"HEIST"
(2001) (Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito) (R)

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

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QUICK TAKE:

Drama: As a veteran thief is forced to take on one last job, he must deal with his ruthless fence as well as the complicated details of the heist and possible betrayal by some of his crew.

PLOT:

Joe Moore (GENE HACKMAN) is a professional thief who's all set to retire with his younger wife, Fran (REBECCA PIDGEON), after his cover is blown during their latest jewelry heist. Unfortunately, his ruthless fence, Bergman (DANNY DeVITO), not only shortchanges Joe and the rest of his crew -- Bobby Blane (DELROY LINDO) and Don "Pinky" Pincus (RICKY JAY) - of their cut of the money, but he also demands that they take another job.

This time it's a shipment of Swiss gold and Bergman says he won't pay for the last job until they complete this next one. To make matters worse, the fence insists that his untested, unreliable and hotheaded nephew, Jimmy Silk (SAM ROCKWELL), be part of their team. While Joe is obviously reluctant since his face was captured on video during the last heist, he agrees to take this one and then retire.

From that point on, he and his team begin their intricate plan to seize the gold, all while never being quite sure if they'll succeed or whether one or more of their own might be turning against them.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Older teens may want to, as might anyone who's a fan of someone in the cast or writer/director David Mamet.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For language and some violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

GENE HACKMAN plays a criminal mastermind who wants to retire and spend time with his young wife on their boat, particularly when his cover is blown. Forced back into action, however, he pulls off another job, uses strong profanity and eventually kills a man who's wronged and threatened him.

REBECCA PIDGEON plays his younger wife who's part of the team, smokes and ultimately cheats on him.

DANNY DeVITO plays Joe's ruthless fence who uses strong profanity, orders a person to be murdered and acts threateningly toward others.

DELROY LINDO plays Joe's partner who also uses strong profanity and shoots people dead in a gun battle.

SAM ROCKWELL plays Bergman's untested, unreliable and hotheaded nephew who uses strong profanity.

RICKY JAY plays the team's utility man who participates in the heists and also uses strong profanity.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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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).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated dramatic thriller. Profanity is listed as extreme due to the use of at least 62 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Violence is also listed as extreme due to various people being shot and wounded or killed in a gun battle (with some moderately bloody results), while other non-lethal fighting is also present.

Some of those scenes may be suspenseful to some viewers and the cool and smart criminal behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Meanwhile, the perpetrators of all of that, as well as others all have extreme cases of bad attitudes (being thieves, thugs or having an affair). The beginning of the latter is briefly seen (as a man tears off a woman's shirt and we see her bare back before the camera fades to black), while various characters drink and/or smoke.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you more closely examine our detailed listings for more specific information about the film's content.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Various people drink in a bar, including Fran, as they set up another person who we hear is a drunk.

Bergman has a drink, as does Fran.

A woman pours some liquor into her coffee.

Fran states that she needs a drink.

Joe drinks a beer.

BLOOD/GORE

A man's face is a little bloody after he's been beaten (which we don't see) and Fran has a bruise on her face after being punched.

After we hear a gunshot (of someone being murdered), we see some blood splatter on another person.

A man's leg is a bit bloody after being shot there, while another man's lip is bloody after being punched. The latter then has a lot of blood on his face after he's been shot.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

All of the major characters are involved in criminal behavior of one sort or another and some of them then conspire against others in their group.

Bergman tells Joe that he should have "popped" a witness (shot her) instead of just zapping her.

When Silk asks how long Joe has been with Fran, Pinky responds by saying, "How long is a Chinaman's name?" Later, Fran states that a person's plan was "As cute as a Chinese baby."

A married woman has an affair.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be suspenseful or unsettling to viewers.

As a police officer pulls up and talks to Joe about what they're doing on the road, Silk prepares his gun in a nearby parked vehicle, a matter that the others try to diffuse before he makes matters worse.

As a man comes by Joe's boathouse at night with money for his boat (and has a gun), Fran notices someone sneaking around in the distance. Joe then grabs the man's gun and slowly looks for the intruder as the buyer rushes off.

A truck nearly hits Silk and Fran's van, causing the latter to go out of control.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Explosives: Used to blow up a trashcan and later a small building at an airport, both as diversions.

