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"DRILLBIT TAYLOR" (2008) (Owen Wilson, Nate Hartley) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Extreme *Minor Mild Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Extreme None Moderate Mild *Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Mild Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Three freshmen hire a homeless man who claims he can protect them from the high school bully who's been terrorizing them. PLOT: It's supposed to be a big event in their lives, but the first day of high school for best friends Wade (NATE HARTLEY) and Ryan (TROY GENTILE), who now wants to be known as T-Dog, turns out to be a nightmare. And that's because Wade decides to step in and tell senior bullies Filkins (ALEX FROST) and Ronnie (JOSH PECK) to stop picking on diminutive freshman Emmit (DAVID DORFMAN). Accordingly, Filkins and his accomplice make the three boys their target for continued harassment. Too embarrassed to tell their parents and unable to get the school principal (STEPHEN ROOT) to believe their story -- especially since Filkins has everyone fooled that he's a good kid -- Wade and Ryan decide they have to hire a bodyguard for protection. After a round of interviews that go nowhere, they end up hiring former Army man Drillbit Taylor (OWEN WILSON), not realizing he's really a homeless man who will say anything to get what he needs or desires. That includes enough money to get him to Canada, but his fellow homeless friend, Don (DANNY McBRIDE), convinces him to stay since gaining the boys' confidence will also gain them access to their homes and the possessions therein. Even so, and realizing the boys truly do need his help, Drillbit decides to pose as a substitute teacher so that he can watch over them. He's distracted, however, by English teacher Lisa (LESLIE MANN) with whom he carries on a torrid affair. From that point on, and as Wade finds himself smitten with fellow student Brooke (VALERIE TIAN), the boys hope that the pointers and training Drillbit has delivered will allow them to handle the bullies who are terrorizing them. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Preteens might not be interested, but older tweens and especially younger teen boys probably will, especially since they might view it as a PG-13 version of the same sort of material found in "Superbad." WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For crude sexual references throughout, strong bullying, language, drug references and partial nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: OWEN WILSON plays a homeless Army deserter who cons the boys into hiring him as their supposedly highly trained bodyguard. While he initially does so for the money as well as access to items in Wade's house that he and his buddies can steal, he eventually has a change of heart and wants to help them. Even so, he lies to most everyone, including Lisa with whom he establishes a sexual relationship. He uses profanity. TROY GENTILE plays a chubby freshman in high school who, along with Wade and Emmit, draws the ire of Filkins and Ronnie. He's a bit of a smart aleck, uses profanity, and is mean and demeaning to Emmit. NATE HARTLEY plays his best friend, a skinny kid growing up in a household filled with an overbearing stepdad and step-brothers. Defending Emmit, he draws the ire of the bullies, and then hires Drillbit as protection. He then tries to use Drillbit's teachings and advice to deal with their tormentors, all while being in puppy love with Brooke. DAVID DORFMAN plays their much smaller, fellow classmate who latches onto the two and forces his friendship on them. ALEX FROST plays the lead bully whose parents live overseas, thus allowing him the opportunity to throw parties at his house when not fooling the principal and other adults into thinking he's a good kid, all while he enjoys bullying and tormenting others. He uses profanity and fights with the boys as well as Drillbit. LESLIE MANN plays an English teacher at the school who takes an instant liking to Drillbit and then carries on a sexual relationship with him, including at school. VALERIE TIAN plays the girl who draws Wade's romantic attention. DANNY McBRIDE plays Drillbit's homeless friend who convinces him to play along as the boys' bodyguard for access to Wade's home and its possessions. When Drillbit has a change of heart, Don and his buddies rob Wade's place. JOSH PECK plays Filkins' partner in bullying, with an equally bad attitude. 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 possible "f" word and 9 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue and innuendo are present, while off-screen sex is implied (with brief fooling around beforehand, and the adjusting of clothes afterwards -- much of that occurring in the school behind closed doors). A man's bare butt is seen several times as he showers outdoors fully nude, and some teens are seen lying out in bikinis. Various characters fight or strike others (some comedy based, some not), and those scenes (especially those related to bullying) might be unsettling to viewers sensitive to such matters. There's some scatological humor (along with a severed digit), while some bloody noses are present after the fighting. All sorts of bad attitudes are present, especially from the bullies and their actions, while there's a great deal of behavior that might be enticing for some kids to imitate (much of it bullying related). Some tense family material is present, and some drinking occurs, including by teens at a party, while various drug references are made (but there isn't any use). 