FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS -- CONTENT REVIEW: LARRY CROWNE

"LARRY CROWNE"
(2011) (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts) (PG-13)

QUICK TAKE:: Romantic Comedy: After being laid-off from the big box store that fit him like a glove, a divorced, middle-aged man tries to reinvent himself by going to college where he meets a vivacious student and cryptic speech professor who end up reshaping his life.

PLOT:

After serving as a cook in the Navy for several decades, Larry Crowne (TOM HANKS) now works at big box store U-Mart. He loves his work and the job fits him well. Yet, despite being employee of the month eight times, he's downsized out of his job, solely due to not having a college education. With encouragement from his married neighbors -- Lamar (CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER) and B'Ella (TARAJI P. HENSON) -- who are living off Lamar's TV game show winnings and have a perpetual yard sale, Larry decides to go to college for the first time.

He enrolls at East Valley Community College where the dean informs him of several classes he should take, including Economics with Dr. Ed Matsutani (GEORGE TAKEI) and Speech with professor Mercedes Tainot (JULIA ROBERTS). That's despite her seemingly having lost her zest for teaching and most things in life, part of which stems from her one-time author husband Dean (BRYAN CRANSTON) now spending his time surfing porn sites rather than earning a living.

With her only friend seemingly being fellow instructor Frances (PAM GRIER), Mercedes cryptically goes through the motions in class, knowing full well that most of her students, such as the dimwitted but lively Steve Dibiasi (RAMI MALEK), won't get anything out of it. But she sees something a bit different in Larry, a quality also noticed by his Economics classmate, Talia (GUGU MBATHA-RAW). Seeing that he's a fellow scooter rider, she invites him to join her scooter "gang," a point that slightly bristles her boyfriend, Dell (WILMER VALDERRAMA).

Nonetheless, she decides it's her duty to give Larry a makeover, complete with a new haircut, new clothes and rearranging his home to better tap into its Feng Shui. Sporting his new look and demeanor, Larry sets out to excel in his classes, including Mercedes,' with them eventually seemingly headed toward something more than the standard teacher-student relationship.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Those who are fans of Hanks, Roberts and/or anyone else in the cast might be interested in seeing it. Otherwise, it doesn't seem too likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For brief strong language and some sexual content.

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