2016-06-30

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:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated black comedy. The thematic issue of students threatening and then kidnapping a teacher may be troubling to some viewers. In direct relation to that, a moderate amount of violence occurs, some of it a bit bloody, and there are three instances where people are nearly killed by arrows fired from a crossbow. While most everything is played along the lines of black comedy, some of the scenes could be suspenseful to some viewers.

Beyond the students' bad attitudes, others are present as well, including the way a meanspirited teacher treats everyone. Some sexual references and dialogue are present, and two of the students end up having sex (although we only see the steamy beginnings of that and no nudity). An affair is also implied, but we don't see any such direct activity.

Profanity is rated heavy due to 1 use of the "f" word, while other profanities and assorted phrases are present. Some student drinking occurs, and a coach apparently drinks several bottles of wine before finally passing out. While some tempting imitative behavior is present (confronting, threatening and abducting a teacher, changing grades in a teacher's grade book, etc...) most of it's a bit extreme to be casually imitated.

The film's remaining categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content. Nonetheless, should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness and need more info than what's just been described, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed descriptions.


QUICK TAKE:
Black comedy: Three high school students inadvertently kidnap their meanspirited history teacher after learning she's ready to ruin one of their lives.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Katie Holmes (TV's "Dawson's Creek") and any potential advertising stating that this film is from the writer of the "Scream" movies and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" might draw in some teens.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For thematic content, violence, sexuality, language and some teen drinking.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • KATIE HOLMES plays a by the books, smart student who ends up going along with the kidnaping of her teacher as things spiral out of control. Along the way she also cusses some and ends up sleeping with Luke.
  • MARISA COUGHLAN plays her best friend who also cusses some, drinks a little and is jealous of Leigh Ann and Luke.
  • BARRY WATSON plays that deadbeat guy who doesn't show any positive initiative at school, but after getting Leigh Ann in trouble, he takes it upon himself to fix things that ultimately means kidnaping their teacher. He also ends up sleeping with Leigh Ann and drinking some.
  • HELEN MIRREN plays their venomous, snobbish and condescending history teacher who turns out to be having an affair with a married man.
  • JEFFREY TAMBOR plays a married man who's having an affair and ends up drinking a great deal of wine at Tingle's home and then passes out drunk.
  • DETAILED CONTENT LISTING:
    Click on a category for specific details or scroll through the page for a broader overview.

    EXTREME
    Disrespectful/Bad Attitude

    HEAVY
    Music (Scary/Tense) | Profanity

    MODERATE
    Alcohol/Drugs | Guns/Weapons | Sex/Nudity | Violence

    MILD/MINOR/NONE
    Blood/Gore | Frightening/Tense Scenes | Imitative Behavior | Topics To Talk About | Jump Scenes | Smoking | Music (Inappropriate) | Tense Family Scenes

