"SLACKERS"
(2002) (Devon Sawa, Jason Schwartzman) (R)

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

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QUICK TAKE:

Comedy: A nerdy stalker blackmails three college cheaters into setting him up with the girl of his dreams.

PLOT:

Dave (DEVON SAWA), Sam (JASON SEGEL) and Jeff (MICHAEL C. MARONNA) are three friends who've breezed through Holden University by lying, cheating and scheming their way to good grades. They're about to graduate when they unfortunately run afoul of Ethan (JASON SCHWARTZMAN), a nerdy sociopath who figures out what they're doing.

Since he's infatuated with and essentially stalking Angela (JAMES KING), a classmate of theirs, but doesn't stand a chance with her due to his social awkwardness, he decides to blackmail the three friends, threatening to turn them in if they don't fix her up with him. Considering their past deceitful accomplishments, they figure this will be an easy task to pull off.

Accordingly, they learn everything they can about Angela, while setting up Ethan in situations where he keeps bumping into her. What they don't plan, however, is for Dave to fall for her and vice-versa, a point she discusses with her roommate, Reanna (LAURA PREPON). From that point on, and as Ethan becomes infuriated over this development, the three friends try to figure out how to handle this unexpected predicament.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of someone in the cast, or are looking for a college-set comedy, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For strong language and sexual content, and for brief drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

DEVON SAWA plays a college student who's lied, cheated and schemed his way through college with his friends. He uses strong profanity, briefly smokes pot, and has sex with Angela after falling for her.

JASON SEGEL plays one of his friends who's also involved in the deceitful behavior, briefly smokes pot and uses strong profanity.

MICHAEL C. MARONNA plays their other friend who does all of the same and may be gay due to various comments he makes.

JASON SCHWARTZMAN plays a disturbed and nerdy sociopath who's obsessed with Angela and is essentially stalking her. He blackmails the three friends into setting him up with her.

JAMES KING plays the young coed who must deal with falling for Dave (with whom she has sex) while putting up with Ethan's obsessive behavior toward her.

LAURA PREPON plays her roommate who uses strong profanity, masturbates in front of a stranger and apparently is involved in S&M behavior with some guy.

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:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 32 "f" words, with plenty of other expletives and colorful phrases also occurring. Sexually related dialogue is present, as are various instances of sexually related material.

They include a young woman masturbating; an imagined scene of one guy and two girls making out (with the women kissing each other); a college student giving a sponge bath to an older, topless woman who's aroused by what he's doing (and he kisses her nipple after she tells him to); a married woman performing oral sex on a young man (not explicitly seen); a student with a sock puppet on his erect penis; implied sex between students; passionate kissing and other such behavior; and some homosexual references.

Various characters are scantily clad, a male's bare butt is briefly seen as are some photos of nude women, and the camera occasionally focuses on women's clothed body parts. Several characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including students who get by on cheating and scheming, and another who's essentially stalking a young woman and blackmailing others.

Some brief, scatological humor is present. Several characters drink and/or smoke, while a few briefly smoke pot. Meanwhile, various instances of imitative behavior are present, as is some mild violence (involving some struggling, a thrown punch, etc.).

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

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

We hear one of the guys calling a wine company and, posing as a magazine worker, asking that a case of samples be sent to them.

Dave, Sam and another student all briefly smoke joints. That another student calls them "joint heads," but then hands his joint back to them stating that it doesn't agree with him.

The three friends celebrate with beer, and then do so again at a restaurant.

We see various people drinking at a party where one guy is briefly seen holding a pot pipe.

Angela's parents drink (liquor and wine) and offer him one (he accepts), and Dave later pours another drink for the father.

While walking through a hospital, Ethan grabs a man's medication and downs it.

Ethan and the three guys have beer in front of them.

Many people drink at a party.

Dave gets a beer out of the fridge.

Dave, Jeff and Sam have beer, with Jeff eventually falling down, apparently from being drunk.

During one of their cons, it's stated that on Dave's resume (posing as someone else) that he smokes "blunts" with the homeys.

BLOOD/GORE

Jeff loudly farts twice, and later loudly belches.

Ethan has a little bit of a bloody nose after Dave punches him.

We see Dave step into some dog excrement.

As Ethan showers, we see some yellow liquid at his feet in the water, which is presumably urine.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Dave, Jeff and Sam have bad attitudes for cheating (stealing exams before they're given, paying another student to get the answers for them, etc.) and the various scams they pull on others. Dave also admits to engineering blackouts, calling in bomb threats, hacking into computers, etc. in the past.

Ethan is essentially stalking Angela and thus has a bad attitude about that. He also blackmails Dave and his friends into setting him up with Angela (or else he'll turn them in for cheating).

One of the guys also mentions getting some "fine ass bitches."

One of the guys says "treat a girl like dirt and she'll stick to you like mud." We then see him pour a drink on a woman's bare back in a bar.