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 A driver gives Drillbit some money on the street, but tells him it's not for marijuana or rye whiskey, repeating it's "not for pot." One of Drillbit's homeless friends holds up a sign that seems to be drug related. Drillbit states he's going to Canada where the beer is twice as strong. The term "crack-head" is used, but not for a drug user. Not meaning it literally, Ryan asks Drillbit, "Are you high?" We see a beer bottle by Wade's stepdad. Drillbit has wine while in a bathtub. Wade's mom is concerned that he's doing drugs (due to the way he's been acting about being bullied as well as his training with Drillbit), and his stepdad asks if he's sure he isn't high, commenting on the way Wade's been going at the food as if he has "the munchies." Drillbit opens wine for Lisa and himself. About finding their household belongings in disarray, Wade's stepdad asks if he's high and if he and his friends had marijuana party. High school students drink what's presumably beer and/or other alcohol at a party Filkins is throwing. BLOOD/GORE During a montage of bullying, Filkins and Ronnie grab Wade and Ryan as they use adjacent urinals. They then turn them toward each other, so that their urine hits each other (we don't see that part). After the bullies scare Emmit, when they see all three boys walking down the hall with large wet stains on the front of their pants. Later, Filkins grabs Emmit at a urinal and picks him up, and we see the boy's urine stream spraying around the room. Filkins punches Wade in the face, slightly bloodying his nose and leaving him with a black eye. After being punched, Drillbit has a bit of a bloody nose, and we hear a cracking sound as he tries to put it back into place. About some robbers, Emmit tells Wade that one of them peed in the kitchen. Drillbit catches a samurai sword thrown at the boys, and we then see his pinky drop off (no blood) and then a car drives over that severed digit on the street. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Drillbit lies to most everyone about who and what he is, including the three boys. He agrees to be their bodyguard for pay (without knowing what he's doing and lying about past clients) as well as the opportunity to take things from Wade's home and then sell them at a pawn shop (an idea proposed by and later carried out by Don). He also misleads Lisa and begins a sexual affair with her despite knowing he's the kind of guy she despises (she thinks he's a doctor and substitute high school teacher). Seeing Wade's room, his stepdad looks disgusted, saying, "How about some chicks on the walls?" as well that the room is like a "nerd's paradise." Ryan talks to his dad on the phone, we realize his father doesn't live there, and he tells his mom, "He's a piece of sh*t anyway" (seemingly more to appease her than really feeling this way). Various students make fun of Ryan and Wade when they inadvertently wear the same shirt on the first day of school. Filkins and Ronnie have bad attitudes as they're bullies, with the former nearly being psychotic in his demeanor. That includes beating up younger/smaller students, and even striking Drillbit (when he's believed to be a substitute teacher). Seeing Ryan and Wade in matching shirts, Filkins refers to them as "Siamese queers, bitches" and he and Ronnie force the boys together inside one shirt, threatening to kill them if they take it off. One bully pushes Ryan back and refers to him as "double stuff" (meaning fat), while another grabs Wade by the neck and then flicks his forehead. During a montage of the guys interviewing bodyguards, one prospect goes outside the coffee house and punches a stranger. Some viewers might be offended by Drillbit using the term "oriental" (in regards to martial arts). Drillbit uses the term "lard ass" and many others in describing what people probably call Ryan for being chubby. The following terms are used at different points in the film, "You guys are retarded" and "Are you mentally defective?" Ryan doesn't like Emmit hanging around them and thus says mean and demeaning things to him, including calling him a "hobbit." Wade's stepdad says he was a former bully and that such behavior toward a student years ago helped prepare the boy for the harshness of the world. One of the bullies tells Drillbit that he looks like he teaches "faggotrometry." Drillbit and the boys walk into Wade's home to find Dan and other homeless guys robbing the place. We hear that Drillbit is still AWOL from the Army. A convenience store clerk thinks it's funny when he tells Drillbit, "You're kind of a born loser." The bullies puncture cans and then leave them spinning on a table in front of Wade and Brooke, causing them to get wet from that. When Brooke says something about that, Filkins replies, "What'd you say, ho?" When Wade goes to defend her honor, Filkins says that Wade doesn't have any "balls" and is "sack-less." Realizing he has nothing to lose before their big fight with the bullies, Ryan grabs a girl at a party and plants a kiss on her, prompting her to slap him. