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"CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL"
(2001) (Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Heavy Minor Heavy None None
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate None None *Minor Heavy
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Minor Moderate Moderate Mild


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: Two young lovers from opposite sides of the track try to make their romance work despite their differences and the reaction of others to their relationship.
PLOT:
Nicole Oakley (KIRSTEN DUNST) and Carlos Nuņez (JAY HERNANDEZ) couldn't be more different. She's the daughter of wealthy Congressman Tom Oakley (BRUCE DAVISON) and lives in the upscale community of Pacific Palisades, California. A troubled seventeen-year-old, Nicole enjoys goofing around and skipping classes with her good friend, Maddy (TARYN MANNING), and knows she can get away with most anything, even if her stepmother, Courtney (LUCINDA JENNEY), doesn't seem to like her.

Carlos, on the other hand, lives in East L.A. with his family that includes his brother, Hector (ROLANDO MOLINA), and their strict mother (SOLEDAD ST. HILAIRE). He's a top-notch, straight-laced student and athlete who hopes to attend the U.S. Naval Academy upon graduation. Accordingly, he endures a two-hour daily bus trip to Pacific High School, that Nicole coincidentally attends, to get the best education available to him.

The two then meet, sparks immediately fly and they quickly become a romantic item, much to the surprise of their respective friends and family. Nicole's self-destructive and lackadaisical ways soon begin to affect Carlos, however, a point that doesn't sit well with his mother who's concerned about his future. More surprisingly, it's Nicole's father who tries to put an end to the relationship, not because he's worried about his daughter, but instead of how she's influencing Carlos.

As the two young lovers learn more about each other while facing self-doubts and various forces that try to break them up, they must decide what's right for them individually and as a couple.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Teens will probably be drawn to it, as might those who are fans of anyone in the cast (particularly Dunst).
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For mature thematic material involving teens, drug/alcohol content, sexuality & language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • KIRSTEN DUNST plays a seemingly spoiled rich girl who values nothing but breaking the rules and having fun with her friend. She has a bad relationship with her father and stepmother, uses profanity, enters into a sexual relationship with Carlos, drinks, and apparently also does some drugs.
  • TARYN MANNING plays her best friend who pretty much has the same value system as Nicole.
  • JAY HERNANDEZ plays a straight-laced and topnotch student and athlete who allows Nicole to influence him and potentially threaten his plans. He uses some profanity and has sex with her.
  • BRUCE DAVISON plays Nicole's wealthy Congressman father who seemingly doesn't care what she's up to, but really does.
  • LUCINDA JENNEY plays his new wife who can't stand Nicole or her living with them.
  • ROLANDO MOLINA plays Carlos' brother who uses some profanity.
  • 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 teen romantic drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 use of the "f" word, with other expletives and colorful phrases also being used. Some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, while two high school students have a sexual relationship.

    Accordingly, we see partial views of several of their encounters (one with partial undressing, kissing, and retrieval of a condom but no sex, another showing head and shoulder shots of a culminated encounter and then partial nudity afterwards, and a third briefly showing them - through the smoked glass door - in the shower). Other scenes include other making out, some brief, suggestive dancing, and young women in varying degrees of revealing attire.

    The female protagonist is a troubled 17-year-old with family problems (her mother committed suicide in the past and she doesn't get along that well with her father or stepmother) and she drinks (appearing intoxicated in one scene) and reportedly does drugs (which we don't see, although a friend of hers appears to smoke a joint and others drink).

