My Son The Fanatic (1999)

Screen It! is not attempting to rate the movie as good or bad but to give parents the tools to decide whether it's appropriate for their kids.

This movie has been screened for objectional content in 15 areas. Click for a detailed look.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
The following is a brief look at the content found in this R-rated drama/comedy hybrid. Profanity is extreme due to at least 9 "f" words being used (possibly more and some used sexually), while other profanities and colorful language are also used. Some nudity occurs (women's bare breasts, most of one's bare butt in a thong-like bottom) and a major character is a prostitute, and we briefly see/hear activity in the backseat of a car in one scene. Other implied sexual activity involving her and two major male characters also occurs. In one scene, two major characters snort cocaine, while in another, the protagonist gets drunk (over his son's behavior) and other drinking and smoking also occur. Some violent behavior is present including scenes involving thrown punches (including a woman being hit on separate occasions) as well as mob violence. Several characters exhibit bad attitudes/behavior (one is a hooker, another a violent hedonist, and a married man has an affair with that hooker), and some viewers may take offense at how certain religious/social beliefs are displayed. In addition, there are plenty of tense family scenes related to that affair as well as father/son tension over religion/society that create a great deal of conflict.

While it's doubtful many kids will want to see this film, you may want to take a closer look at the listed content should you be concerned about its appropriateness for you or anyone else in your home.

QUICK TAKE:: Drama/Comedy: A westernized Pakistani taxi driver must contend with his son's turn to conservative Islam, particularly as it applies to the prostitutes with whom the father chauffeurs and socializes.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: The odds are extremely limited that they will.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For sexuality, language and a scene of drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: OM PURI plays a Pakistani taxi driver who wants the best for his family. His wife's coolness toward him, however, coupled with his son's turn to Islam, eventually drives him into the arms of a friend, who just so happens to be a hooker. He also drinks (getting drunk in one scene).
RACHEL GRIFFITHS plays that hooker who has an affair with Parvez and smokes, when not having sex with Schitz or servicing his parties.
AKBAR KURTHA plays his son who turns to Islam and condemns his father's and the country's Western ways.
GOPI DESAI plays Parvez's dutiful wife who has similarly taken objection -- albeit muffled -- toward her husband's behavior and attitude.
STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a visiting German businessman who has sex with Bettina, snorts cocaine, and holds parties serviced by Bettina and her hooker associates.; RACHEL GRIFFITHS plays that hooker who has an affair with Parvez and smokes, when not having sex with Schitz or servicing his parties.
AKBAR KURTHA plays his son who turns to Islam and condemns his father's and the country's Western ways.
GOPI DESAI plays Parvez's dutiful wife who has similarly taken objection -- albeit muffled -- toward her husband's behavior and attitude.
STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a visiting German businessman who has sex with Bettina, snorts cocaine, and holds parties serviced by Bettina and her hooker associates.; AKBAR KURTHA plays his son who turns to Islam and condemns his father's and the country's Western ways.
GOPI DESAI plays Parvez's dutiful wife who has similarly taken objection -- albeit muffled -- toward her husband's behavior and attitude.
STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a visiting German businessman who has sex with Bettina, snorts cocaine, and holds parties serviced by Bettina and her hooker associates.; GOPI DESAI plays Parvez's dutiful wife who has similarly taken objection -- albeit muffled -- toward her husband's behavior and attitude.
STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a visiting German businessman who has sex with Bettina, snorts cocaine, and holds parties serviced by Bettina and her hooker associates.; STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a visiting German businessman who has sex with Bettina, snorts cocaine, and holds parties serviced by Bettina and her hooker associates.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: HEAVY: While meeting their future in-laws, Parvez tells Minoo to bring some champagne. We then see still photos of those two, the in-laws, and Farid and his fiancé holding glasses of champagne.
Parvez thinks that Farid may be on drugs (he's not), and so asks Bettina for the warning signs of such usage.

Parvez has a drink.
People have drinks in a bar, while Schitz has a beer and Parvez has what may or may not be a drink (it looks like orange juice).
People drink in a club.
Bettina and Schitz have beer.
We see Schitz separating some cocaine. He and Bettina then snort some of it.
Parvez pours himself a drink.
People have drinks at Fizzy's, including Fizzy and Parvez who have champagne. Fizzy then brings over drinks for Parvez and Farid, but only Parvez drinks (and continues to have more until he's rather drunk -- but Farid drives home).
Parvez and Bettina have wine with dinner.
People have drinks at one of Schitz's parties.
Parvez has a drink and later carries a bottle of booze with him through the house.

BLOOD/GORE: MINOR: We see some big and deep bruises on Bettina's back (from where Schitz has evidently gotten rough with her).
A hooker has some blood on the side of her face after her "home" is attacked.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: EXTREME: Some viewers may not like the film's portrayal of Islam and its followers as being the odd, comical or "wrong" choice for Farid.
Parvez doesn't accept his son's sudden belief in Islam. He also drives prostitutes from one job to the next, has an affair with one, and even arranges prostitutes for Schitz's parties.

