THE RUM DIARY | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE RUM DIARY"
(2011) (Johnny Depp, Michael Rispoli) (R)

QUICK TAKE:
Drama: An American writer takes a newspaper job in 1960s San Juan but finds himself distracted by his inability to avoid beautiful women and booze.

PLOT:
It's 1960 and unpublished novelist Paul Kemp (JOHNNY DEPP) has arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico to write for The San Juan Star. Editor-in-chief Edward Lotterman (RICHARD JENKINS) likes Paul's resume and hopes he'll be more productive than the testy and rarely present Moburg (GIOVANNI RIBISI). The latter shares an apartment with the paper's photographer, Bob Salas (MICHAEL RISPOLI), and Paul eventually ends up moving in with them when his mini-bar tab at the local hotel goes through the roof.
Paul also draws the attention of Hal Sanderson (AARON ECKHART), a former paper employee who's now a politically connected PR consultant. With some investors wanting to put a hotel complex on a soon to be available island, Sanderson sees Paul as the best man to write copy that will manipulate the masses and powers-that-be to get in line with the project.
Paul agrees, but finds himself distracted by Sanderson's alluring girlfriend, Chenault (AMBER HEARD), who just wants to have fun. With booze and drugs ending up as additional distractions, Paul stumbles his way through his obligations and must eventually decide who he is and what he stands for.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or the early semi-fictionalized life of Hunter S. Thompson, it doesn't seem too likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For language, brief drug use and sexuality.

The rest of this review is available in our Screen It Subscriber Site.
We invite you to please log in or consider signing up and joining thousands of parents and other viewers who now know what they and/or their kids will see (or not see, if that's their choice) in the movie theaters, at home, or at someone else's house.

You'll get everything you see above PLUS immediate access to the Our Word to Parents objectionable content summary, as well as all of the specific listings in our 15 content categories (including profanity counts, specific details about the sexual content, violence and more).

With our reviews, you'll be a more informed parent and thus know what your child might see or hear, and you'll be able to discuss what they've seen or heard after the fact if a surprise viewing occurs somewhere away from you.

For those without kids or whose children have grown up, our reviews will give you peace of mind that you won't see or hear something that will shock or disgust you, thus allowing you to enjoy what you're viewing, or make another choice if you find somewhat objectionable listed in our review.

And our reviews are unlike any others available online or anywhere else. Nobody provides the amount of detail we do (and our reviews take more than 10 hours each to complete).

You get all of that for just $7.95 a month (with a 30 day Money Back Guarantee) or -- if you'd like to save more than 50% -- just $47 a year (less than $1 a week, with a 90 Day Money Back Guarantee). No hassles, no questions, no pressure. After all, it's your money. And we know once you read our reviews and become truly informed, you'll find this service to you far more valuable than that.

Remember, you can't take back what you or your kids might see or hear if you watch something without our help -- but our reviews will give you peace of mind that you've made the right choice.

Just Click the Sign Up Button below and you'll have Instant Access to this review and thousands of other new and older reviews:

Other new reviews available this week include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.