The Family Filmgoer
Family Filmgoer: ‘I Love You’ lacks charm
“I Love You, Beth Cooper” (PG-13, 1 hour, 41 minutes) : An awkward mix of fresh ideas and teen movie cliches, this comedy about losing one’s virginity after high school graduation (screenplay by Larry Doyle, based on his novel) lacks essential charm, which is a near-fatal flaw.
The movie has a promising opening, when valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) gives his graduation speech. From the podium, nerdy Denis tells cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere of TV’s “Heroes”) that he has loved her from afar for years. After the ceremony, Beth Cooper’s muscle-bound boyfriend Kevin (Shawn Roberts) tries to clobber Denis. Beth and her gal pals take pity on Denis and his friend Rich and hang out with them all graduation night, flirting, drinking, driving recklessly (that’s Beth’s thing), and harassing poor movie-mad Rich about his ambiguous sexual orientation. The film relies too heavily on slapstick mayhem, and it detracts from the film’s poignant examination of young love, sexual confusion and uncertainty about life in general.
There is much bawdy sexual innuendo that pushes the PG-13 rating well into R territory (yet again). This includes implied semi-nudity, profanity, crude toilet humor, a couple of implied sexual situations (including a threesome), teen drinking, sexual favors offered to a store clerk in return for selling them beer, semi-explicit jokes about erections and condoms, Denis’ parents in partial undress, trysting in their car, a drug reference and teens in underwear. Really not for middle schoolers. Beyond the ratings game OK for kids 8 and older: “Ice Age:Dawn of the Dinosaurs” PG—Prehistoric critters still use 21st-century slang and ageless slapstick in this third “Ice Age” feature. It’s in 3-D, so kids may jump when an angry T. rex chases the heroes, or when a flesh-eating plant briefly swallows two of them. There’s a creepy skeleton graveyard, occasional semi-crude humor and mild sexual jokes (about a butterfly “coming out,” and turning “a T. rex into a T. rachel”). PG-13s of varying intensity:
“Whatever Works”—Star Larry David’s (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) lack of acting skill hobbles Woody Allen’s latest film. While fine for most high schoolers, “Whatever Works” won’t engage many of them, as its wit and wisdom are aimed at adult sensibilities. The movie includes midrange profanity, implied sexual trysts, discussion of sex, a tasteless line about an abortion clinic, a scene that implies drug use and drinking.
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”—Director Michael Bay puts all the emphasis on battles between the giant, quick-changing robotic warriors—good Autobots and evil Decepticons. The plot is incomprehensible except to Transformers superfans and perhaps high schoolers who like all sci-fi/action hybrids. In addition to relatively bloodless but intense ’bot battles, the movie contains human warfare and enough crude sexual innuendo to make it iffy for middle schoolers. There is some profanity, a gag about an adult getting high on marijuana brownies, and toilet humor.
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