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Filkins and Ronnie drive after and chase the three boys (on foot), running over a mailbox and driving across lawns and sidewalks. The boys then race toward a closing garage door and just get under it as the bullies pull up and then bang on the door (but are gone when the door opens). GUNS/WEAPONS During a montage of the guys interviewing bodyguards, one prospect opens his coat to reveal various knives. Filkins heaves a samurai sword at the boys, with Drillbit catching it in midair (hand to blade). We then see his pinky drop off (no blood) IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "He's a piece of sh*t anyway," "You gotta be sh*tting me," "Keep that sh*t on," "Some funny sh*t," "Oh sh*t-balls," "Crap on a sh*t-sandwich," "You can suck on my family jewels," "You're a bad boy" (meant suggestively), "Calm your [adjective] ass down," "Skeletor," "You're freakishly skinny," "Are you crazy?" "Chicks," "It's like a nerd's paradise," "They're freaks," "Sucks," "Losers," "I think you're a dork," "Geeks," what sounded like "Pissers," "You're Siamese queers, bitches," "Shut up," "Double-stuff" (for fat), "Freak out," "I dig it," "Oh crap," "Stay out, you gang-bangers," "I'm gonna kick your ass," "You'll kiss my ass," "The Dixie Chicks, bitch," "Ass-kicking," "Kicking ass," "What the hell have you seen?" "Bastard," "At ease, Casper," "Whack-job," "Who the hell do you think you are?" "Crack-head," "Jeez," "Judo, as in Judon't know who you're messing with," "Balls" and "Nuts" (testicles), "Lard ass," "Are you high?" "What the hell /is it/happened to you?" "Badass," "Oh snap," "Nut hair," "Punk ass," "Bitch slap him," "Like Costco, I'm selling ass-kicking in bulk," "Back the hell off," "Holy crap," "You guys are retarded," "Pooper troopers," "I'm more screwed than ever," "Hobbit," "It's bull," "Watch your ass," an incomplete "What the..?" "I'm a real loser magnet," "You look like you teach faggotrometry," "You can't polish a turd," "Rat turds," "Don't make me Billy Jack your ass," "Jackass," "Polish that turd," "Are you mentally defective?" "Oh hell yeah," "You're kind of a born loser," "What'd you say, ho?" "Sack-less" and "You're one crazy son of a bitch." Wade's stepbrothers jump on his bed to try to get him up, and say that his dad (really his stepfather) told him to get up. When Wade sarcastically says he's not his dad, one of the stepbrothers sarcastically replies "the guy who does your mom" says to get up. Ryan's mom sees him nude in bed (we don't see anything), is shocked, and asks when he started that, with him replying that he's in high school now. It's possible the film could inspire some kids to bully others (including as listed below). Filkins and Ronnie carry Emmit down the hall and try to stuff him into a locker. During a montage of bullying, Filkins and Ronnie grab Wade and Ryan as they use adjacent urinals. They then turn them toward each other, so that their urine hits each other (we don't see that part). After the bullies scare Emmit, when they see all three boys walking down the hall with large wet stains on the front of their pants. Later, Filkins grabs Emmit at a urinal and picks him up, and we see the boy's urine stream spraying around the room. We see a montage of bullying, including Filkins pouring liquid from a can onto Emmit's laptop computer. We see a montage of bullying, including one bully stomping on Wade's disposable camera, one throwing Wade against a locker and then kicking him (we don't see the latter, just the motion), and then heaving another boy in a rolling chair down the hall and into a wall. They also have Emmit up on a door by some part of his clothing. The bullies pull down all three boys' pants, leaving them in their underwear in the school hallway. A miscellaneous girl has a tattoo on her lower back. During a montage of the guys interviewing bodyguards, one prospect puts his hand down into a cup of hot coffee (to prove how tough he is, but it causes him pain -- played for comedy). A miscellaneous character sports tattoos. Ryan gets into a rap-off with Filkins, including a line about "Say hello to my little friend" (meaning his clothed penis) and "You can suck on my family jewels." Needing to distract the bullies away from the boys, Drillbit tries to pull the fire alarm, but it's broken. He then grabs a student's project model, sets it on fire, and holds that up to the sprinklers to activate them. We then see one kid purposefully slide through the wet hallway on his belly. Drillbit arranges it so that Filkins and Ronnie end up stuck high off the gym floor on ropes at the end of class and school, with an automated serving machine firing tennis balls at them. We twice see Drillbit's bare butt as he showers outdoors at the beach public shower. Upset over how things have played out, Drillbit howls outdoors at night. The bullies puncture cans and then leave them spinning on a table in front of Wade and Brooke, causing them to get wet from that. To practice their fighting skills, Wade and Ryan start by punching each other softly in the shoulder. That then escalates, comedy style, with increasingly harder blows to the face, chest, back and a kick to the leg, followed by Wade kicking Ryan in the crotch. We see a prisoner with tattoos. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful and ominous music (albeit played in a comedy setting) is heard in various scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing objectionable material. A song includes the use of "ass" in it. A song has lines about "the way you shake it" and "the way you move it" (about one or more parts of a woman's body). PROFANITY At least 1 possible "f" word, 9 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("does"), 33 asses (3 used with "hole"), 14 hells, 11 craps, 4 damns, 1 S.O.B., 5 uses of "Oh God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "God," "Oh Jesus-H" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY Wade's stepbrothers jump on his bed to try to get him up, and say that his dad (really his stepfather) told him to get up. When Wade sarcastically says he's not his dad, one of the stepbrothers sarcastically replies "the guy who does your mom" says to get up. Ryan's mom sees him nude in bed (we don't see anything), is shocked, and asks when he started that, with him replying that he's in high school now. We see Ryan and Wade separately in their own showers, but don't see anything below their chests. We then see a torso and up shot of Drillbit showering outside. The shot then goes full, and we see his full rear nudity as he uses a public shower at the beach. Ryan's mom shows cleavage. A female driver gives Drillbit some money on the street, jokingly telling him it's not for food, but for porn only. The bullies pull down all three boys' pants, leaving them in their underwear in the school hallway. Ryan and Wade watch some sort of music video showing a cleavage-revealing woman bent over and such. As the boys flee from the bullies, they pass by two girls lying face down in bikinis. The boys then return to gawk at them (one's top is untied -- thus we see her bare back, but nothing else) and take photos with their cell phones, including of one boy posing with them. When Ryan finds a squeegee among Drillbit's things, he sarcastically asks if that's for washing his "balls" in the morning. Meaning to find some sort of commonality with Filkins, Drillbit tells the boys they should love him (Filkins). That prompts Ryan to respond, "I'm not going to bang him." Ryan gets into a rap-off with Filkins, including a line about "Say hello to my little friend" (meaning his clothed penis) and "You can suck on my family jewels." In a health or sex-ed class, a teacher asks his students for another name for gonorrhea, and when they don't get his hint of clapping his hands together, he says it's also called "the clap" and "the drip." We then see a drawing of the internal workings of the male reproductive system, and he mentions burning with urination regarding that condition. Lisa meets and is immediately sexually drawn to Drillbit, playfully/suggestively telling him, "You're a bad boy" and (upon a 5-minute notice for the next class period) that he sounds like someone who could accomplish a lot in 5 minutes (he half-jokingly replies that's maybe four too many). Drillbit has Filkins read some romantic poetry in class that includes lines about kissing and fuzz (possibly referring to pubic hair). We briefly see Dan posing as a substitute teacher, telling his students that Castro had no chance for "action" with Marilyn Monroe, and that's the reason JFK was shot. About Drillbit's birthday, he receives a note from Lisa that tells him to met her later for "your real gift" (meant sexually). A song has lines about "the way you shake it" and "the way you move it" (about one or more parts of a woman's body). We see a montage of Drillbit and Lisa meeting for sex, including her jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist (both are clothed), and then her later coming out of a room looking spent and adjusting her clothes. Talking about Brooke, Drillbit gives Wade advice, including about if he likes the girl, but doesn't know if she's in it just for the sex (she isn't, as she doesn't even know Wade likes her yet). We see Drillbit's bare butt again as he showers outdoors at the beach public shower. Realizing he has nothing to lose before their big fight with the bullies, Ryan grabs a girl at a party and plants a kiss on her, prompting her to slap him. Lisa runs and jumps up onto Drillbit with her legs around his waist (both are clothed). SMOKING We see a clip from the movie "The Untouchables" where Al Capone holds an unlit cigar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Seeing Wade's room, his stepdad looks disgusted, saying, "How about some chicks on the walls?" as well that the room is like a "nerd's paradise." Ryan talks to his dad on the phone, we realize his father doesn't live there, and he tells his mom, "He's a piece of sh*t anyway" (seemingly more to appease her than really feeling this way). Upon hearing of his son's actions, Filkins' father slaps him on the head. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Dealing with bullies. Being homeless. Being AWOL. Wade's stepdad says he was a former bully and that such behavior toward a student years ago helped prepare the boy for the harshness of the world. In a health or sex-ed class, a teacher asks his students for another name for gonorrhea, and when they don't get his hint of clapping his hands together, he says it's also called "the clap" and "the drip." We then see a drawing of the internal workings of the male reproductive system, and he mentions burning with urination regarding that condition. VIOLENCE Filkins and Ronnie carry Emmit down the hall and try to stuff him into a locker. One bully pushes Ryan back and refers to him as "double stuff" (meaning fat), while another grabs Wade by the neck and then flicks his forehead. We see a montage of bullying, including one bully stomping on Wade's disposable camera, one throwing Wade against a locker and then kicking him (we don't see the latter, just the motion), and then heaving another boy in a rolling chair down the hall and into a wall. They also have Emmit up on a door by some part of his clothing. Filkins and Ronnie drive after and chase the three boys (on foot), running over a mailbox and driving across lawns and sidewalks. During a montage of the guys interviewing bodyguards, one prospect puts his hand down into a cup of hot coffee (to prove how tough he is, but it causes him pain -- played for comedy). Another prospect goes outside the coffee house and punches a stranger. That man punches the first back, and then hits him again. Faking his training of them, Drillbit has the three boys charge him, resulting in some tussling and Drillbit throwing them about. That includes accidentally tossing Ryan down a hill (the boy is okay), while scaring Emmit to the point that the boy turns and runs face-first into a tree, knocking himself out (all played for comedy). Filkins punches Wade in the face, slightly bloodying his nose and leaving him with a black eye. Drillbit arranges it so that Filkins and Ronnie end up stuck high off the gym floor on ropes at the end of class and school, with an automated serving machine firing tennis balls at them. Ronnie pushes Emmit, while Filkins punches Drillbit in the face, and then does so again (slightly bloodying it). While trying to stop Dan and some other homeless guys from robbing Wade's home, Drillbit accidentally kicks a stool through a window. Dan then punches Drillbit to the floor. Dan opens a sliding driver's side van door to find Drillbit seated there. Drillbit then kicks Dan in the face (to steal back Wade's family's belongings), but Dan jumps back there. Drillbit then closes the sliding door on Dan's fingers, causing him to fall to the street. Filkins repeatedly slaps Wade, including knocking his glasses off. We briefly see footage from the movie "Fight Club" where Edward Norton's character punches Brad Pitt's character. We briefly see some video game violence in a first-person fighter game (punches and other blows, etc.). To practice their fighting skills, Wade and Ryan start by punching each other softly in the shoulder. That then escalates, comedy style, with increasingly harder blows to the face, chest, back and a kick to the leg, followed by Wade kicking Ryan in the crotch. Realizing he has nothing to lose before their big fight with the bullies, Ryan grabs a girl at a party and plants a kiss on her, prompting her to slap him. Wade and Ryan fight Filkins, and knock him out momentarily with a kick to the crotch and two punches to the face. Filkins then comes to, throws a full beer (or similar) can into Ryan's face and then drives Wade backward through the bottom of a stair banister, breaking it. More property damage ensues, including when Filkins comes at the boys with a floor lamp stand (they avoid the repeated attempts at hitting them with it). At the same time, some punches are delivered to Filkins' face and the fight then moves outside, with Ronnie joining the fray. Emmit shows up and leaps toward Filkins, but comes up short and thus just grabs his leg. Ronnie knocks him off, followed by back and forth punches. Filkins' friend then holds Wade as Filkins punches him in the gut twice. Drillbit then shows up, but Filkins punches him three times. When he learns that Filkins is 18 and not a juvenile, Drillbit then flips him to the ground, delivers a roundhouse kick and several other blows. Just when everyone thinks it's over, Filkins heaves a samurai sword at the boys, with Drillbit catching it in midair (hand to blade). We then see his pinky drop off (no blood) and then see a vehicle drive over that severed digit on the road. Upon hearing of his son's actions, Filkins' father slaps him on the head. Reviewed March 15, 2008 / Posted March 21, 2008

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