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"POST GRAD" (2009) (Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Mild None None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy None Moderate Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: When she doesn't get her dream job after graduating from college, a young woman moves back home with her quirky family and tries to sort out her life. PLOT: Ryden Malby (ALEXIS BLEDEL) is certain she has her life all figured out. Having just graduated from college, she already has a swanky apartment picked out just a block from the publishing house where her dream job awaits. Her best friend from college, Adam Davies (ZACH GILFORD), thinks she might be jumping the gun, especially since the job isn't hers yet. Even so, he admires her gumption, particularly since he can't decide between going to law school across the country or living at home with his father, Roy (J.K. SIMMONS), while pursuing a career in music. Ryden's dream is shattered, however, when her lifelong academic rival, Jessica Bard (CATHERINE REITMAN), gets the job instead of her. As a result, Ryden has to move back home with her family, and to make matters worse, she's temporarily without a car due to hers being wrecked. Her luggage store manager dad, Walter (MICHAEL KEATON), says he can fix it, but is preoccupied with new business ventures when not obsessing about the cat owned by their infomercial director neighbor, David Santiago (RODRIGO SANTORO). Her mom, Carmella (JANE LYNCH), is worried that Ryden's younger brother, Hunter (BOBBY COLEMAN), is weird, but Walter's mom, Maureen (CAROL BURNETT), says all members of the Malby family are that way. As Ryden deals with all of that, the now disillusioned college grad must reassess her career path, all while falling for David and without realizing Adam's true feelings for her. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast or stories about young people going out into the real world for the first time, they might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual situations and brief strong language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ALEXIS BLEDEL plays a recent college grad whose career dreams are shattered when she doesn't get her dream job and then can't find anything that suits her, thus meaning she has to move back home with her family. She uses profanity, drinks some, briefly fools around with David and thus blows off her best friend Adam in the process. ZACH GILFORD plays that best friend who eventually tires of Ryden's self-centered ways. He drinks and uses profanity, while he's uncertain of his future involving law school or music. MICHAEL KEATON plays Ryden's somewhat whacky dad, a regional manager at a luggage store who's always chasing other business ventures. He uses some profanity and is obsessed with David's cat leaving excrement on his property. JANE LYNCH plays his wife who's concerned that their son is weird. BOBBY COLEMAN plays that child who's pretty much a normal boy for his age, although he isn't happy with his dad's behavior. CAROL BURNETT plays the kids' sarcastic and grumpy grandmother who lives with the family, and is humorously planning her funeral. RODRIGO SANTORO plays the Malbys' next door neighbor, a Brazilian born infomercial director who's a decade older than Ryden, but takes a romantic/sexual liking to her. He briefly fools around with Ryden and briefly uses strong profanity. CATHERINE REITMAN plays Ryden's long-time school nemesis, the valedictorian who ends up getting Ryden's dream job and is demeaning toward her. 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 dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is a scene of fooling around where the unmarried couple is interrupted before anything too steamy or graphic happens. A sudden car accident occurs (no one is harmed), a car backs over a cat (not seen in full & played for comedy), and some light slapstick style material is also present. There's a brief scene of potential peril (played fairly lightly), while some potentially imitative behavior is present. Bad attitudes are also present (and some viewers might not like some of the material that's played for laughs), as is some tense family material as well as some thematic elements. Alcohol is consumed or present in various scenes, while some crude humor occurs. 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 concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from flashing police lights. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some brief but bouncy handheld camerawork. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Ryden talks about planning her school experience, including limiting her beer pong playing (to keep her grades up). Ryden's family, along with Adam, raises a beer for a toast, while Ryden has a glass of wine. We see a bottle by Ryden and Adam. We see a liquor store's large sign. Seeing a purchased casket strapped on top of the Malbys' car, an apparent gang member pours liquor onto the street from a brown paper bag. We see a keg being brought to a large party where various young people drink, mostly beer, but Jessica holds a drink (ages are mostly unknown, although some are college graduates). Ryden and David have wine. Adam buys a bottle of wine. People have drinks in a club. We see a bottle of an unknown liquid by David and Ryden on the beach. BLOOD/GORE Walter steps on cat excrement on his sidewalk (we hear the squishy sound) and we then see it on the bottom of his shoe. A casket salesman tries to convince Maureen to buy an expensive option that prevents seepage (it isn't clear if that's keeping body-based fluids in or outside water out). Walter accidentally backs over David's cat (not seen in full, but we hear the sound). As he walks away, we hear him step in the remains or the cat's excrement (we hear the squishy sound). A person complains that the meat in a sandwich "smells like ass crack." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE After being asked to be quiet at a graduation ceremony (as she makes noises with her snack bag), Maureen sarcastically replies that it's okay as she's dying. There's talk that Adam's mom couldn't make his graduation ceremony due to being dead (played for a joke -- some might not find that funny). A truck suddenly crashes into Ryden's car as Adam drives her (they're unharmed, but the car is damaged). The truck driver then leaves the scene without talking to them or waiting for the police. Adam gets Ryden to eat an Eskimo Pie ice cream sandwich, saying it can fix any problem. Ryden takes a bite and sarcastically states that it's like "God giving birth in my mouth" (some viewers might not like the reference). A casket salesman tries to convince Maureen to buy an expensive option that prevents seepage (it isn't clear if that's keeping body-based fluids in or outside water out). Walter wants to get into the belt buckle business and ends up buying a bunch from a man who's apparently stolen them from someone else (Walter doesn't know that, but is later arrested for that). Jessica behaves in a condescending way toward Ryden, especially when the latter works as a sales associate at her dad's luggage store. Some viewers might not like a sequence intended for comedy where Walter accidentally backs a car over David's cat (we hear but don't see the impact, and then hear him step in the remains and/or the cat's excrement). He isn't very apologetic to David at his door or later at the cat's funeral (with a song playing from the musical "Cats") where its remains are apparently in a shallow pizza box that Walter then has to shove and push into a hole in the ground that's too small for the box. Not in his presence but jealous of David and Ryden, Adam refers to David as "Rico" and then "Pele" basely solely on his ethnicity. Walter bursts into David's house without knocking after hearing sounds of Ryden and David fooling around. We see a non-Hispanic actor playing a Mexican caricature for a guacamole machine infomercial, with all of the usual over-the-top stereotypes. The producer of the spot then complains to David that he wants more Mexican, not "Mexi-can't" or "Mexi-could," prompting David to quit. Ryden ends up forgetting her promise to attend Adam's concert and go to dinner with him (and instead hangs out with David). FRIGHTENING SCENES Hunter loses his brakes on his soapbox derby car and goes out of control down the road, through a plastic fence, down a hill and into a pond or lake. He briefly disappears from sight under the water, but then pops up and is okay (all played fairly lightly). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck me" (meant non-sexually, but played that way by someone else), "Ah sh*t," "Don't give me that sh*t," "As sh*tty as promised," "You're supposed to give a sh*t about," "Not so slutty," "Balls to the wall," "Kick ass," "It's like God giving birth in my mouth," "What the hell are you doing here?" "Third G-D time," "God, I feel like such a loser," "Shut up," "No talent screw-up," "Screw you," "(Oh) Jeez," "No way," "It was a G*ddamn accident," "You're an idiot," "Fan-crap-tastic," "Smells like ass crack," "Bro," "Seriously," "I think you're an idiot," "He's not a criminal, just a moron," "Are you crazy?" "Cut the baloney," "I flaked out on you," "I'm working my ass off," "Life sucks" and "Cheap ass." We hear (but don't see) that Hunter has been licking his classmates' heads. Seeing a purchased casket strapped on top of the Malbys' car, an apparent gang member pours liquor onto the street from a brown paper bag. A few miscellaneous characters have tattoos. Hunter is wrapped around his mom's lower leg as she walks through the kitchen. JUMP SCENES A truck suddenly crashes into Ryden's car as Adam drives her (they're unharmed, but the car is damaged). At a funeral home as her grandmother casket shops, Ryden hears a noise coming from one, and is then startled when her brother pops out of the opening. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None that we noted, but a song had lyrics in another language, thus presenting the possibility of that potentially containing something objectionable. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 14 "s" words, 1 slang term for male genitals (something that sounded like "oodle-day"), 6 asses, 6 craps, 2 S.O.B.s, 1 damn, 1 hell, 5 uses of "G-damn" (another said as "G-D"), 3 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "God," "My God," "Oh God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY Ryden shows a little cleavage. Ryden talks of her lifelong love of books, including one that she says was like sex ed except that it was "awesomely foul-mouthed." Adam and Ryden hear noises in a closed grocery store (that Adam's dad owns) and then finds his dad and a female employee fooling around (clothed, but the checker is partially on her boss' back). Ryden shows some cleavage. Ryden takes a job selling luggage at her dad's store, and he tells her to display it like certain models on TV, but "maybe not so slutty." We see artwork in David's place that shows a woman's bare back and the top of her bare butt. David obviously comes on to Ryden, first talking about her beautiful ears. That's followed by her suddenly kissing him, and then his shirt coming off. Outside, we see her family (unaware of what's occurring) approaching David's house where they hear sounds of fooling around inside. Walter then bursts in to see Ryden in her bra on top of David as both then fall off his inflatable sofa to the floor. David sees her family and states, "F*ck me" (meant non-sexually), with Maureen sarcastically replying, "I would, but someone beat me to it." Later, Walter awkwardly talks to Ryden about this, saying he hoped she used one, "used something" and then talks about a rubber, that herpes isn't a picnic, and such. He then says he wants her to stay away from his "oodle-day" (or something sounding like that, meaning his genitals), followed by telling her to stay away from his "penile area." We see miscellaneous cleavage. We see the center part of Ryden's full bare back as she has Adam zip up her dress (while trying on clothes). About her attending his concert, Adam jokes that Ryden will throw her bra up on the stage. Ryden and Adam passionately kiss outside while standing and clothed. On the phone with Ryden, Maureen reminds her, "Condoms are your best friend." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Talking on her computer connection, Ryden reads that Adam's father won't be at their graduation, but isn't surprised by that. There's talk that Adam's mom couldn't make his graduation ceremony due to being dead (played for a joke -- some might not find that funny). Adam confronts his dad about the latter not being at the former's college graduation. After something of an emergency family phone call, we're led to believe that Maureen is dead in a casket, but we then see that she's just trying out which one she wants to buy. Adam is short with his dad for the latter's shortcomings as a father, while the dad says he wants more for his son. Hunter sees the police arrest his dad at home (for selling belt buckles that he didn't know where stolen). Later, and waiting at the police station, Hunter is concerned about his dad. About her son, Maureen says he's not a criminal, just a moron. She's also reluctant to pay his bail, thinking the family is only interested in her money and not her soul. Hunter is disappointed in his dad not helping him build a car to enter in a soapbox derby. Walter realizes that and then comes through for his son. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Ryden jumping the gun on many of her decisions without something concrete to back them up. Adam being unable to decide on his future career path. The comment that half of life is what you do and the other half is who you do that with. The comment that the world is a screwy place that doesn't play by the rules. The film's apparent message to young women that it's okay to give up one's job, dreams and family support in order to be with the guy you love (and here that relationship isn't even established). VIOLENCE Maureen accidentally hits various people on the back of their heads with her purse while passing by to her seat at Ryden's graduation (played for comedy). A truck suddenly crashes into Ryden's car as Adam drives her (they're unharmed, but the car is damaged). Ryden sits up and accidentally hits her head on a low ceiling (played for comedy). At a funeral home as her grandmother casket shops, Ryden hears a noise coming from one, and is then startled when her brother pops out of the opening. That causes Ryden to bump into another casket, knocking it from its stand and accidentally damaging it (played for comedy). Walter accidentally backs over David's cat (not seen in full, but we hear the sound). As he walks away, we hear him step in the remains or the cat's excrement (we hear the squishy sound). Reviewed August 17, 2009 / Posted August 21, 2009

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