    Other characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, and various forms of imitative behavior are present and could be enticing to some impressionable kids. Meanwhile, a few people smoke, a person is punched and some pushing also occurs. If the above doesn't appease your concerns about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific information about what occurs in it.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • We see a student smoking what looks like a joint while perched atop a tree branch and Carlos takes a sip from Maddy's "water" bottle and spits out what's presumably some sort of liquor.
  • Nicole admits that she was serving some community time service for being busted for DUI and then adds that she was "wasted."
  • Maddy comments about Nicole "scoring" some "weed" one time in the past.
  • We see Carlos holding a brown paper bag with a bottle inside, but don't know the contents. We later see Maddy carrying the same or a different bag. Later, a different man drinks something from a brown paper bag as well.
  • People drink beer at some outdoor street party.
  • In the background of a shot, we see Tom and possibly Courtney having wine with dinner.
  • Some adults drink beer at a party.
  • Nicole's father tells Carlos that among other things she does, she drinks and does drugs.
  • We see some students at a wild party drinking and Nicole appears to be rather intoxicated (we later see her passed out in the passenger seat of a car).
  • We see an empty bottle of booze in the back of Nicole's car and the police later report that they found it and some drug paraphernalia.
  • Carlos tells Nicole that she should try talking to her father while sober, causing her to jokingly reply that she's not always drunk.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We hear Maddy urinating in an alley.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Nicole has both toward most everything in her life, not caring that she breaks the rules or gets into trouble.
  • Maddy and Nicole skip class while on a bathroom break and hang out with some other kids outside the building and then goof off while in detention.
  • Another female student bumps into Nicole and then proceeds to insult her, calling her "stupid bitch," etc.
  • Some of Carlos' friends ogle a woman as she walks by, with one even jumping out and starring at her clothed butt. One of them then has a bad attitude toward a different friend and ends up punching him.
  • Nicole unintentionally backs into another parked car with hers and drives off with checking for damage, etc.
  • Carlos lies to Nicole's father about earlier calling his office to state that he couldn't make it to a meeting.
  • Carlos finds one of his friends making out with Nicole at a party where she appears to be rather intoxicated.
  • Nicole becomes a bit belligerent toward some cops after they pull over her and Carlos (and she's somewhat intoxicated).
  • Courtney doesn't give Nicole much of a break and acts disrespectful to her and Tom late in the film.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • None.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • None.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Sit the f*ck down," "I've got some sh*t to do," "Sh*t sucks," "Oh sh*t," "Piece of sh*t," "You're sh*t out of luck," "I don't give a sh*t," "Bad ass," "Screw(ed) up," "Where the hell have you been?" "Slut" (what Maddy playfully calls Nicole), "That sucks," "Shut up," "Hell, yeah," "Pissed," "Get your ass inside," "Stupid bitch," "Bitch" (said by a man to another man, and by one man to a woman) and "Get the hell off of me."
  • Maddy and Nicole skip class while on a bathroom break and hang out with some other kids outside the building.
  • Nicole and Maddy occasionally wear midriff-baring tops (some of which accentuate Nicole's breasts beneath them).
  • Nicole stands and dances around in the open-air vehicle that Maddy's driving.
  • While dancing at some nighttime street party, Nicole dances around and then squats down in front of Carlos' clothed crotch while doing so.
  • Maddy urinates in an alley (as there are no bathrooms around).
  • Nicole's father states that she tried to commit suicide several times (no attempts are seen).
  • Carlos encourages Nicole to run off with him rather than go to a reform school/camp (they do, but then return back to her father's place).
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • A song has lyrics about getting funky to the rhythm of the choo-choo train and then repeats, "Oh, how she gave me love."
  • Various songs that play on the soundtrack have lyrics that couldn't be understood, thus offering the possibility of other possibly objectionable content.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 1 "f" word, 16 "s" words, 9 damns, 7 asses, 7 hells, 6 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Christ," "For God's sakes," "God" and "Jesus Christ" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • As Carlos starts to get out of bed, he pulls back the sheets and we may or may not see a brief, split second flash of nudity.
  • Maddy wears just a bikini top up top as she attends a football game at night (she wears a coat over that, but shows some cleavage).
  • A friend tells Carlos and another guy that an event they're attending will have free food, drink and maybe some other free stuff (possibly referring to sexual matters).
  • As Maddy drives Carlos home, Nicole climbs into the backseat with him and then straddles him before kissing his face (everyone is clothed).
  • While dancing at some nighttime street party, Nicole dances around and then squats down in front of Carlos' clothed crotch while doing so. Later, the two of them passionately kiss in an alley (causing Maddy to tell them to get a hotel room).
  • Nicole and Maddy occasionally wear midriff-baring tops (some of which accentuate Nicole's breasts beneath them).
  • Carlos and Nicole make out in a photography darkroom, but are interrupted before anything else happens.
  • Nicole takes Carlos back to her house and into her bedroom where she starts to undress (we see her in her panties) and Carlos removes his shirt before Nicole works on and then removes his pants. He then gets on top of her on her bed and they passionately kiss (in a head and shoulders shot) but he stops because they don't have any protection. She then gets up, walks down the hall in her panties, goes to a cabinet, retrieves some condoms and then returns and crawls on top of him with more making out. He then tries to hide as he suddenly sees her father just outside of her bedroom window (the father doesn't see them and Nicole says that it's no big deal as her father doesn't care what she does and adds that he'd proud since she has a condom).
  • Later, she states that Carlos got a meeting with her congressman father and that "you didn't even have to sleep with me."
  • She then takes him to the airport (for his first plane ride) and states that he can join the mile high club (but then adds that she's kidding).
  • Nicole and Carlos return to her bedroom (aware that her parents won't be home until midnight) and begin making out some more. We then see him on top of her, nuzzling her neck (and see her pleasured facial reaction) and then see various head and shoulders shots of them having sex (during one we see part of her bare breast, but don't see any explicit movement). After they're done, we see them lying in bed and see her bare back and part of her hip that's under the sheets, along with his bare back and then a reverse angle shot that shows some of her bare breast (the middle of it's blocked by her arm). He then gets back on top of her and it's implied that they have sex again (we later him starting to get up as she sleeps).
  • We see Nicole on the beach in a bikini top that shows some cleavage.
  • A female friend of Carlos' shows some cleavage in her dress.
  • Carlos finds one of his friends making out with Nicole at a party where she appears to be rather intoxicated (we also see some miscellaneous students making out on a bed in the background of a shot).
  • We see Nicole in her underwear after police have stopped her and Carlos and returned them to her father's place.
  • We have a partial view (through the smoked glass door) of Nicole and Carlos in the shower together in a motel. Later, as both lie on the bed, the camera pans down her leg to her panties and then up her torso to her face.
  • SMOKING
  • A few miscellaneous people/students smoke.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We see that Nicole has a strained relationship with her father and stepmother (that gets worse before it gets better). We also first hear that her biological mother moved across the country when Nicole was 12, but later hear that she committed suicide (presumably at that same time). Carlos mentions that he was just five when his father left home.
  • Carlos' relationship with his mother becomes strained when she senses that his relationship with Nicole is changing him.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Nicole's low self-esteem and wild behavior that apparently stems from her mother's suicide when she was younger.
  • Nicole's father seemingly not caring about her having a sexual relationship with Carlos.
  • The opposites attract, "Romeo and Juliet" style romance, and how others react to their choice of boyfriend/girlfriend.
  • VIOLENCE
  • One of Carlos' friends punches another young man in the face when he thinks he's been insulted, some tables are overturned and the two have to be separated.
  • Carlos pushes his brother backwards during an argument.
  • Nicole unintentionally backs into another parked car with hers and drives off with checking for damage, etc.
  • Carlos pushes one of his "friends" back down into a hot tub after finding him making out with Nicole.



  • Reviewed June 19, 2001 / Posted June 29, 2001

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