While walking through a hospital, Ethan grabs a man's medication and downs it.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

None.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Starter's pistol: Used to start a race.

Laser guns: Briefly seen being fired by the three friends in an imagined piece.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "F*cking sh*tload," "You're so f*cking hot," "Are you f*cking insane?" "You f*cking retard," "Don't say a f*cking word," "Shut the f*ck up," "Do you f*cking know this guy?" "What the f*ck /are you doing here anyway?" "F*ck you," "You sure did f*ck up," "This is a sh*theap," "Oh, sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Sh*thead," "The little pr*ck," "Skank," "Stupid ass," "Balls" (testicles), "Fine ass bitches," "Hide the baloney pony," "Bag your own bitches," "Slut," "Butt-wipe," "Whore," "What the hell /are you doing/are you talking about?" "Hell, no," "You freaking hobo," "Screwed" (nonsexual), "Kick ass," "Shut up," "Nuts" (crazy), "Freak out," "Your ass is grass," "Bitch," "Who the hell is this?" "Skanky ass bitches," "Slut," "Monkey boy" and "Freak."

The friends' various scams, such as stealing exams before they're given, etc. might be enticing for some kids to imitate.

Sam throws his bike against the back of a stopped delivery truck and then tosses the pre-crumpled bike to the street, all to make the driver think he hit him.

Dave smokes a pipe near a smoke detector so that the alarm goes off and one of his friends can steal a test.

Jeff gestures to someone by flicking his fingers under his chin at him.

As Ethan fantasizes about Angela, he appears to have a pair of her panties on his head. He then pours hot candle wax in the palm of his hand and then apparently puts that on his unseen crotch (he reacts to the sensation).

Sam says "treat a girl like dirt and she'll stick to you like mud." In what's presumably an imagined scene, we then see him in his underwear as he purposefully spills a drink on a woman's back in a bar, prompting her to slap him.

An older woman makes the male oral sex gesture by moving her hand and making an imaginary bulge in her cheek.

Jeff loudly farts twice, and later loudly belches.

We see that Jeff has printed up fake diplomas for everyone.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

Ethan sings a song that includes the word "c*cks*cker" in it, while a song playing in the end credits has lyrics about kissing or sucking a nipple along with some sexual-like sounds.

PROFANITY

At least 32 "f" words (2 used with "mother"), 18 "s" words, 4 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck," "c*cks*cker" and "pr*ck"), 4 slang terms for breasts ("rack" and variations of "boob"), 14 asses (1 used with "hole"), 5 hells, 3 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 1 crap and 12 uses of "Oh my God," 3 of "God," 2 of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Christ," "For Christ's sakes," "Oh God" and "Good God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Miscellaneous students show some cleavage, while a camera focuses on some female runner's clothed breasts. Later, we see some women in bikinis (with cleavage) and short shorts, and in another scene, the camera focuses on two young women's clothed butts. Later, the camera focuses on some women's bare midriffs and butts as they dance.

Sam asks whether one has to work in gay porn before working in straight porn, and Dave says that you do.

Ethan imagines making out with Angela and her roommate Reanna at the same time and then those two young women passionately kissing as well.

Feigning that a truck hit him earlier in the day, Sam states that among his injuries, his testicle turned blue (with an older mail administrator/professor telling him to drop his pants so that he and others can look at it - this never happens).

A woman on the phone mentions something about "getting the groove on" and moves around in her seat while doing so.

In an imagined scene, we see one of the guys tied to a bed in his underwear while another of the guys is dressed like a female hooker standing nearby.

The guys talk about watching porno, a comment is made about the next time one of them "jacks off," and that one of them goes through more tissues than a widow.

We see Dave and Jeff in their underwear in the locker room, and then very briefly see Dave's bare butt.

As Ethan fantasizes about Angela, he appears to have a pair of her panties on his head. He then pours hot candle wax in the palm of his hand and then apparently puts that on his unseen crotch (he reacts to the sensation).

When Ethan stops by Angela's room, he meets Reanna (her roommate) who states that she's busy masturbating. We then see Reanna's vibrating vibrator that she uses to point him in the right direction, and she then goes back to masturbating (we don't see the actual act, but do see her lie back down on the sofa and see and hear her pleasured reactions).

Sam says "treat a girl like dirt and she'll stick to you like mud." In what's presumably an imagined scene, we then see him in his underwear as he purposefully spills a drink on a woman's back in a bar, prompting her to slap him.

As Jeff looks through some sort of porno magazine, we briefly see a woman's bare breasts and another's mostly bare butt (in a thong bottom).

Dave goes to Angela's parents' house to get info on her, and the mother comes on to him, stating that among other things, she likes to "suck c*ck." We then see her head go out of the camera frame as she apparently does that to him. Moments later, her husband walks in and finds Dave standing behind the bar, looking sweaty and flustered (suggesting she's still performing oral sex on him). Later, after Dave leaves, the husband kisses the wife and then reacts to the taste in his mouth.

