[Screen It]

 

"WIN WIN"
(2011) (Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer) (R)


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


QUICK TAKE:
Dramedy: Hoping to make some extra money he desperately needs, a lawyer offers to be the guardian for an aged client, unaware that doing so will soon have him involved with that man's drug-addicted adult daughter and 16-year-old grandson.
PLOT:
In the town of New Providence, New Jersey, Mike Flaherty (PAUL GIAMATTI) is an attorney who mainly serves the elderly in a house office he shares with his assistant, Shelly (NINA ARIANDA), and CPA Stephen Vigman (JEFFREY TAMBOR) who assists Mike in coaching the high school wrestling team. They aren't winning, which can also be said about Mike's law practice, and money is getting tight. That's something he tries to keep from his wife, Jackie (AMY RYAN), and their two young kids, but the panic attacks he has while jogging with his cuckolded friend, Terry (BOBBY CANNAVALE), certainly show the stress is getting to him.

Thus, when an opportunity to make some extra cash presents itself, Mike slyly jumps on it. One of his older clients, Leo Poplar (BURT YOUNG), is suffering from the early stages of dementia and thus needs a guardian to look after his best interests. Yet, since his adult daughter, Cindy (MELANIE LYNSKEY), hasn't been seen in years and can't be found now, Mike decides to volunteer as Leo's guardian.

But he's really only doing that for the $1,500 monthly check that's supposed to go toward keeping Leo in his own home, when Mike instead puts him in a care facility and pockets the money. Things become more complicated when Leo's teenage son, Kyle Timmons (ALEX SHAFFER), shows up, having run away from home and his drug addict mother and her abusive boyfriend.

Realizing the teen can't room with Leo, Mike has him stay with his family and tag along at school and to wrestling practice. It's there that Mike learns that Kyle is quite good at that, and the teen soon joins Stemler (DAVID W. THOMPSON) and other wrestlers on the team. His winning ways soon inspire the team and make Mike think that his life is finally starting to turn around, unaware of the complications that are about to come his way.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or are really into high school wrestling, it doesn't seem too likely.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For language.


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