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: MODERATE
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  • While fantasizing about what her future will be like as a Hollywood star, Jo Lynn comments that she'll probably be popping Percodan among other things.
  • Tingle comments to Potter about how hard it is to believe that he's been sober for nearly four years.
  • Luke drinks a beer in the school gym.
  • Luke says that with a bottle of wine he'll be fine for posing in some "dirty" blackmail pictures with Tingle. Later, Luke drinks some wine and then gives some to Tingle. Even later, she comments to Luke that he must have gotten a couple of cheerleaders drunk in his lifetime and thus should know a thing or two about women.
  • Blindfolded and thinking that Jo Lynn is Tingle, Coach Wenchell asks if she's trying to get him drunk and then states that he has a very high tolerance for alcohol. We then see that he's had several bottles of wine and still hasn't passed out yet. Eventually, however, he does pass out from drinking too much.
  • Jo Lynn drinks some wine.
  • BLOOD/GORE: MILD
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  • Tingle has a slightly bloody scrape across her head where a crossbow arrow grazed her (and we also see a slightly bloody towel).
  • Leigh Ann's nose is bloody while Tingle's head is the same after they fight.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: EXTREME
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  • Tingle has a venomous and condescending attitude toward everyone, including her students and particularly now toward Leigh Ann.
  • The three students who abduct her and don't give up their plan, obviously have both as well.
  • For his history project, Luke places a large rock on Tingle's desk, proclaims it's "Plymouth Rock" and then sits back down again, all to spite Tingle.
  • Trudie has a victorious and condescending attitude toward Leigh Ann.
  • Luke admits to finding and copying Tingle's final exam and he places the copy in Leigh Ann's backpack (which ultimately gets her in trouble).
  • Leigh Ann lies to her mother about her history project and being the valedictorian.
  • The students decide to pose Tingle in some "dirty pictures" to blackmail her into forgetting this whole incident and letting up on Leigh Ann.
  • We learn that Coach Wenchell--who's married--was having an affair with Tingle.
  • Tingle tells a story--that may or may not be true--about her best friend sleeping with her husband.
  • Leigh Ann sleeps with Luke despite knowing that Jo Lynn was already interested in him.
  • Having found Tingle's grade book, Leigh Ann changes both her and Trudie's grades to make Leigh Ann the valedictorian. When Leigh Ann later says that they're "going to burn in Hell for this," Luke says that it's "going to be a party."
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES: MILD
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  • Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or suspenseful to some viewers.
  • A scene where Jo Lynn acts out a scene from "The Exorcist" (where the girl is possessed on the bed with voices and writhing) may be unsettling/disturbing to some viewers.
  • Coach Wenchell shows up and lets himself into Tingle's home, leading to some comically suspenseful moments as the students try to prevent him from seeing them or Tingle gagged and bound to the bed.
  • Leigh Ann slowly walks through the house looking for Tingle who appears to have escaped. Her and others' encounters with Tingle during the finale may also be suspenseful.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS: MODERATE
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  • Crossbow: Accidently fired by a student during his history class presentation (with the arrow penetrating a girl's book that she held in front of her face). Later, it's used to threaten others and several people are nearly shot with it.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: MILD
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  • Phrases: "Holy sh*t," "Bastard," "Jeez," "Bitch," "Ass kissing," "Cheese ball," "Loser," "Skank," "Screwed" and "Screw" (nonsexual), "Screw you," "What the..." "Slut bag," "Whore" and "Hussy."
  • After getting Leigh Ann to dare her, Jo Lynn rushes up and plants a kiss on Luke's lips.
  • The students go to Tingle's home to try to convince her to change her mind, and then through a series of mishaps, are somewhat forced into kidnapping her. They then gag and bind her to her bed.
  • We see some miscellaneous kids spraying some sort of cream (shaving or whipping, perhaps) on another student as a joke.
  • The students decide to pose Tingle in some "dirty pictures" to blackmail her into forgetting this whole incident and letting up on Leigh Ann.
  • Having found Tingle's grade book, Leigh Ann changes both her and Trudie's grades to make Leigh Ann the valedictorian.
  • JUMP SCENES: MINOR
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  • As Jo Lynn nearly kisses Luke who's asleep, she (and we) suddenly hear Tingle and the sudden sound may startle some viewers.
  • A seemingly unconscious or dead person suddenly grabs another person.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): HEAVY
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  • A heavy amount of suspenseful music--some of it played comically--occurs during the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): NONE
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  • None.
  • PROFANITY: HEAVY
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  • At least 1 "f" word, 11 "s" words, 4 asses (1 used with "hole"), 1 damn and 3 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "My God," "God" and "Oh Good Lord" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY: MODERATE
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  • We see a brief glimpse of a picture/poster of some girls in bikinis on a wall.
  • When talking about what they'll be known for in the future, Jo Lynn says that Leigh Ann will be known for being a thirty-eight-year-old virgin.
  • We see Jo Lynn dressed like Marilyn Monroe in a somewhat revealing top. In character as that star, she comments that her relationship with JFK was not just about sex and then substitutes "mistress" in place of "country" in JFK's famous, "Ask not what your country can do" quote.
  • When Luke sees Leigh Ann and Jo Lynn hugging (just from friendship), Luke jokingly asks, "Want to make it a three way?"
  • Commenting on Tingle's lack of a TV, Jo Lynn asks about where else one can see a program about a man having a sex change to become a lesbian.
  • Tingle comments to Luke that he must have gotten a couple of cheerleaders drunk in his lifetime and thus knows a thing or two about women.
  • Having let himself inside Tingle's home, Coach Wenchell announces that he's there and calls himself "spanky" and states "I miss my chili momma" and that he wants his "pom poms." He then says "Remember last time...that thing you did?" Jo Lynn then poses as Tingle and blindfolds the coach that excites him and he then asks if she's trying to get him drunk. After he's had several bottles of wine he makes a comment about her spanking him. He then grabs Luke's hand and starts kissing it (thinking it's Tingle) and then jumps on top of him and briefly kisses him before passing out.
  • Jo Lynn shows some cleavage as does Tingle when they open her robe (to take some "dirty" blackmail pictures) and see her in her sexy, low-cut bra. We then see that the students have put Coach Wenchell--who's passed out--in bed with Tingle (no nudity) and that his head is resting on her cleavage.
  • Tingle tells a story--that may or may not be true--about her best friend sleeping with her husband.
  • Leigh Ann and Luke passionately kiss and then lower themselves down to the floor where they continue. He then says that he's dreamt about this (and she says "Don't ruin it") as she tears open her shirt and then does the same to his (he's lying under her on the floor). She then shows some cleavage as she takes off her tank top and we see her in her bra. He then sensuously kisses her neck and then down into her cleavage (and the camera then pans over to the fireplace as they presumably have sex). We then see Tingle listening to their sexual sounds coming up through the vent in her room. Later, we see Leigh Ann and Luke lying on the floor covered with some blankets and she exclaims, "Wow."
  • A substitute history teacher (played by Molly Ringwald) talks about Napoleon and Josephine and comments on Josephine dropping her panties and "gang banging" everyone in town.
  • Jo Lynn tells Leigh Ann, "Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't sleep with Luke." Of course, she can't and then admits to sleeping with him.
  • SMOKING: MINOR
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  • Leigh Ann comments that her mom often falls asleep with lit cigarettes still in her hand. Sure enough, we then see Leigh Ann having to take one from her mother's hand while she sleeps.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES: NONE
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  • None.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: MILD
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  • The possible reasons behind Tingle's treatment of everyone else.
  • The students and their criminal approach to solving their problem.
  • VIOLENCE: MODERATE
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  • A student explaining his history project accidently fires his crossbow and the arrow penetrates, but stops in a girl's book that she had in front of her face.
  • Trying to get Tingle to change her mind about Leigh Ann, Luke aims a loaded crossbow at the teacher. Tingle then twice hits Luke and Jo Lynn grabs the crossbow that accidently fires and grazes Tingle's head, sending her crashing to the floor unconscious.
  • The students then take Tingle upstairs (banging her head against the wall) and then gag and bind her to her bed.
  • Tingle suddenly grabs Jo Lynn and starts to strangle her, but stops when Luke aims the crossbow at her again.
  • We hear the sound of someone being hit (presumably over the head and knocked unconscious based on the sound).
  • Tingle chases a girl and then smashes her into a wall. They then struggle on the floor and we see that the girl's nose is bloody as is Tingle's head.
  • A person falls down a flight of stairs and appears to be dead or unconscious.
  • Tingle fires a crossbow and the arrow appears to strike and kill a person (but the person turns out to be okay).
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