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"CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC" (2009) (Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Minor Moderate None None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None Minor Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Minor Heavy Minor QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A young journalist, who's addicted to shopping, inadvertently becomes a financial guru for the common person when she takes a job at a financial publication in hopes of that leading to a similar gig at a fashion-based magazine. PLOT: Rebecca Bloomwood (ISLA FISHER) is a young journalist who works for a gardening publication, but dreams of writing for Alette, a fashion magazine run by Alette Naylor (KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS). Unfortunately for her, leggy Alicia Billington (LESLIE BIBB) filled the position from within. But when Rebecca learns that business nepotism runs deep at the magazine empire run by Edgar West (JOHN LITHGOW), she applies for a writing job at Successful Savings, a financial publication run by Luke Brandon (HUGH DANCY). His immediate boss, Ryan Koenig (FRED ARMISEN), isn't crazy about him, but Luke has a faithful administrative assistant in Hayley (JULIE HAGERTY), and his job is to resurrect the magazine. Accordingly, he decides to shake things up a bit by hiring Rebecca with the belief that she'll be able to connect with the everyday person rather than just knowledgeable investors. The only problem -- pointed out in irony by her roommate Suze (KRYSTEN RITTER) -- is that Rebecca is addicted to shopping for high fashion and has racked up credit card bills totaling more than $16,000. She's too proud to ask her financially conservative parents, Jane (JOAN CUSACK) and Graham (JOHN GOODMAN), for money, even in the face of constant harassment from debt collector Derek Smeath (ROBERT STANTON). From that point on, Rebecca must not only contend with that and becoming an unlikely hit in the financial world, but also falling for Luke, all with her various white lies and shopping addiction threatening to undermine everything she's worked for. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of any of the related novels, anyone in the cast, romantic comedy style material, and/or films about high fashion and shopping, they might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some mild language and thematic elements. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ISLA FISHER plays a young journalist with a fashion shopping addiction who tells various white lies to try to land a job at a fashion magazine. That includes taking a job writing for Luke's publication and bluffing her way through doing so, although her writing strikes a nerve with the common folk and thus turns her into an unlikely financial guru of sorts. She ends up falling for Luke, all while trying to stay one step ahead of her various white lies as well as a debt collector who's after her. She briefly gets drunk with Suze and uses a little profanity. HUGH DANCY plays the editor of a financial publication who's been hired to resurrect it, thus meaning he gives Rebecca a chance by hiring her despite her unorthodox ways. He ends up taking her under his wing and letting her flourish, and then begins to fall for her. It also turns out he's trying to make a name for himself due to coming from an ultra-wealthy family. KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS plays the snooty publisher of a high-end fashion magazine who likes Rebecca's moxie and thus offers her a job. LESLIE BIBB plays Rebecca's somewhat condescending rival, both for the position at Alette, as well as Luke's heart (at least in Rebecca's assumptions). KRYSTEN RITTER plays Rebecca's best friend and roommate who's getting married and wants Rebecca to join a shopaholics support group. She gets drunk with Rebecca in one scene, is seen in bed with her fiancé in another, and uses a little profanity. ROBERT STANTON plays the relentless debt collector who's constantly closing in on Rebecca. JOAN CUSACK and JOHN GOODMAN play Rebecca's fiscally conservative and loving but slightly overbearing parents. JOHN LITHGOW plays the big boss at the magazine empire who takes a liking to Rebecca and her fresh approach at writing. JULIE HAGERTY plays Luke's faithful if mousy personal assistant. FRED ARMISEN plays Luke's immediate boss who doesn't like what he or Rebecca is doing for the magazine. 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 PG rated comedy. Profanity consists of a handful of minor expletives, while some colorful phrases are also uttered. Some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, as are varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot), some kissing, a woman seen in her panties, and an unmarried couple seen in bed (nothing sexual happening). Some slapstick style material occurs, while alcohol is consumed in various scenes, including some resulting in intoxication. Some comedy based bad attitudes are present, as is some behavior that might inspire attempts to imitate it. 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 Rebecca and Suze decide to drink tequila while opening the former's bills. Rebecca drinks straight from the bottle, and we then see both having shots of that. Their drinking continues, and both then seem intoxicated. People have drinks at a reception, including Rebecca, while Alicia over-pours some champagne while being shocked at something Rebecca has just done. Luke and Rebecca have drinks at a restaurant where others also drink. We see Alicia put down a drink after waiting for Luke. People have drinks at a ball, where Rebecca ends up running into a drunken woman who asks her to get her another drink. We then see Rebecca back in the kitchen trying to make her a drink, with the chef asking if she's drunk (thinking she's a waitress) and sending her out with a tray of food. After inadvertently making a scene, she quickly downs a drink. BLOOD/GORE While intoxicated, Suze writes that an employer can shove their job "up their ass." That's later repeated in a different way, but with the same body reference, twice. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some girls make fun of the way young Rebecca is dressed. Rebecca tells all sorts of white lies throughout the film about herself and her abilities, as well as any number of excuses to the debt collector about why she can't meet and/or pay him now. While intoxicated, Suze writes that an employer can shove their job "up their ass." That's later repeated in a different way, but with the same body reference, twice. Alicia occasionally acts in a condescending fashion toward Rebecca, including putting the moves on Luke. Rebecca refers to Alicia as "Alicia bitch long legs." During the end credits, we see Rebecca joke about Alicia (in subtitles) that the later is a very famous prostitute. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Snort not, sweetheart," "That little rat," "You can stick your job up your ass," "Isn't she a babe?" "You pretty much suck," "We're gonna look so major together," "Alicia bitch long legs," "A raging moron," "A total hottie," "Shut up" and "What the hell is this?" Rebecca rubs a fashion magazine on her neck, presumably to get the perfume sample smell on her. Rebecca tells all sorts of white lies throughout the film about herself and her abilities, as well as any number of excuses to the debt collector about why she can't meet and/or pay him now. Rebecca hides in a rolling clothes rack while trying to take back a letter she previously mailed (meaning she repeatedly reaches out, sometimes swinging from the bar), all hoping that those present don't notice her. Rebecca inadvertently disrupts a meeting using her battery-powered pencil sharpener. Caught in her white lie about speaking Finnish, Rebecca can't think of anything else to do -- upon meeting an executive from Finland who speaks in his native tongue -- other than rub noses with him, and then slap his face, feigning that he said something sexually disrespectful to her (she states something along the lines of not being that kind of girl). Rebecca does some exaggerated dancing while holding an ornamental hand fan with which she accidentally hits Luke in the face, twice. Rebecca repeatedly smashes and tries to break open a block of ice containing her purposefully frozen credit card. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Although it's meant to go along with shopping addiction, the Amy Winehouse song "Rehab" has various lyrics about another kind of addiction (although no substance is named), such as "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no.'" PROFANITY At least 2 asses, 1 crap (written), 1 damn, 1 hell, 7 uses each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God," 2 of "My God" and 1 use of "For God's sakes." SEX/NUDITY Rebecca shows varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot) in various outfits (some of which are fairly low-cut in front). In a bit that's supposed to sound slightly sexual, we hear Rebecca rapturously saying "Oh yes, oh yes..." (about shopping) followed by "Oh no" when she sees her credit card bill. During her interview with Luke, Rebecca is shocked to see a huge billboard type advertisement outside (aligned vertically) of what she says is a naked man (we only see bare chest through the window). She then jokes that it makes you wonder what they're starring at on the fifth floor, and then jokes that Luke could turn his chair and look at it all day, adding that she would. We see several brief views (in one scene) of Rebecca in standard-issue black panties. We briefly see Suze in bed with her fiancé (nothing sexual occurring and no nudity) as Rebecca (standing) pitches her article to them. Luke tells Rebecca that she's opening a whole new demographic for the magazine. When the scene then cuts to her talking to Suze about that, the latter jokingly asks, "You're opening his what?" Caught in her white lie about speaking Finnish, Rebecca can't think of anything else to do -- upon meeting an executive from Finland who speaks in his native tongue -- other than rub noses with him, and then slap his face, feigning that he said something sexually disrespectful to her (she states something along the lines of not being that kind of girl). Alicia shows cleavage. Rebecca accidentally runs into a waiter, causing some of the food he's carrying to land in another woman's cleavage. Luke and Rebecca briefly but passionately kiss. Sarcastically commenting on allegations that he's Rebecca's ex-boyfriend who's stalking her, Derek states he might catch something from an infection she picked up in Finland (presumably a VD joke). We see miscellaneous cleavage. We see a full frontal view of a standard female mannequin without any clothes. Luke and Rebecca briefly but passionately kiss in a later scene. During the end credits, we see Rebecca joke about Alicia (in subtitles) that the later is a very famous prostitute. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Luke's ultra-wealthy parents are divorced, that he grew up with his dad, and that he wants to make a name for himself rather than benefit from being a rich heir. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The introduction to and later allure of fashion shopping for little girls who turn into adult consumers. Rebecca's comment that a man will never treat a woman as well as a store. How stores try to lure shoppers into buying things they don't really need. The comment that cost and worth are two different things. Maxing out one's credit limit on credit cards and using them to buy things when the money isn't there to pay them off. We hear that Luke's ultra-wealthy parents are divorced, that he grew up with his dad, and that he wants to make a name for himself rather than benefit from being a rich heir. Rebecca stating that when she shops, the world gets better, but then goes back, meaning she must shop again for that same feeling. VIOLENCE All of the following is played for comedy. Rebecca accidentally walks face-first into a glass door. Rebecca struggles with another shopper over a pair of boots, including Rebecca tackling her. Caught in her white lie about speaking Finnish, Rebecca can't think of anything else to do -- upon meeting an executive from Finland who speaks in his native tongue -- other than rub noses with him, and then slap his face, feigning that he said something sexually disrespectful to her (she states something along the lines of not being that kind of girl). Rebecca does some exaggerated dancing while holding an ornamental hand fan with which she accidentally hits Luke in the face, twice. Some clothes that Rebecca previously shrink-wrapped pop out of a closet and knock Suze down. Rebecca accidentally runs into a waiter, causing some of the food he's carrying to land in another woman's cleavage. Reviewed February 9, 2009 / Posted February 13, 2009

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