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"MAID IN MANHATTAN"
(2002) (Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes) (PG-13)

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


QUICK TAKE:
Romantic Comedy: A hotel maid has to decide what to do when a Senatorial candidate mistakes her for a well-to-do guest.
PLOT:
Marisa Ventura (JENNIFER LOPEZ) is a single mom who's trying to raise her 10-year-old son, Ty (TYLER GARCIA POSEY), as best as she can while holding down a job working as a maid at a swanky Manhattan hotel.

Working alongside fellow maid Stephanie Kehoe (MARISSA MATRONE), Marisa aspires to be a manager there one day, but is reluctant to file an application with her boss, Paula Burns (FRANCES CONROY), and the hotel's manager, John Bextrum (CHRIS EIGEMAN), when the position opens up.

After all, she's been trained, along with head butler Lionel Bloch (BOB HOSKINS) and the rest of the staff, that they should be invisible to the pampered guests, which includes socialite Caroline Lane (NATASHA RICHARDSON) and her friend Rachel Hoffberg (AMY SEDARIS). The maids wouldn't even dream of interacting with Chris Marshall (RALPH FIENNES), the dashing young politician who's in town with campaign manager Jerry Siegel (STANLEY TUCCI) while working on his Senate bid.

Yet, when Stephanie manages to convince Marisa to try on Caroline's expensive outfit that she's supposed to return to the store for her, Chris accidentally runs into her. Believing her to be a guest and mother to Ty who he's already met, Chris falls for both her beauty and her willingness to speak her mind. Not wanting to get fired for being caught in a guest's clothes, Marisa goes along with the ruse, even calling herself Caroline.

Much to Jerry's chagrin and the delight of the ever-present paparazzi, Chris takes an instant liking to Marisa and invites her to various events, completely unaware that "Caroline" is really Marisa. With mistaken identities crisscrossing paths, Marisa tries to tell Chris the truth, but for various reasons cannot. From that point on, she must decide whether leading her new fairy tale life is worth risking being found out by Chris or anyone else at the hotel.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of anyone in the cast or Cinderella type romantic comedies, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For some language/sexual references.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JENNIFER LOPEZ plays a single mom who works as a hotel maid where Chris mistakes her for a socialite. She tries to tell him the truth, but various circumstances prevent her from doing that and she must then decide what to do about that. She briefly uses some profanity and sleeps with Chris.
  • RALPH FIENNES plays a laidback state assemblyman who's running for the Senate when he runs into and confuses Marisa for a guest at the hotel rather than a maid. He briefly uses profanity and sleeps with Marisa.
  • NATASHA RICHARDSON plays a demanding socialite and guest at Marisa's hotel who treats Marisa like her servant and then thinks that Chris is interested in her.
  • STANLEY TUCCI plays Chris's exasperated manager and assistant on his campaign who doesn't want him involved with Marisa.
  • TYLER GARCIA POSEY plays Marisa's 10-year-old son who actively tries to get his mom and Chris together so that he can have a good father in his life.
  • MARISSA MATRONE plays Marisa's best friend and fellow maid at the hotel who encourages and urges her to go after Chris. She briefly uses some profanity and makes some sexually related comments.
  • AMY SEDARIS plays Caroline's snooty friend who acts condescendingly toward Marisa.
  • BOB HOSKINS plays the wise head butler at the hotel where Marisa works who tries to assist 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:
    The following is a quick look at the content found in this romantic comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 4 uses of the "s" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also present. Some innuendo and non-explicit, sexually related comments are made, while off-screen sex is implied between two characters. A man's bare rear-end is seen in a nonsexual context, while a man stands nude before two maids but nothing explicit is seen.

    Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some tense family material is present in the form of a divorced/separated father not showing up for his son's speech or taking him for the weekend due to work. Meanwhile, miscellaneous characters smoke and drink in several scenes, while some alcohol related comments are also made.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • A comment is made about a hotel guest being back on the wagon and that the maids should clear out the mini-bar. A comment is also made about the liquor and coffee bars turning over every four hours in Chris's suite.
  • Chris may have a beer in his hotel room (or it might be bottled water).
  • Marisa wraps a bottle of wine for serving in Chris' suite.
  • Caroline mentions someone who's drinking again.
  • People have wine or champagne at a reception.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We briefly see a small, slightly bloody cut on Lionel's palm.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Caroline treats Marisa like her servant (asking her to do things that are not Marisa's duty), while Rachel has a condescending and mean attitude toward Marisa.
  • Marisa doesn't correct Chris' misinterpretation of who she is, and thus lies to him to some extent (although it's more her just letting him continue to think the wrong thing rather than her actively trying to mislead him).
  • We hear that some guest is cheating on his wife.
  • Two French women raid the maid's cart for supplies that they put into their bags.
  • A store clerk is rude and condescending to Marisa.
  • Various students laugh at Ty when he stumbles his way through his speech and then runs off the stage.
  • Stephanie persuades Marisa to try on Caroline's clothes that are to be returned to the store.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • None.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • None.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Oh sh*t," "Chickensh*t," "Busting my ass," "Sucked," "Freaking," "Covering your ass," "I'll make like a baby and head out first" and "Taking a leak" (urinate).
  • Two French women raid the maid's cart for supplies that they put into their bags.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 4 "s" words, 1 slang term for male genitals ("pepperoni"), 3 hells, 2 asses, 2 damns, 8 uses of "Oh my God," 7 of "Oh God," 2 of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "God," "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "My God," "Oh Lord" and "Swear to God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see a hotel guest's bare butt on a video surveillance monitor when he's locked himself out in the hallway.
  • A nude man - known as the Full Monty -- purposefully stands before Marisa and Stephanie (we only see him from the hips up but they see everything).
  • Marisa starts to compare Stephanie to Caroline saying that they both have boyfriends who haven't popped (the question), but Stephanie interjects "her cherry." Marisa then asks if Stephanie's mind is always on the "pepperoni."
  • Some older French woman comment on seeing Marisa with Chris and say that she's probably today's girlfriend. Chris then asks them (in French) if they want to join them (possibly sexual innuendo to give them a shock).
  • There's a double entendre when Marisa tells Chris that she almost sat on his face when she goes to sit on a magazine that has his mug on the cover. Later, when she discovers that magazine stuck to her pants, she pulls it off and asks if anything's on her clothes. Looking at her rear, Chris says that it's perfect.
  • When Marisa says that the situation between her and Chris is complicated, Stephanie states that the only thing that would be complicated between her and him would be unhooking her bra strap. Marisa then asks if she's supposed to be making his bed "with me in it." Stephanie then asks if his hands are big.
  • Chris mentions that Marisa's "assets" are nice when Jerry says Chris has to focus on the assets.
  • Rachel shows a great deal of cleavage.
  • Caroline is upset that her significant other "made love" to his ex.
  • Marisa shows quite a bit of cleavage in a low-cut dress.
  • Chris passionately kisses Marisa and then asks that if this is the only evening they're going to have that she stay with him. He then stands before her as she sits on the edge of the bed and undoes his bowtie. He then runs his fingers along her lips and leans down toward her on the bed.
  • The next morning, we see the two in bed (implying sex). She then gets up and gathers up some clothes while apparently nude (we see her bare back and legs, but nothing explicit).
  • Chris and Marisa passionately kiss.
  • SMOKING
  • Various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We see that Marisa is raising Ty by herself and the boy hopes that his non-present father will show up for a speech he has to give. The father doesn't, however, and Ty is disappointed (about that and the father not taking him for the weekend).
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • How some people view others differently based on their job and/or appearance.
  • The motto of the hotel workers being "Strive to be invisible."
  • Public speaking and people's fear of that.
  • Chris' comment that you don't know what you can do until you have to.
  • Lionel's statement that just because they serve people doesn't make them their servants and that people's work doesn't define who they are (how they rise after they've fallen is what does).
  • Marisa's mother being a pragmatist and saying that her daughter doesn't have the right to go out with someone like Chris.
  • Forgiving others.
  • VIOLENCE
  • We briefly see a woman throwing something (possibly a potted plant) at her husband in a hotel room (for him cheating on her).



  • Reviewed December 7, 2002 / Posted December 13, 2002

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