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"THE GAME PLAN" (2007) (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Minor Moderate Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Moderate Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A star NFL quarterback discovers he has a seven-year-old daughter, and has to change his life in order to be a good dad. PLOT: NFL quarterback Joe King (DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON) is popular and wealthy, a confirmed bachelor and a major Elvis Presley fan. However, his life is incomplete. He thinks it's because he's never won a championship, but he soon learns that he's missing something else, namely, a sense of family and commitment. His routine is drastically changed when he gets a visit from a seven-year-old daughter Peyton (MADISON PETTIS) he never knew existed. The disruption affects his living arrangement (she makes a mess in the kitchen, needs a bedroom, and likes to dress his bulldog Spike in a ballet tutu), as well as his professional career. Although his good-natured teammates welcome the child's presence on the sidelines and even in the locker room (she stands behind a sheet when they shower), Joe's decision to bring Peyton along for the opening of his nightclub leads to an awkward moment, when he forgets her there and she's frightened amid the crowd. His pushy agent Stella (KYRA SEDGWICK) comes up with a plan to hire a nanny, but that doesn't work out either. Much like her father, Peyton has an athletic passion, though hers is ballet. She enrolls in a class taught by Monique (ROSELYN SANCHEZ), who insists that Joe "make a commitment," by which she means he must participate -- playing a tree -- in the class' performance. Monique convinces Joe that ballet is even harder work than football, and when his supermodel girlfriend, Tatianna (KATE NAUTA) drops him, Joe becomes interested in Monique, who is a good maternal figure as well. Just when Joe's team makes it to the championship game, he's distracted once more by the discovery that Peyton's mother is not exactly where she said she was. Now he has to make decisions, meaning the trophy and Joe's relationship with Peyton hang in the balance. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Yes, especially if they're Rock fans or football fans, or like to see little girls wreaking havoc on adults' routines. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some mild thematic elements. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: DWAYNE "THEE ROCK" JOHNSON is Joe King, a talented, popular, and self-absorbed quarterback for the fictional Boston Rebels whose life is upended when he learns that Peyton is his daughter. MADISON PETTIS plays Joe's daughter Peyton, who arrives on his doorstep unexpectedly and upends his life. ROSELYN SANCHEZ is Monique, Peyton's ballet teacher and model for good child-nurturing for Joe. KYRA SEDGWICK plays Joe's agent Stella; she's aggressive, ambitious, and efficient. MORRIS CHESTNUT is Sanders, Joe's well-adjusted, family-man teammate, who advises him on generosity and time management. HAYES MacARTHUR plays Coop, the dumbest teammate (and so, the butt of some word jokes). BRIAN J. WHITE is Joe's supportive teammate Jamal; he plays cards and watches games on TV at Joe's. JAMAL DUFF is Clarence, another mostly forgettable teammate. PAIGE TURCO is Karen, Madison's do-gooder aunt. KATE NAUTA plays Tatianna, Joe's globetrotting supermodel girlfriend. 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 comedy that's rated PG. The film includes brief glimpses of cleavage and a man's bare chest, as well as a shot of him in ballet tights. Various bad attitudes are present, as is imitative behavior (including some colorful phrases). Thematic elements include a young girl having to live with the father she's never known, resulting in some tense family material. Standard-issue football contact occurs in games, while brief drinking is present. There's brief crude humor, while a few scenes might be unsettling for the very youngest of viewers. 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 A post-game party at Joe's apartment shows guests holding drinks. An opening night party at Joe's restaurant shows guests holding drinks. Peyton pretends to be dizzy, threatening to say that she drank margaritas at the restaurant opening party (she did not). BLOOD/GORE Joe sweats following a practice, during a ballet rehearsal, and during a game. Joe is allergic to a cookie and his tongue swells. Peyton is allergic to nuts. She sweats, her face swells, and she has trouble breathing, so Joe runs with her in his arms several blocks to the hospital. Stella eats so many burgers to impress the owner that she farts. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE At a party, a player encourages Coop to use his breath spray before he approaches a pretty girl (the friend says, "Chicks dig it"). Coop opens his mouth, but then learns the spray has turned his teeth green, and girls laugh at him. Joe gives Tatianna a gift from Chanel, though it's clear he has a closet full of these bags, and that he didn't pick it out for her. When Joe arrives at practice after having an allergic reaction to a cinnamon cookie, his teammates make fun of his lisp, caused by a swollen tongue. Coop says something is "stupid," and Peyton tells him, "Stupid is a mean word" (this lesson will be repeated later). Peyton dances in the kitchen when Joe tells her not to, bumps the blender, and sends protein drink flying all over him, her, and the walls. He then tells her to stay out of the kitchen from now on. Peyton pretends to be dizzy, threatening to say that she drank margaritas at the restaurant opening party (she did not). At a press conference, Peyton smiles and says Joe's the "best dad," earning them both approvals from the sports writers. She then