Handguns/Rifles: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others.

Shiv-like tool: Used by Bergman to test whether some gold is the real thing.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "F*ck you and f*ck your partners," "Stay the f*ck down," "What the f*ck does it take to make you do the other thing?" "F*ck your uncle" (nonsexual), "You f*cking cowboy," "Put you down like a f*cking dog," "Get me the f*ck out of here," "So f*cking funny," "Why the f*ck?" "You're out of your f*cking mind," "Young, dumb and full of cum" (what Joe says about Silk), "What the f*ck are you doing (here)?" "(Lets) Get the f*ck out of here," "Are you (done) f*cking with me?" "I'd waste your f*cking ass," "F*ck you too," "That's bullsh*t," "Save the bullsh*t," "No sh*t," "You're shitting me," "You piece of sh*t," "Sucker," "Screwed" (nonsexual), "The hell with it," "Piss(ing)," "Burns my butt," "What the hell /is it?" "Sorry ass," "Broad" (woman) and "Kiss my ass."

Since the characters make their thievery look cool and smart, some kids could be enticed to try the same.

Fran drops something into a bunch of workers' coffee to render them unconscious (as part of a larger plan to steal jewels).

Pinky walks out and purposefully allows himself to be hit by a car (to divert the police attention away from Joe), while an explosion is set of in a trashcan for the same purpose.

Joe smuggles a small gun through security by having it in a plastic bag inside his large cup of coffee.

JUMP SCENES

The sudden sound of a loud explosion could startle some viewers.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 62 "f" words (6 used with "mother"), 7 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("c*cks*cker"), 1 slang term for breasts ("t*ts"), 10 hells, 5 asses, 3 S.O.B.s, 2 damns, 1 crap, 2 uses of "For Christ's sakes" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "Oh Lord," "Oh my God" and "Oh Christ" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

The camera focuses on Fran's bare thighs in a short dress as she sits.

Silk tears open Fran's shirt (with her not resisting) and we see her bare back as he kisses her neck and the camera fades to black (implying that they fool around more and/or have sex).

Silk tells Fran that she thinks good on her feet and then asks if she's as good off of them.

SMOKING

Fran and Silk each smoke more than 5 times, while Bergman smokes a cigar (as does a minor character).

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

A married woman has an affair, but there's little confrontation between her and her husband.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Those who make their living as professional thieves.

How being involved in criminal behavior carries with it all sorts of dangerous and unexpected repercussions.

VIOLENCE

An explosive in a trashcan explodes as a diversion, but does cause one vehicle to crash into another.

Joe and Bobby pry open a door, breaking the frame while doing so. Joe then zaps a woman with some device that renders her unconscious. They then break some display glass to steal jewels.

A man pushes Bobby who then pushes him back and then grabs him, hitting and kicking the man several times (with the first man's gun firing several times as they struggle but no one is hit). He then holds a gun on someone else.

Bobby punches Silk in the gut.

Pinky walks out and purposefully allows himself to be hit by a car (to divert the police attention away from Joe).

Joe kicks an intruder and then holds a gun on him (it turns out to be Silk). He then smacks and pushes him backwards before flipping him to the ground and then threatening him with a large metal pipe.

Joe fires a small gun to prove to a guard that it's real and then slams the man into a counter and then punches him several times (we don't see the latter).

A small building at an airport explodes (to serve as a diversion).

Joe uses tear gas or something similar to knock out some pilots in a plane that's stopped on the ground.

Silk hits Joe on the back of the head, momentarily knocking him out.

It looks as if Pinky's been beaten and Bergman then punches Fran.

After we hear a gunshot (of someone being murdered), we see some blood splatter on another person.

A man hits Joe with his gun and Bergman then holds a shotgun on him. A man then hits Joe on the head or back with his gun.

Joe then punches Bergman.

A person is shot in the leg and then punched.

A person shoots two men and a small gun battle then breaks out (using handguns and rifles) where several people are shot (and wounded or killed). The first person is shot and wounded and then another takes his place and shoots more people.

A man shoots another man dead.

Reviewed October 10, 2001 / Posted November 9, 2001

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