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"YOUTH IN REVOLT" (2010) (Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme Minor Heavy None Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Extreme None None None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Heavy Moderate Extreme Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: As a young high school student tries to win over a girl and thus lose his virginity, he creates an imaginary, bad boy alter ego to motivate himself and impress her. PLOT: Nick Twisp (MICHAEL CERA) is a young high school student who lives with his mom, Estelle (JEAN SMART), and her good for nothing boyfriend, Jerry (ZACH GALIFIANAKIS), while his unemployed dad, George (STEVE BUSCEMI), lives elsewhere with his much younger trophy girlfriend, Lacey (ARI GRAYNOR). To complete Nick's odd world, neighbor Mr. Ferguson (FRED WILLARD) harbors illegal immigrants in his basement. Except for his best friend, Lefty (ERIK KNUDSEN), Nick thinks he's the unluckiest guy in the world when it comes to girls and losing his virginity, but things unexpectedly look up when his mom and Jerry take him on an impromptu vacation. Arriving in a trailer park, Nick meets Sheeni Saunders (PORTIA DOUBLEDAY), a pretty girl whose worldly ways -- as is the case with her druggie brother, Paul (JUSTIN LONG) -- makes it seem as if she comes from different parents than her ultra-religious and conservative mom (MARY KAY PLACE) and dad (M. EMMET WALSH). Despite her seemingly liking Nick, Sheeni informs him that she has a boyfriend, Trent (JONATHAN BRADFORD WRIGHT), something later confirmed by her classmate, Vijay (ADHIR KALYAN), who soon becomes Nick's close friend. Accordingly, Nick doesn't think he has much of a chance with Sheeni, but she seems to be leading him on, and thus when she suggests he should be bad, he concocts an alternate personality. While Nick is the only one who can see French playboy Francois Dillinger (MICHAEL CERA), the aggressive sociopath leads Nick down a path of bad behavior, eventually drawing the ire of local cop Lance Wescott (RAY LIOTTA) who starts seeing Estelle once Jerry's out of the picture. From that point on, and as things go from bad to worse for Nick, he continues his hopeful quest of losing his virginity to Sheeni. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? It's a good bet many teens might be interested in it, especially if they're fans of Cera or anyone else in the cast. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For sexual content, language and drug use. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MICHAEL CERA plays a teenager who's obsessed with losing his virginity and thus thinks he might have a chance with the worldlier Sheeni. When she suggests he behave in a "bad boy" fashion, he creates an alter ego (also played by Cera) in his head who acts that way and gets him into ever-deeper trouble. He eventually loses his virginity, uses strong profanity, smokes as his alter ego, and does hallucinogenic mushrooms and briefly smokes pot. PORTIA DOUBLEDAY plays the teenager who draws Nick's attention and lust (and who eventually sleeps with him despite Trent being her boyfriend). Before that, she leads him on in a tantalizing fashion, and isn't happy living with her ultra-religious parents. JEAN SMART plays Nick's mom who smokes once, uses some profanity, and settles for dating and living with Jerry thinking she can't do any better at her age. After he's gone, she takes up with and has sex with Lance. ZACH GALIFIANAKIS plays her good-for-nothing boyfriend who tries to take advantage of some sailors with a bum car he's sold them. ADHIR KALYAN plays Nick's new best friend who's similarly interested in losing his virginity and does so with Sheeni's school roommate. He uses strong profanity. STEVE BUSCEMI plays Nick's unemployed father who'd rather spend time with his much younger girlfriend than with his son. He drinks some. ARI GRAYNOR plays his girlfriend who ends up getting high with Paul and then leaving with him. FRED WILLARD plays Nick's neighbor who harbors illegal immigrants in his basement and also gets high. RAY LIOTTA plays a cop who becomes Estelle's lover but doesn't like Nick, although he cuts him a break just for Estelle. He uses strong profanity. JUSTIN LONG plays Sheeni's boyfriend who smokes pot and takes hallucinogenic mushrooms. He punches George while in that state. MARY KAY PLACE and M. EMMET WALSH play Sheeni's ultra-religious parents who don't like her being involved with Nick and unintentionally end up high after their son serves them hallucinogenic mushrooms. JONATHAN BRADFORD WRIGHT plays Sheeni's boyfriend who isn't happy that Nick has taken an interest in her and vice-versa. He briefly gets violent with Nick. 