whispers in his ear, "It's gonna cost you." Joe's teammates shake a soda so it sprays all over Joe's $40,000 couch when it's opened. Peyton puts two jars of bubble bath in tub, so soap overflows all over the bathroom. When Joe is supposed to endorse a fast food chain, Peyton says her mother says burgers make kids fat. Tatianna comes for a date, but Peyton is jealous and thus acts as if she's sick to make Joe stay home. Joe and Peyton argue, yelling at each other, and she locks herself in her room and he sings outside her door until she lets him in. Teammates laugh at and make fun of Joe in his tights at the ballet performance, then are so moved by the show that they give it a standing ovation. FRIGHTENING SCENES Joe's decision to bring Peyton along for the opening of his nightclub leads to an awkward moment, when he forgets her at the club and she's frightened amid the crowd Peyton is allergic to nuts. She sweats, her face swells, and she has trouble breathing, so Joe runs with her in his arms several blocks to the hospital. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Never say no, Joe," "Stupid is a mean word," "Step away from the pants," "Peyton's the mess," "Pain in the butt," "Dude stop being such a chick" and "Chicks dig it." At a party, a player encourages Coop to use his breath spray before he approaches a pretty girl (the friend says, "Chicks dig it"). Coop opens his mouth, but then learns the spray has turned his teeth green, and girls laugh at him. When Joe arrives at practice after having an allergic reaction to a cinnamon cookie, his teammates make fun of his lisp, caused by a swollen tongue. Joe's teammates shake a soda so it sprays all over Joe's $40,000 couch when it's opened. Peyton puts a pink tutu on Spike and Joe is embarrassed. Peyton puts "Bedazzled" sequins on several surfaces, including the back of Joe's jacket and his football. Joe cracks his knuckles and neck after Peyton says her mother tells her not to. A prospective nanny screams and acts silly, like a fan, when Joe picks her out of a line to look after Peyton. Peyton puts two jars of bubble bath in tub, so soap overflows all over the bathroom. Tatianna comes for a date, but Peyton is jealous and thus acts as if she's sick to make Joe stay home. Joe flexes his pecs. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY A post-game party includes brief glimpses of women's cleavage (background characters), players call a woman a "hottie," and one encourages Coop to use his breath spray before he approaches her (the friend says, "Chicks dig it"). Coop opens his mouth, and then learns the spray has turned his teeth green, and the "hottie" girls laugh at him. After a practice, Joe soaks in an ice bath and we see his bare shoulders. Clarence keeps a ragged pair of long underwear enshrined near his locker, which he wears in every game because they're "lucky." Peyton hits the "romance" button on Joe's all-room remote, and seductive music starts and the lights go down. We see some cleavage at an opening night party at Joe's restaurant. Joe has a post-practice massage (we see his bare back as he lies on the table; he gets up and we see his bare chest). Monique has Joe practice hard for a ballet performance. He sweats, they flirt (and he flexes his pecs). Tatianna comes for a date in a tight dress that shows cleavage. Joe wears green tights for a "Swan Lake" performance, and appears briefly with chest reveals, then puts on a blouse. Stella is so happy that Joe wins that she kisses the man who owns the burger chain. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES When Joe learns Peyton is his daughter, he's nervous and worried. He asks where her aunt is and Peyton lies, saying she's dead. He then accepts her request that she stay with him for a month. Peyton refuses to eat her spaghetti, resulting in a little tension between her and Joe who wants her to do so. Peyton plays with the all-room remote and Joe tells her to "stop touching things." When Peyton first speaks to her aunt by phone (early in the film you assume Karen is her mother), she lies, telling her she's at ballet school instead of at Joe's. Peyton dances in the kitchen when Joe tells her not to, bumps the blender, and sends protein drink flying all over him, her, and the walls. He then tells her to stay out of the kitchen from now on. When Joe forgets Peyton at the restaurant party, a tabloid photo shows him looking like a "bad dad." Tatianna comes for a date, and Peyton is jealous and thus acts as if she's sick to make Joe stay home. Joe and Peyton argue, yelling at each other. She locks herself in her room and he sings outside her door until she lets him in. Karen yells at Joe at the hospital, blaming him for Peyton's allergic reaction. She says Peyton has to live with her, not Joe. Joe reads a letter from his dead ex-wife that Peyton keeps in her bag. It's sad because she meant to tell him he had a daughter and never did, and he sheds a tear from all of that. Seeing that Joe is losing the big game, Karen and Peyton come to his locker room and encourage him to play, resulting in big hugs and smiles all around, and tearful/happy embrace. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Mothers dying when children are young. Absent fathers. Lying to parents or other adults. Selfishness or conceitedness. Commercial endorsements by athletes. Comparisons between ballet and football, in terms of difficulty. Single fatherhood. VIOLENCE Some football games include hard hits and fast action, all briefly shown. When Peyton adds too much soap to her bath, Joe slips on the excess soap and falls in the tub, but isn't hurt. In the last game, Joe is injured and sent to the locker room where his shoulder is bandaged and he winces in pain. Reviewed September 22, 2007 / Posted September 28, 2007

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