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 comedy. An ingénue who arrives in town soon decides the best way to get to the top is to sleep with everyone. Although most of these encounters aren't seen (with only one having contact and some related sounds, but no nudity or movement), they're referenced many times and related sexual dialogue occurs, stemming from them. Some implied nudity also occurs (including a flasher scene), but we never directly see any of it.
Profanity is rated as heavy due to at least 1 use of the "f" word, as well as other profanities and "colorful" phrases." Some bad attitudes are present in the form of a filmmaker who lies to his crew, "borrows" equipment and vehicles without permission and films an actor to be in their movie without his permission or knowledge.
Beyond all of that, some brief (and mostly faked for their movie) violence and a bit of drinking, the rest of the film's categories are mostly void of any major objectionable content. Nonetheless, and as always, should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for anyone in your home, we suggest that you take a closer look at what's been listed.
- QUICK TAKE:
- Comedy: A smalltime filmmaker tries to direct a sci-fi movie without actually telling his major star, a paranoid actor, that he's going to be in it.
- WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
- If they're into "mass appeal" comedies, or are fans of Eddie Murphy or Steve Martin, they probably will.
- WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
- For sex-related material and language.
- CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
- STEVE MARTIN plays a "do it by any means" smalltime director who lies to his crew, films a star without his permission and sleeps with one of his actresses while trying to complete his film.
- ADAM ALEXI-MALLE plays an accountant-turned screenwriter who also sleeps with Daisy.
- CHRISTINE BARANSKI plays Bowfinger's veteran stage actress friend who initially can't believe she's appearing in one of his films.
- KOHL SUDDUTH plays Bowfinger's friend and resident hunk actor who ends up sleeping with Daisy.
- EDDIE MURPHY plays both a paranoid movie star who cusses a lot, as well as a friendly simpleton who's hired as a stand-in for Bowfinger's movie (and also sleeps with Daisy).
- TERENCE STAMP plays the head of a Scientology-like organization that tries to help Ramsey by controlling his life.
- JAMIE KENNEDY plays a studio employee who "borrows" various equipment and/or vehicles for Bowfinger to use on their film.
- HEATHER GRAHAM plays an aspiring actress who decides the best way to succeed is by sleeping with everyone.
- STEVE MARTIN plays a "do it by any means" smalltime director who lies to his crew, films a star without his permission and sleeps with one of his actresses while trying to complete his film.
DETAILED CONTENT LISTING:
Click on a category for specific details or scroll through the page for a broader overview.
HEAVY
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude | Profanity |
MODERATE
Guns/Weapons | Sex/Nudity
MILD/MINOR/NONE
Alcohol/Drugs | Blood/Gore | Imitative Behavior | Violence Frightening/Tense Scenes | Topics To Talk About | Music (Scary/Tense) | Tense Family Scenes | Jump Scenes | Music (Inappropriate) Smoking
- ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: MILD
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- With Daisy at the door, we see Bowfinger pour a bottle of cheap wine into an empty expensive bottle and then water it down. Later, Daisy says that this is the type of wine that one can drink as much as they want and not get drunk.
- Bowfinger's cast and crew have champagne.
- BLOOD/GORE: MILD
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- We see some fake blood on Slater during a staged scene.
- Dressed like an alien posing as a cop, Afrim's masked face has all sorts of goo come running out of it during a scene in their movie. Moments later, his arm drops off.
- We see a fake, cutoff head with blood on the stump.
- DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: HEAVY
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- All of the following is meant to be viewed in a comical sense.
- In a men's clothing store, Bowfinger exchanges his plaid jacket for a better-looking one and hangs up his old one (ie. He shoplifts).
- Dave "borrows" executives' or the studio's cars and other gear to help Bowfinger make his movie, and in one scene Bowfinger rips a phone from one of the "borrowed" cars to make it look like he's carrying a portable.
- Bowfinger lies to his cast and crew about Kit wanting to be in their movie, and then decides to include Ramsey in the movie without his permission. He also manipulates Jiff into doing things for him and/or the film.
- Daisy sleeps with nearly everyone thinking that's the way to make it to the top in Hollywood.
- Bowfinger finds, takes and then uses Daisy's credit card without her knowledge.
- Dave borrows Renfro's one of a kind car for a scene in their movie.
- FRIGHTENING SCENES: MINOR
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- Some may find a scene where Bowfinger and the others convince Jiff to cross both sides of a very busy freeway on foot as somewhat comically suspenseful, what with all the speeding cars passing within inches of him.
- Likewise, very young kids may not like a scene featuring a person holding a fake, cutoff head with blood on the stump, or goo oozing from a person's face.
- GUNS/WEAPONS: MODERATE
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- Handgun: Carried and occasionally fired by Kit.
- Although we don't see who's firing, we hear gunshots as Bowfinger and his crew pick up some illegal aliens on the border to be their crew (we do hear bullets hitting their van).
- Large knife: Carried by Carol in scenes of their movie.
- Fake gun: Used in a scene in a movie.