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 R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 26 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. All sorts of sexually related dialogue and comedic material are present throughout the film, including partially seen (and heard) teenage sex, animated illustrations of sex and more, while some scantly clad people are seen. Comedy based violence includes some punches, manhandling and other such contact, and some property destruction. Drug use (pot and mushrooms) and drinking are present, as is smoking. Bad attitudes are present, as is behavior (some of it antisocial in nature) that some kids might want to imitate. Tense family material, played for comedy, is also 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. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Jerry slurps his beer and then belches. Nick comments on Jerry throwing out his back in bed with Estelle and that he has to be reunited with his painkillers (not seen). George and Lacey have wine. Lacey tells George that he's a sexist drunk. Paul and Lacey smoke pot, followed by Nick taking a hit. We see that Paul, Lacey and Mr. Ferguson (who's lying face down on the floor in just his boxers) have ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms. Paul tells Nick to have some, so he takes two, but Francois eats a lot and then tells Nick to have fun. We later see Nick having a drug trip where he imagines seeing animated illustrations from a previously seen sex manual. We see that Paul and Sheeni's parents are stoned from unknowingly eating hallucinogenic mushrooms served to them by Paul as an appetizer. During dinner, the dad smears mashed potatoes all over his face. BLOOD/GORE About a trailer Jerry wants to buy, Estelle complains that the cabinets are full of "mouse doody" (not seen). A dog licks Sheeni's mouth and she then kisses Nick, prompting him to wipe his mouth repeatedly. We hear a female student, Bernice, vomiting in a bathroom at Sheeni's school. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Most of the following is played for comedy. We hear and then see that Mr. Ferguson harbors illegal immigrants in his basement. Seeing Nick holding an art house film in a video store, a guy mockingly asks, "Does that come with a tampon for your p*ssy?" There's talk of Jerry having put a banana in the engine of a car he's sold to some sailors. They're not happy about that, with Nick (who doesn't like him), separately telling them they might need to get physical (as we see they've returned the car and painted "Pay up or die" on it). Sheeni refers to her parents as "religious fanatics." Nick lies to Sheeni about having a girlfriend. Played for comedy, Nick learns that Jerry died of a heart attack, and that he was married to someone else. We see that Nick (from Francois' apparent urging) has spray-painted the phrase "God's perfect asshole" on the side of a vehicle while he's separately seen cutting his mom's bras in half. When Estelle says she needs Nick around for his child support money for food, he questions what about her using that money to support him. Francois puts out his cigarette in his cereal bowl that he then purposefully overturns as he gets up and leaves. Francois has Nick decide to torch the family vehicle, and we see a gas can in the backseat of the convertible as they tow a trailer. The gas can falls over and spills fuel in the back while the trailer comes loose and rolls backwards into a cafe, causing damage there while two other cars crash into each other. The empty convertible then rolls backwards, causing another lone car to crash, while the convertible crashes into the trailer and both vehicles explode. About the teen causing vehicle and building damage in town, Lance grabs Nick by the throat and pushes him back to a wall. Later, he flogs Francois on his unseen clothed backside with his belt, but Francois doesn't seem to mind and taunts him back. Nick lies to a female student, Bernice, about Trent and his view of her. To get Mr. Ferguson's help and a ride home, Nick lies that Vijay is an illegal immigrant who needs help from Mr. Ferguson. Nick again lies to Bernice about what Trent has said about her ("fat cow," "ugly whore"), and then convinces her to slip sleeping pills into Sheeni's coffee so that she'll fall asleep in class and thus be kicked out. Bernice does and that does happen to Sheeni (Nick did that in hopes of getting Sheeni back home). Nick again lies to Bernice about Trent, and him losing his virginity to his first cousin. Hearing that the cops are on their way now that they know Nick caused an earlier vehicle incident crash and fire, Francois asks, "Is this bitch worth going to jail for?" (referring to Sheeni). We see that Paul and Sheeni's parents are stoned from unknowingly eating hallucinogenic mushrooms served to them by Paul as an appetizer. George states the cops, looking for Nick, found his (George's) illegal satellite dish. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS Francois gets into an argument with Lance, taunting him by asking what he's going to do, and if that's shoot him with his gun. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck you," "Those f*ckers are taking a shower together," "Is gonna mind-f*ck her," "Are you f*cking kidding me?" "What the f*ck /are you people doing/is going on?" "You f*ck," "Start the f*cking car," "F*ck-hole," "Holy sh*t," "Sh*t-head," "Blow some sh*t up," "Cut the sh*t," "You little sh*t," "Either way you want to get your d*ck straightened out," "Does that come with a tampon for your p*ssy?" (said as a taunt to a guy about an art house movie), "I'm going to die a virgin," "A slatternly wench," "Jacking off," "I want to tickle your belly button...from the inside," "Gonna wrap your legs around my head and wear you like the crown you are," "An ugly whore," "You better get laid," "Freakishly tall," "I do all my hiking free form," "What the hell is going on?" "An effectual twit," "Kiss me, you weenie," "Mouse doody," "G*ddamn sick," "A living hell," "Mind your own damn business," "You shut your mouth," "Listen, asshole," "You're the devil and the dog's a hell-beast," "A lying bastard," "Can go to hell," "What the hell are you doing in your underwear?" "A fat cow," "Is this bitch worth going to jail for?" "Please do drop dead," "Where the hell have you been?" "You son of a bitch" and "Where the hell else am I gonna go?" There's talk of Jerry having put a banana in the engine of a car he's sold to some sailors. They're not happy about that, with Nick (who doesn't like him), separately telling them they might need to get physical (as we see they've returned the car and painted "Pay up or die" on it). Jerry slurps his beer and then belches. Nick refers to Sheeni's new dog as their love child. Sheeni tells Nick that he has "to be bad...very bad," and thus he creates antisocial troublemaker Francois in his mind. Jerry and Estelle return home to discover that the car he tried to sell to sailors is now in the living room, having been disassembled outside and then reassembled inside the house. Francois breaks albums and throws the pieces at Nick. We see that Nick (from Francois' apparent urging) has spray-painted the phrase "God's perfect asshole" on the side of a vehicle while he's separately seen cutting his mom's bras in half. Nick gets Sheeni to fake a call (as an employer) to George to convince him he has a wood-related job (near where she lives, so that Nick can move there). When George says he doesn't know much about wood, Sheeni suggestively states that's not what she heard. It's implied that Lance had sex with Estelle the night before. Francois then states, "Those f*ckers are taking a shower together," so he then shuts off either the hot or cold water, thus causing them to react in the shower (just a head and shoulders view of them). Francois puts out his cigarette in his cereal bowl that he then purposefully overturns as he gets up and leaves. Francois has Nick decide to torch the family vehicle, and we see a gas can in the backseat of the convertible as they tow a trailer. The gas can falls over and spills fuel in the back while the trailer comes loose and rolls backwards into a cafe, causing damage there while two other cars crash into each other. The empty convertible then rolls backwards, causing another lone car to crash, while the convertible crashes into the trailer and both vehicles explode. Nick again lies to Bernice about what Trent has said about her ("fat cow," "ugly whore"), and then convinces her to slip sleeping pills into Sheeni's coffee so that she'll fall asleep in class and thus be kicked out. Bernice does and that does happen to Sheeni (Nick did that in hopes of getting Sheeni back home). Various characters smoke pot and/or take hallucinogenic mushrooms. We see that Paul and Sheeni's parents are stoned from unknowingly eating hallucinogenic mushrooms served to them by Paul as an appetizer. During dinner, the dad smears mashed potatoes all over his face. Nick strips down to his boxers as he tries to fake his death by sending his dad's car (with a large rock on the gas pedal) off a cliff (but it lands in a shallow lake, and thus doesn't sink as he planned). We then see him walking through town and into a women's clothing store in just those boxers. Nick shows up in drag in order to fool Sheeni's parents and get to see her. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 26 "f" words (2 used sexually, as is the term "laid"), 10 "s" words, 4 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck" and "pr*ck"), 1 using female ones ("p*ssy"), 7 hells, 4 asses (used with "hole" - 1 spray-painted), 2 damns, 1 S.O.B., 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "God," "Oh God" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY The opening scene has Nick masturbating under the covers (due to the projector at our screening not showing any image at this point we can't say what's seen -- but we do hear related sounds). We then see him come out from the under the covers in his underwear holding a magazine. We hear him state, via voice over narration, that he's still a virgin and isn't getting any "action." We see George groping his much younger girlfriend, who's in a revealing bikini (he's grabbing her butt). Nick and his friend Lefty talk about the latter's penis that's bent halfway up, prompting Lefty to comment about taping it to his leg and mentioning getting "hard." He then worries if he shoves it up the wrong hole, followed by Nick finishing that part of the conversation with, "Either way you want to get your d*ck straightened out." Seeing Nick holding an art house film in a video store, a guy mockingly asks, "Does that come with a tampon for your p*ssy?" Estelle shows a lot of cleavage in various outfits. We see a brief claymation style animation of two birds having sex (the girl bird on top). Jerry informs Nick that he (Jerry) and Estelle are going to retire to the bedroom (in their rented trailer). After he exits, Nick asks Estelle about Jerry, and she basically says she's settling, commenting on slim pickings considering her age and stretch marks. Nick then mentions the possibility of those with stretch mark fetishes. Estelle then states she's off to "play Scrabble" with Jerry. We see Sheeni lying face down in a bikini, and she asks Nick to put lotion on her back. He then straddles her, seated on her butt, and starts putting lotion on her. She then playfully asks about him getting turned on easily. He's embarrassed, but she tells him not to stop, matter-of-factly saying it's natural. She then says that girls are lucky in that it doesn't show when they're aroused, adding that as far as they know, her vagina could be moist for something. In voice over narration, Nick says he'd do anything to be with Sheeni (meaning sexually). Nick states he's going to die a virgin. Sheeni informs Nick that she hasn't had sex with Trent yet. She does say, however, that she's had sex once before, but that it was less than erotic. She adds that she's heard it gets better with practice, and then tells Nick she can tell he's a virgin. They then kiss some. In the backseat of a car in which they're passengers with Estelle and Jerry, Sheeni puts her hand on the inside of Nick's clothed thigh. Nick comments about thinking Sheeni has been caressing his "ass" when she was really putting a note in his back pants pocket. However, as we see them making out, she puts his hand up under her shirt (we don't see her breast). Nick comments on Jerry throwing out his back in bed with Estelle and that he has to be reunited with his painkillers (not seen). Nick refers to Sheeni's new dog as their love child. Lefty says that his sister went all of the way (sex) with some guy. That's followed by a comment about a "slatternly wench" and Lefty giving Nick a love making manual ("Love Making for Advanced Gourmets") that shows illustrations of various sexual positions, while Lefty makes a comment about a move where one puts their pinky up the woman's "bum-hole." Francois tells Nick he's not going to get anywhere sitting around listening to records and "jacking off." He then adds that he's not going to leave until Nick sticks his "d*ck" in the "tomato" (meaning Sheeni). He then tries to get him to take action by telling him about Trent having Sheeni on his lap. Nick gets Sheeni to fake a call (as an employer) to George to convince him he has a wood-related job (near where she lives, so that Nick can move there). When George says he doesn't know much about wood, Sheeni suggestively states that's not what she heard. It's implied that Lance had sex with Estelle the night before. Francois then states, "Those f*ckers are taking a shower together," so he then shuts off either the hot or cold water, thus causing them to react in the shower (just a head and shoulders view of them). Lance states he'll lie about Nick causing vehicle and building damage in town, but only because he (Lance) is sexually involved with Estelle. When she asks how she can repay him for that, Lance playfully laughs and kisses on her. Nick reads a letter from Sheeni about her roommate who's slept with 17 guys and wants to rack up 50 before graduating. After a comment is made that Trent is going to "mind-f*ck" Sheeni, Vijay says Trent will then "f*ck" her in other places. As Nick and Vijay watch, Sheeni's roommate walks in, strips down to her sexy bra and panties, and climbs into the top bunk where she just stares at them. Nick and Vijay then strip down to their boxers to sleep on the floor, but Francois convinces Nick to try his luck with Sheeni in her bed. After he whispers something unheard in her ear, she says not with other people in the room. Nick then goes into the bathroom, and when he returns, we see movement under the sheets (and hear related bed squeaking and movement) of Vijay having sex with the roommate. Nick then goes to Sheeni and she wonders if he wants to cuddle all night, with Francois saying "or more than just cuddle" and tells her to pull down the blanket and show him what she's hiding down there. He then says he wants to tickle her belly button, from the inside, and that he wants to wrap her legs around his head and wear her like the crown she is. We then see Nick on top of Sheeni in bed, kissing her, when the dorm house mother storms in and chases them out, with Vijay putting a used condom on the bed before fleeing in his boxers (Nick is dressed the same way). After the above scene, we see Nick and Vijay in their boxers, making a call to Mr. Ferguson for help, while Vijay talks about the sex being good. When Mr. Ferguson arrives, he asks about how they're dressed, with the boys lying that Vijay is an immigrant who only made it wearing what he has on, with Nick saying he's dressed the same for solidarity. We next see Mr. Ferguson driving them, also in just his boxers. When Vijay mentions their time in Sheeni's room with her and her roommate as innocent, Nick questions that word, saying he could have cut the sexual intercourse in that room with a knife. Nick again lies to Bernice about Trent, and him losing his virginity to his first cousin. We see that Paul, Lacey and Mr. Ferguson (who's lying face down on the floor in just his boxers) have ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms. After Nick has some, we see him having a drug trip where he imagines seeing smaller than real life animated illustrations -- from a previously seen sex manual -- floating in the air around him, showing sexual encounters (with movement and nudity -- breasts and butts) in various positions. He then reaches out his pinky toward the female in one, but upon touching her it pops like a balloon. Lacey shows cleavage. About Nick going to see Sheeni, with the possibility of the cops catching him, Francois tells him he better get "laid" this time, because if Nick goes to jail a virgin, he's not sticking around. Nick strips down to his boxers as he tries to fake his death by sending his dad's car (with a large rock on the gas pedal) off a cliff (but it lands in a shallow lake, and thus doesn't sink as he planned). We then see him walking through town and into a women's clothing store in just those boxers. Sheeni kisses Nick in her room, and we next see them having sex (head and shoulders view, him on top), and then post-sex in bed. SMOKING Francois smokes at least 6 times, while Estelle smokes once, and some photographs show people with cigarettes. Francois puts out his cigarette in his cereal bowl that he then purposefully overturns as he gets up and leaves. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Sheeni refers to her parents as "religious fanatics." Nick's parents are divorced and he lives with his mom, but doesn't get along with her boyfriend. After he starts acting up, she sends him to live with his father who doesn't jump for joy at the prospect of that. When Estelle says she needs Nick around for his child support money for food, he questions what about her using that money to support him. Nick and George struggle over the son taking the father's car. Nick wins that battle and races to the car, with George kicking the side as Nick drives off. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Losing one's virginity. Why some girls/women are attracted to the "bad boy" type. Drug use - especially subjecting others to using them unknowingly. The fact that Nick, after being arrested, is likely headed to juvenile detention for his acts. VIOLENCE Francois breaks albums and throws the pieces at Nick. Francois has Nick decide to torch the family vehicle, and we see a gas can in the backseat of the convertible as they tow a trailer. The gas can falls over and spills fuel in the back while the trailer comes loose and rolls backwards into a cafe, causing damage there while two other cars crash into each other. The empty convertible then rolls backwards, causing another lone car to crash, while the convertible crashes into the trailer and both vehicles explode. About the teen causing vehicle and building damage in town, Lance grabs Nick by the throat and pushes him back to a wall. Later, he flogs Francois on his unseen clothed backside with his belt, but Francois doesn't seem to mind and taunts him back. As a dorm house mother chases him and Vijay out, it appears that Nick kicks that woman while trying to flee. When George grabs at Lacey who's high with Paul on mushrooms, Paul gets up and punches George in the face. Nick and George struggle over the son taking the father's car. Nick wins that battle and races to the car, with George kicking the side as Nick drives off. Nick pushes Francois backwards with a shove to the head. Trent punches Nick in the face to the floor, followed by Nick punching and kicking Trent before being pinned to the floor and cuffed by a cop. Reviewed December 16, 2009 / Posted January 8, 2010

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