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The In-Laws | 2003 | PG-13 | - 4.4.5

A young man and woman are deeply in love and try to plan their wedding despite their parents' involvement: The young man's father (Michael Douglas) introduces himself as a Xerox salesman but is, in fact, a daredevil CIA spy, while the young woman's father is a mild-mannered podiatrist (Albert Brooks) with a multitude of neuroses. When the two men meet their erratic behavior causes all manner of chaotic situations and the wedding is nearly called off. Also with Ryan Reynolds, Lindsay Sloane and Robin Tunney. Directed by Andrew Fleming. [1:38]

SEX/NUDITY 4 - A man kisses a man on the lips, a man and a woman kiss, a man and a woman kiss. A man approaches another man and makes suggestive comments. Two men are shown in a hot tub bare-chested, one gets out and we see his buttocks (he's wearing a thong). A woman describes the sex she and her husband had as "hot." A woman lifts her skirt and we see her panties, a woman's top is almost sheer and we can briefly see her nipples, women wear bikinis that expose cleavage, bare abdomens, bare legs, and bare buttocks, men are bare-chested in several scenes, and a woman wears a top that exposes her bare abdomen and cleavage. A man and a woman have a discussion in a restroom stall, another man overhears the conversation and misunderstands it to be a sexual exchange. We see photos of a man dressed as a woman. Men and women are shown dancing. A woman invites a man back to her room. A woman talks about orgasms, a woman sends a man a note that reads "you're hot," a man says of another man "he's gonna love prison," a man states that "he needs the company of other men." There are references to date rape drugs.

VIOLENCE/GORE 4 - A man in a car is shot, the car crashes into a wood pile, another man in the car pushes the body out of the car, and then a car chase begins: guns are fired at the car as it speeds to an airport where an airplane takes off, which is then shot at, it crashes to the ground and explodes (presumably the man was inside). A torpedo chases two men on a skidoo, and a torpedo hits a submarine and it explodes. A man is shot at, and a man is shot in the neck with a tranquilizer dart and falls to the floor. Two men fight with punches and kicks after one of them pulls a gun. A woman is pushed off a speeding boat. A woman punches a man in the face and holds him at gunpoint, a woman kicks a man in the face, a woman kicks and punches a man and holds him at gunpoint, a woman punches a man in the nose, a man squeezes a man's foot and he screams and collapses in pain, and a man grabs another man and yells at him. Two men fall off a rooftop and float through a city with a parachute, they crash into a window and land between two pointed sculptures. A large wave washes over and through a group of people on land, and they are knocked down. A gas is blown into a car and the occupants fall unconscious. A man talks about holding the beating heart of a man in his hand, and a man talks about having killed his wife. The engine of a plane bursts into flames during flight. A man is surrounded by men with guns drawn, a man is held at gunpoint, a man is held at gunpoint by many men. A man is chased through a restaurant and the kitchen staff sets a fire on the floor to keep his pursuers from following. People yell at each other frequently. A man drives a meter maid truck recklessly through streets while a woman stands in the back and gets tossed around. A plane shakes and a man pretends he doesn't know how to fly it, scaring another man. A man squeezes another man's hand very hard. A large snake lies on a restaurant table and people are eating it (we see holes poked in it). A man uses a urinal in a public restroom and another man crowds in next to him.

LANGUAGE 5 - 1 F-word, 6 sexual references, 5 scatological terms, 4 anatomical terms, 12 mild obscenities, 12 religious exclamations.

SUBSTANCE USE - People are shown drinking alcohol.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Anxiety, family, being a father, one's in-laws, wedding planning, being in control, fear of flying, arms dealers, Vietnam, homosexuality, vertigo.

MESSAGE - Weddings aren't about the bride and groom, they are about two disparate families coming together.

CAVEATS

Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.

We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.

Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.


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