- Fake alien space gun: Aimed by Jiff's character at Kit.
- Handguns: Aimed at Kit and his entourage by some cops (one Afrim, the other a real one, but just acting as well).
- Fake machine guns/Swords: Seen in a movie.
- IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: MILD
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- Phrases (due to crowd noise, the following should be considered as a minimum): "Lying sack of sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Suckers," "Screwed" (nonsexual), "Shut up," "Bastard" and "Screw up."
- For part of the movie, Bowfinger and the others convince Jiff to cross both sides of a very busy freeway on foot.
- Bowfinger uses a rubber band to hold his dog's legs together (the pooch is sleeping on his back with them spread into the air).
- Daisy sleeps with nearly everyone thinking that's the way to make it to the top in Hollywood.
- JUMP SCENES: NONE
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- None.
- MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): NONE
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- None.
- MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): NONE
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- None.
- PROFANITY: HEAVY
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- Due to crowd noise, the following should be considered as a minimum.
- At least 1 "f" word, 10 "s" words, 6 asses, 5 damns, 1 hell and 5 uses of "Oh my God" and 3 uses of "Oh God" as exclamations.
- SEX/NUDITY: MODERATE
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- Due to crowd noise, the following should be considered as a minimum.
- Stricter tells Kit that he has to "keep Mr. Weenie in the pants," after the star states that he has to show it (his privates) to the Laker Girls (cheerleaders).
- Daisy and Slater passionately kiss during her audition for a part in the movie. After they're done, Bowfinger says that they'll try it again, "but this time without the erection" (which we don't see -- it's said just as a joke).
- Playing her part, Carol makes a sexually related comment to Kit about "being inside you."
- Various women show cleavage during the film, including Daisy (several times), Carol and some miscellaneous characters.
- Kit tells Stricter that strange people are approaching him, talking "about aliens, sex, umbrellas..."
- We see Daisy and Slater walking along the street and she says "I've never done it lying down before" and he states that next time he'd like to do it with just two condoms (thus she had sex with him as part of her casting couch strategy of sleeping to the top).
- There's some talk about a scene where Daisy will expose her breasts to increase sales of the film in Thailand.
- Daisy walks along with Afrim, presumably after having sex.
- Carol approaches Kit and comments about initially being nervous about them having sex and then states that there will be a lot of people watching them. Kit, as paranoid as ever, runs away and later states that the aliens want to "inhale my gonads."
- We see several men in their underwear (boxers and briefs) as they do "butt auditions" as possible stand-ins for Kit.
- During his audition, Jiff is asked whether he's willing to show his naked rear end during the movie and he embarrassedly laughs and says "Yeah, I guess so."
- Bowfinger and Daisy kiss with her making some aroused sounds as he lies on top of her and continues to kiss her. She then says, "Who cares if when I hit my sexual peak, you'll be seventy." She then says, "I want to make love to you. Oh God. I want you so much." She then adds that it's "the woman who's entered. It's the woman who's violated...To know the man inside you is part of you." As she says this, she briefly places his hand on her cleavage. Moments later and hearing some slight moaning and seeing them only from the shoulders up, we see that she's apparently sitting on his lap having sex.
- Bowfinger tells Jiff that he'll appear in a scene with Daisy where she takes off her blouse. He smiles and then stares at her chest (we see this scene from behind her). During the scene and in character, she states that something "makes me need you, now." She then takes off her top and while we don't see anything, Jiff does and embarrassedly smiles and laughs.
- Jiff says, "You'll never guess who I just had intercourse with in the van" just as Daisy slinks in. He then adds that she's "the most inventive girl." Bowfinger then confronts Daisy and says, "You had sex with Jiff." She replies, "So?" and he then states, "Well, I never thought about it that way" and the subject is dropped.
- Although we only see the back of him, we do see Kit flash the Laker Girls cheerleaders (but they laugh at the sight and he replies that "it's not funny" as he runs away).
- It's implied that Daisy had sex with Dave, and with a woman who Daisy states is "one of the most powerful lesbians in Hollywood."
- SMOKING: NONE
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- None.
- TENSE FAMILY SCENES: NONE
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- None.
- TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: MINOR
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- Daisy's decision to sleep her way to success (by sleeping with anyone who seems to have power).
- The film's apparent jabs at Scientology (and what exactly that is).
- The efforts smalltime filmmakers will take in trying to make it in Hollywood.
- VIOLENCE: MILD
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- Bowfinger rips a car phone from a car (to make it look like a portable).
- Upset, Kit randomly fires several shots from his handgun that strike a drum set.
- We see Bowfinger being thrown onto the street from Kit's car.
- Although we don't see who's firing, we hear gunshots as Bowfinger and his crew pick up some illegal aliens on the border to be their crew (we do hear bullets hitting their van).
- We see an actor tossed out onto the street from Bowfinger's place.
- In a staged scene for the movie, Carol shoots Slater's character and we see some fake blood. Daisy's character then kicks the gun from her hand.
- There's some very faked martial arts fighting in a scene from a movie.