Ethan and Angela go in to check a middle-aged woman in a hospital (they're volunteering there). The women then comes on to Ethan, stating she used to be a whore and then makes the male oral sex gesture to him (moving her hand and making an imaginary bulge in her cheek). She then has Angela leave for something, and then tells Ethan that she's overheating and that she wants a sponge bath. He reluctantly gets the sponge for that, but when he returns she's opened her shirt to reveal her very large breasts. She then sensuously tells him to sponge her and so he runs the sponge over her bare breasts, even lifting them to sponge beneath them (as he tells her that she has "a great rack"). She then tells him to kiss her nipple, so he does just that and she reacts to that, but they're interrupted before anything else happens.

Later, one of the guys asks, "You fingered an old lady?"

Reanna (who shows cleavage) tells Angela that to get Dave, "You have to show the boobs and work the ass." When Angela replies that she doesn't have any boobs (meaning they're small), Reanna states that they'll have to "work the ass."

Angela tells Dave some astrological tale about a woman slicing off a man's "manhood." They then briefly kiss.

As one of the guys lies in bed singing, "She'll be coming around the mountain," he voices two parts, one of which belongs to the sock puppet that covers most of his erect penis (we see the base of it, as well as his pubic hair, as well as the sock puppet somehow moving and singing).

Ethan comments on imagining Angela lying in bed "screaming, and screaming and screaming." He later imagines giving Angela a sponge bath as she writhes about on a bed in just a small bikini.

The camera focuses on Angela in her small bikini and Dave in his trunks as they swim overhead in a pool (the camera is below them). The two then passionately kiss in the pool, get out, and then lie down on some towels (we see a head and shoulders shot of them kissing and him nuzzling her neck). She has a pleasured look on her face, and we then see her leg up along his side (in a wider shot) and what looked like just a glimpse of part of her bare breast. It's implied that they have sex and we later see them snuggling in the same location under those towels.

Later, and after showing Jeff and Sam some video playback of the end of the above scene, Ethan states that Dave's D "f-ing you, he's f-ing me" and "f-ing" Angela (the later meaning in a sexual way). After that, Jeff goes on about how the system has "screwed" guys by forcing them to think they need girls. He then goes on about why guys couldn't just hang out and have fun, and then adds that they could have sex with many guys, but that it wouldn't be gay. He later emphasizes that he's not gay.

Ethan serenades Angela by singing some song with a lyric that said something about not being the kind of guy to insist she go on the pill. Reanna then comes out, dressed in S&M garb (that shows cleavage), like her boyfriend/date. Reanna then tells Angela to invite him up, stating he might be good in bed, adding that the little ones always are.

Ethan asks Angela if she and Dave have been physical (she says it's none of his business).

Ethan somewhat mockingly asks Dave if he has a condom he can use with Angela. He then tells Angela to move over in bed, but she tells him to sleep on the sofa. We then see him there (at minimum shirtless), talking to his "hair doll" and acting like it's asking him to do something sexual. He then puts his hand down under his body toward his crotch while lying on the sofa, but we don't see anything else.

One of the guys comments about some hookers in the past that they thought were girls.

Dave imagines Ethan cavorting with Cameron Diaz who sits atop him while he's lying down with his shirt open. Ethan then says something about "I f-ed his girlfriend." She then moves around on top of him while making sexual/sensuous sounds, and a comment is made about taking off his pants.

Reanna and Sam kiss in class and she then climbs on top of him as he lies down on top of a desk (both are clothed).

In the background of a shot, we see a man in his underwear.

SMOKING

Dave, Sam, Jeff and Ethan each smoke once, while Dave also holds a pipe in several scenes and a miscellaneous character also smokes.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Stalkers (that's what Ethan is to Angela).

Those who cheat and/or scam others.

VIOLENCE

Jeff and Ethan briefly push/struggle with each other and are then separated, with Sam pinning Ethan back against a locker.

Sam says "treat a girl like dirt and she'll stick to you like mud." In what's presumably an imagined scene, we then see him in his underwear as he purposefully spills a drink on a woman's back in a bar, prompting her to slap him.

Some slapstick/pratfall material includes Ethan falling down or slipping as well as falling down some stairs.

Ethan struggles with a homeless man who pulls him down onto a table.

A person throws a Frisbee at Ethan, hitting him in the face to make him shut up as he serenades Angela.

Mad at Dave, Angela slams her door onto him when she shows up.

Dave punches Ethan in the face, resulting in a little bit of a bloody nose.

Ethan briefly struggles with some guards who try to prevent him from entering a building and eventually drag him out.

Reviewed January 14, 2002 / Posted February 1, 2002

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