Some may see Farid for having both for flaunting his religious and societal belief's in his father's face and then asking if a high priest can stay at their home, etc...
Bettina and many other women are prostitutes.
A man blows smoke in Parvez's face after the taxi driver informs him that there's no smoking in his cab.
A comedian makes fun of Parvez in his act due to his ethnic background and a patron behind Parvez starts throwing small items at him. Bettina then throws a beer on that man who tries to come after her and has to be restrained.
We see some big and deep bruises on Bettina's back (from where Schitz has evidently gotten rough with her). Beyond that, Schitz is a hedonistic businessman and in another scene he kicks Parvez to the ground and then laughs about it.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: MILD: Confrontational scenes that take place later in the film (as described in "Violence") may be unsettling to some viewers.

GUNS/WEAPONS: MILD: Presumed Molotov cocktail: Thrown into a building to catch it on fire.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: MILD: Phrases: "Piss off," "Shut your trap," "Bastard," "Useless idiot," "Bitch," "Bloody," "Bugger off," "Shut up" and "Go to hell."

A person gives "the finger" when asking if another person is doing that to them.
Farid protests outside the hookers' "home" and then spits in Bettina's face after pushing her to the ground. He later spits in his father's face.

JUMP SCENES: NONE: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): NONE: None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): NONE: None.

PROFANITY: EXTREME: At least 9 "f" words (with another possible 2 and 2 of the existing ones used sexually), 4 "s" words, 5 slang terms for male genitals ("d*ck"), 2 slang terms for female genitals ("p*ssy"), 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 1 damn, 1 hell, and 1 use of "bugger," along with 1 use each of "For God's sakes" and "Oh God" as exclamations.
In addition and while waiting to pick up Schitz at the airport, Parvez holds up a sign that reads "Mr. SHITs."

SEX/NUDITY: HEAVY: We briefly see a prostitute's bare breast as we pass by her in a car.
We see Bettina and a man in the backseat of Parvez's taxi with her telling her "client" to slow down. After a brief stop, we then hear sexual sounds (the man climaxing) coming from the backseat, but don't see anything.

Schitz appears to run his hand over Bettina's body as he checks her out (for future "service") and says, "Couldn't you kiss every part of her?"
Concerned about Farid's prior interest in clothes and ironing, Parvez says that he was worried about him "going homo."
Bettina shows some cleavage in various scenes.
As Schitz has his arm around Bettina, he appears to be touching/feeling her breast.
As Bettina sits behind a table with her legs spread, Schitz moves over to her and puts his head between her legs (while commenting about "p*ssy"). As the two then go into a bedroom as she sits on the bed in her garters and bra-like top and before he closes the door, Schitz tells Parvez to enjoy Bettina "after I'm done with her." It's implied that they have sex.
Farid complains to his father about their society that's soaked in sex.
We see Bettina in her bra.
With each alternating behind the other, Parvez and Bettina caress and kiss each other in a sensual fashion. We then see them (presumably after sex) lying nude in the "spoons" position. As such, we see the sides of their bare butts as well as the side of her bare breast.
A hooker shows some cleavage.
At one of Schitz's "parties," we see several women dancing, one of them being bare-breasted and showing most of her bare butt in the thong-like bottom she's wearing (we also briefly see the very small front of that same piece of clothing).
We see Parvez and Bettina again presumably after sex (with her under the covers).

Referring to Bettina, Parvez's friend says "Everyone f*cks her. Thousands of d*cks."

SMOKING: MODERATE: Bettina smokes around five times, while we see Fizzy with a cigar and various other miscellaneous characters smoking.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: EXTREME: Schitz briefly mentions that he left his family.
Farid's adoption of Islam and Parvez's refusal and then reluctance to allow that to happen puts a tremendous strain on their relationship as well as on Parvez and Minoo (at one point she states that she wishes she was with her relatives and he tells her she can go).
In another scene, Parvez violently yanks Farid up the stairs in their home and repeatedly strikes him and slams him against a wall. Because of this and other factors, both he and Minoo eventually move out.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: MODERATE: Prostitution.
The differing ideological and societal viewpoints of Parvez and his son and what it leads to between them (and whether either of them is "correct").
Islam for those not familiar with its ideologies.

VIOLENCE: MODERATE: We see some big and deep bruises on Bettina's back (from where Schitz has evidently gotten rough with her).
Schitz kicks Parvez to the ground and then laughs about it.
We see a mob of Islam followers throwing things at the hookers' "home." A window is already broken and what's presumably a Molotov cocktail is thrown through another one, which ignites and catches the place on fire. A man then runs up and punches a hooker, causing another hooker to jump on him and there's plenty of consequential struggling.
Farid pushes Bettina to the ground and then spits in her face, causing Parvez to grab his son violently.
Parvez then violently yanks Farid up the stairs in their home and repeatedly strikes him and slams him against a wall.
Parvez violently breaks and tears up some of Farid's leftover signs and Minoo heaves a glass in Parvez's direction that shatters upon hitting a wall.