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"A SINGLE MAN" (2009) (Colin Firth, Julianne Moore) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Mild Moderate Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Extreme Mild Heavy Minor QUICK TAKE: Drama: Still reeling from the unexpected death of his lover of sixteen years, a gay English professor meticulously plots what he plans to be the last day of his life in early 1960s Los Angeles. PLOT: It's the early 1960s in Los Angeles and George Falconer (COLIN FIRTH) is an English professor whose lover of sixteen years, Jim (MATTHEW GOODE), has now been dead for eight months following a fatal single car accident. George has continued existing but not really living, leaning on his friend and one-time heterosexual lover, Charlotte (JULIANNE MOORE), for support, while observing the domestic life of neighbor Susan Strunk (GINNIFER GOODWIN) and her family. He's also continued teaching, although his material has become more philosophical, drawing the attention of one of his students, Kenny (NICHOLAS HOULT), who seems interested in his professor for more than just academics. George, however, has no intention of doing anything with that as he's planning on making this day his last, his continued grief and emptiness driving him to that decision. Yet, rather than do anything spontaneously, he meticulously plots his suicide, tying up loose ends and putting his estate in order. As the day marches on toward his fateful decision, George contemplates his past and present while interacting with Charlotte and, to his surprise, Kenny who may just give him enough hope to reconsider what he has planned. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of anyone in the cast or are interested in the subject matter, it doesn't seem too likely except for the possibility of the oldest of teens. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: COLIN FIRTH plays a gay English professor in early 1960s era Los Angeles who's still reeling from the loss of his lover of 16 years. He's decided this will be the day he commits suicide, albeit in an orderly and calm way, but not before getting everything in order and spending an evening with Charlotte. He also isn't happy with the dumbing-down of America, and admits to past drug use. He smokes, drinks, briefly uses some profanity, has a heart condition for which he takes aspirin, and takes a liking to Kenny. JULIANNE MOORE plays George's best friend and former, brief lover who isn't happy with her lonely life and wonders what if might have been like with George if they would have had a family (she still doesn't accept George's homosexuality for what it is). She smokes and drinks. MATTHEW GOODE plays George's lover of 16 years who's only seen in flashbacks since he's dead when the main story begins. He drinks. NICHOLAS HOULT plays one of George's college students who takes a philosophical and then seemingly homosexual/romantic liking toward him. He briefly uses profanity, drinks, and convinces George to go skinny-dipping with him in the ocean at night. 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 R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, as is some male nudity and some homosexual-related material (but no contact beyond kissing). Some moments of near suicide via a handgun (while played to different levels of seriousness) might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to viewers, while we see the nightmare-related flashback aftermath of a fatal, one-person car accident. A few injuries have a little bit of bloody results, while some scatological material is also present. Drinking occurs in various scenes, while drug references are present. 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. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some camera movement is present from time to time in the film, but nothing too bad. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see what looks like a martini shaker on Charlotte's bedside table. Kenny asks George if he ever gets high and uses drugs. George says of course he does, followed by Kenny saying that's the only way he gets by and then asks George if that use includes mescaline. George says no, because one time while on it he shaved off one of his own eyebrows. Kenny then walks off, telling George if he ever wants to get high, he usually has dope. George takes aspirin for his heart condition, including downing some once with a long swig from a bottle of liquor that he empties that way. Charlotte asks George to pick up some gin for her. Kenny tells George he was hoping they could get together for a drink. That doesn't happen, but as George drives off, he jokingly tells Kenny to stay off the mescaline. We see a flashback to Jim with a beer. George's neighbor says they're having people over later for drinks and invites him, but he declines the offer. George accidentally bumps into a young man at a liquor store entrance, resulting in a bagged bottle of booze hitting the pavement. George then buys more. Charlotte says her New Year's resolution is more drinking and smoking. George and Charlotte have drinks, and then wine with dinner. He then says they're in need of another drink and fixes them more. Even later, she'd like them to have another, but he declines and leaves. Charlotte states that she only has gin as her friend. We see a flashback to a club where many people are drinking. George enters and orders a beer, and he then meets Jim for the first time there, also with a beer. Later, a woman asks Jim to buy her a beer, but he says it appears he's taken, and then asks George if he wants another. Jim orders some scotch in a bar (where a few others drink) and he and Kenny then drink shots of that. George and Kenny have beer, with George jokingly commanding Kenny to get them more, so he does. BLOOD/GORE We hear the sound of a car crash and then see Jim lying dead in the snow next to a single car wreck. George then walks up and plants a kiss on the bloody and frozen-looking face. George then wakes up from his nightmare. We see George in bed and what initially looks like a large bloodstain on the sheets, but a writing pen near that and a later statement confirm that it's an ink stain. We see an upper body view of George as we hear him urinating. We see George seated and reading on the toilet, wearing a dress shirt. He ducks down when he thinks the neighbors might have seen him, and then gets up and answers the phone with his pants around his ankles (but nothing explicit is seen or heard). In a flashback, Jim and George talk about their dogs, with Jim saying the pooches have the best life. George then sarcastically asks if that's because they get to sniff anyone's "ass" that they want. Jim then talks about a dog urinating on the neighbor boy's leg, thinking that's funny for the way the boy treated the dog in the past. The neighbor boy aims his toy gun at George. In turn, we see an imagined view of a urine stream soaking the boy's face. George has a little bit of a bloody cut on his head from being tossed around by an ocean wave. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The neighbors' daughter tells George that her father says George is "light in the loafers." Charlotte still hasn't accepted that George is gay, saying that Jim was just a substitute for something else (meaning a real relationship with a woman), thus infuriating George. During this, the term "G*ddamn poof" is also used. FRIGHTENING SCENES We see a flashback to when George receives a phone call from Jim's cousin informing George that Jim was killed in a car accident, and that one of their dogs died as well. Although it ends up played as dark comedy since George can't get comfortable or decide in what position to commit suicide (lying down or sitting up on a bed, clothed in the shower, and then zipped up in a sleeping bag, etc.), there are several views of him putting a handgun inside his mouth. In the end, the phone rings and interrupts him. George again places his handgun to his head, this time against his forehead, but doesn't pull the trigger. While skinny-dipping in the ocean at night, George is hit by a large wave and goes underwater, with Kenny having to pull him to safety. A man grabs his arm and then chest before falling to the floor from a heart attack. We hear a ticking clock slowing down until it stops and it's implied that the man has died. GUNS/WEAPONS We see George retrieve a handgun from his desk drawer and place that in his briefcase. He later goes to the bank with that, but never uses or contemplates using that there. When the neighbor boy playfully aims his toy gun at George when the latter drives by, George then makes a shooting gun gesture with his hand back at the kid. George buys bullets for his handgun in a gun store where rifles are seen on the wall and one person is test aiming one. Although it ends up played as dark comedy since George can't get comfortable or decide in what position to commit suicide (lying down or sitting up on a bed, clothed in the shower, and then zipped up in a sleeping bag, etc.), there are several views of him putting a handgun inside his mouth. In the end, the phone rings and interrupts him. The neighbor boy aims his toy gun at George. George again places his handgun to his head, this time against his forehead, but doesn't pull the trigger. We see some TV news footage about the Cuban Missile Crisis and see a large caliber machine gun in that. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "It's a load of sh*t," "I know he's full of sh*t," "Just get through the G*ddman day," "Light in the loafers," "Oh God, not that depressing crap again," "Shut up," "Screw it all," "You're insane," "A G*ddman poof," "Screw you," "It's a total drag," "God, it freaks me out," "Hell no" and "Damn right it is." George slams a frozen loaf of bread onto a counter. Although it ends up played as dark comedy since George can't get comfortable or decide in what position to commit suicide (lying down or sitting up on a bed, clothed in the shower, and then zipped up in a sleeping bag, etc.), there are several views of him putting a handgun inside his mouth. In the end, the phone rings and interrupts him. George lights two cigarettes at once in his mouth (one for him, one for Charlotte). Kenny and George go skinny-dipping at night in the ocean at night, and we see full rear nudity of both during that. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "s" words, 3 damns, 2 craps, 2 hells, 1 ass, 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "God" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY We see various underwater views of George slowly swimming/floating under some dimly lit water. While fully nude, the most explicit things are various brief views of his bare butt. We see George alone in bed, shirtless, followed by a head and shoulders view of him in the shower. We see a flashback of Jim playfully near-kissing George, followed by a brief kiss. Charlotte shows a little cleavage. George gazes at some young, shirtless guys playing tennis (with their bodies seen in various shots, including close-ups). We see another underwater view of George swimming/floating fully nude (nothing explicit). About color symbolism, George tells Kenny that red stands for rage and lust. We see Charlotte in her bra while putting on her makeup. George looks at an old, black and white photo of Jim reclining back on a beach, fully nude (we see pubic hair, but no genitals). In a flashback, Jim asks George if the latter slept with Charlotte in the past, and George says they did a few times long ago. He then asks doesn't everyone sleep with women when they're young, but Jim says he hasn't. George gives some money to Carlos, a young man he meets outside a liquor store. While he doesn't want anything for that in return, the young man follows him, thinking he's been paid for sex. Charlotte laughs about a guy in the past asking if she was a natural blonde, with her saying she replied that if she stood upside down, she'd be a natural brunette. George then jokes about her asking a lesbian in the past if she was hung like a donut (or something along those lines). Later, George makes a joke that maybe she should have a donut with her gin. Charlotte briefly but passionately kisses George as he's leaving. Kenny and George go skinny-dipping at night in the ocean at night, and we see full rear nudity of both during that. Kenny finds the above nude reclining photo of Jim. About both of them being wet from dressing after skinny-dipping, George tells Kenny they should get him out of those wet clothes. Kenny complies and strips down fully nude (we see his bare butt, George sees his full frontal nudity while seated as Kenny is standing). Nothing else happens, however, as Kenny then goes into the shower. We then see him in a towel, while George is in a robe. George asks Kenny about his blonde coed friend and if they slept together. Kenny replies that they did once, but means that in referencing the past rather than the number of times they did so (implying it was more than once). We see another view of George floating underwater nude (views of his bare butt). SMOKING Charlotte and George smoke a number of times each, while minor and miscellaneous characters smoke in various scenes (including a lot in one set in a bar in the past). We see an imagined family scene where the father holds a pipe. Charlotte says her New Year's resolution is more drinking and smoking. George lights two cigarettes at once in his mouth (one for him, one for Charlotte). TENSE FAMILY SCENES We see George's neighbors digging up something in the yard, with the mom playing along with the kids, but the dad not looking happy. We hear that Charlotte's husband left her after nine years of marriage. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Homosexuality, especially in less accepting times. Dealing with personal loss. Suicide. The Cuban Missile Crisis. The comment that minority groups only get persecuted when the majority fears them for some reason. There's brief talk of the Nazis and the Jews during WWII (in George's classroom, in a discussion of fear). The comment that lovers are like buses in that if you wait long enough, another one will come along. The comment that the dumbest creatures are always the happiest. Charlotte states that she only has gin as her friend. The comment that most things don't work out as planned. The comment that death is the future for everyone. VIOLENCE We hear the sound of a car crash and then see Jim lying dead in the snow next to a single car wreck. George then walks up and plants a kiss on the bloody and frozen-looking face. George then wakes up from his nightmare. Reviewed November 30, 2009 / Posted December 30, 2009

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