porn character "seduces the guy who's installing her DSL." Carter explains a soft-core porn character's motivation, over the phone to his director: "She's sexually compulsive... Because of her traumatic childhood, illicit sex is the only way she can orgasm." Carter tells his director that a "hot rookie cop wants to get down." Carter writes on his laptop about a character's "bulging crotch." Sarah looks at herself in the mirror and puts her hand under her t-shirt to feel her breast (in a self-exam fashion - we don't see any nudity). Carter remembers meeting Sophie, whereupon the film shows a series of kisses, romantic and sweet. A brief flashback shows Carter and Sophie in bed, seen from the naked shoulders up and showing some kissing. Carter kisses Sarah passionately, in the rain. Lucy talks to Carter about being afraid to kiss Gabe and he promises her she'll know when it's the right person. She later kisses Carter. Lucy tells Carter that Gabe "hooked up with my best friend," and now the scene at school is "awkward." Phyllis answers the door wearing only an old sweater. Carter chastises her, insisting she must wear clothes ("If you want to give the impression that you are not completely demented, you will heed my advice"). SMOKING Carter smokes at least 3 times, Lucy smokes 2 times (hiding it from her parents because she is in high school), and Sarah makes her promise to quit smoking. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Carter stops by his mother Agnes' house, and she's crying because her mother Phyllis is upsetting her over the phone (Phyllis is worried she is dying). As soon as Carter arrives at Phyllis' home, she tells him she's dying (this becomes a running "joke"). Sarah tells Lucy she has found a lump in her breast, and both have trouble voicing their concern. Sarah's husband cheats on her and isn't exactly supportive during her struggle with cancer. Carter insists that Phyllis stop talking about her death. She tells him to call hospice, "When you find my lifeless corpse." Sarah and Nelson come home from the doctor, and decide who will tell which daughter the result. Sarah tells Paige about her cancer, and they discuss whether Sarah is scared. Paige then admits taking $20 from her mother's purse months ago, because she wants always to hear the "truth" from her mother. Sarah argues with Lucy several times, about her sullenness. Carter finds his grandmother dead in her chair in front of the TV. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Cancer and the fear of a parent's death by that. Teen smoking. Death of a grandparent. Senility in a grandparent. Carter makes a joke when he goes walking in the woods with Sarah ("I feel like I'm gonna run into the cast of 'Deliverance'"). VIOLENCE Carter goes running and becomes so engrossed in his flashbacks about Sophie that he runs hard into a tree, and knocks himself out. Gabe appears to be drunk when he punches Carter, bloodying the latter's face. Reviewed April 13, 2007 / Posted April 20, 2007

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